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Home > Blogs > Lakota Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > March
March 2009
Budget cuts
There has been some buzz around the Lakota district about potential budget cuts. Superintendent Mike Taylor announced at a meeting that he is awaiting proposals from department heads before making any decisions. However, cuts may be made in the near future to cut back on the deficit spending as the district nears the end of its levy cycle.
I will keep you posted, but there should be discussions soon on an upcoming levy as well as the final budget proposal. All of these things must be taken with a grain of salt, though, because it all could change once Gov. Ted Strickland’s education plan and budget is approved this summer. That leaves districts in a bind, because any unfunded mandates from him could mean a shift in the budget. Still, the process must take place as usual.
If you were in charge, where would you cut? Read here for some ideas of what Taylor is thinking. He is looking at transportation to athletic events, the number of employed coaches, teachers that are retiring and supplemental contracts.
Taylor has said he wants to make cuts that would least impact a child’s educational experience. He said community outreach also will be a big part of any decision, in order for there to be an understanding of why choices are made.
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Career Day
This is a test. This is only a test. I just presented to four classes at the Lakota East Freshman Campus for career day. I mentioned this blog. Now, I am curious to see if any of those students do their homework and check it out. So, if you are a freshman, post and let me know you were paying attention! :)
I just think it is great to see such an interest in writing. What I found funny, though, was that most who were interested in journalism don’t actually read a newspaper. We talked about some of the hardships and changes in the journalism business. Students were quite interested in all the crime stories. They also seemed surprised by how low salaries are for journalists and how few jobs there are. I was so impressed by their attention and their questions.
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Scholarship opportunity
I got this press release and the writer asked me to place this in my blog. So FYI:
There’s less than a week left to answer just 50 questions for a WikiAnswers.com scholarship. (http://wikianswers.com/static/scholarship_program.html)
The WikiAnswers.com Scholarship Program plans to award twenty scholarships valued at $1,000 each for use by recipients.
This scholarship is for students planning to be enrolled in undergraduate classes during the 2009-2010 academic year.
Sign in to the popular Q site WikiAnswers.com with your username and answer at least 50 questions of your choice. The panel of judges will review the 50 answers you submit with your application for quality and accuracy.
All materials must be submitted (and postmarked) by March 31, 2009.
You can get more details, including the FAQs and the downloadable scholarship application on the WikiAnswers.com Scholarship Program page at http://wikianswers.com/static/scholarship_program.html.
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Math update
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Liberty construction update
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Financial documents
The following posts will contain board packet information.
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More play needed in school. Do you agree?
I got this press release in my e-mail today. What are your thoughts about children needing more time to play in kindergarten?
Kindergarten Playtime Disappears, Raising Alarm on Children’s Learning and Health New studies show play losing out to formal lessons and tests, even though multiple benefits of imaginative play are well documented
College Park, MD, March 20, 2009;Time for play in most public kindergartens has dwindled to the vanishing point, replaced by lengthy lessons and standardized testing, according to three new studies released today by the Alliance for Childhood. Classic play materials like blocks, sand and water tables, and props for dramatic play have largely disappeared from the 268 full-day kindergarten classrooms studied.
The studies were conducted by researchers from U.C.L.A., Long Island University, and Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Their findings are documented in Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School (at www.allianceforchildhood.org http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/ ).
The researchers found that On a typical day, kindergartners in Los Angeles and New York City spend four to six times as long being instructed and tested in literacy and math (two to three hours per day) as in free play or “choice time&” (30 minutes or less). Standardized testing and preparation for tests are now a daily activity in most of the kindergartens studied, despite the fact that the use of most such tests with children under age eight is scientifically invalid and leads to harmful labeling. In many kindergarten classrooms there is no playtime at all. Teachers say the curriculum does not incorporate play, there isn’t time for it, and many school administrators do not value it.
Child development experts have been raising alarms about the increasingly didactic, test-driven, and joyless course of early childhood education. “These practices, which are not well grounded in research, violate long-established principles of child development and good teaching,” states the Alliance’s report. “It is increasingly clear that they are compromising both children’s health and their long-term prospects for success in school.”
The three studies break new ground by examining the use of time and materials in public kindergarten classrooms and the factors that affect children’s access to play. Independent research teams received funding from the nonprofit Maryland-based Alliance.
Numerous studies have shown that children who engage in complex socio-dramatic play develop higher levels of thinking, stronger language skills, better social skills, more empathy, and more imagination than children who do not play in this way. They are also less aggressive and show more self-control. Play also lowers stress levels in children.
Nevertheless, child-driven play has fallen out of favor in the U.S. Many people believe that kindergartners need to settle down and engage in serious learning. They see play as a waste of time, or worse, a descent into chaos.
Crisis in the Kindergarten argues that the superficial, chaotic play in anything-goes, laissez-faire kindergartens is as unacceptable as the highly regimented, didactic classroom that is devoid of play. The report also describes scripted teaching, which has gained momentum in schools across the country in the past decade, as a vast experiment with virtually no basis in valid research.
Psychologist David Elkind, author of The Hurried Child and The Power of Play, calls the new research findings heartbreaking. In a foreword, he writes, “We have had a politically and commercially driven effort to make kindergarten a one-size-smaller first grade. Why in the world are we trying to teach the elementary curriculum at the early childhood level?”
The authors of Crisis in the Kindergarten, Alliance directors Edward Miller and Joan Almon, argue that the disappearance of kindergarten play is part of a larger societal problem. “Play is one of the vital signs of health in children,” they write. “We do not know the long-term consequences of the loss of play in early childhood, but this has become a concern for pediatricians and psychologists.”
They report evidence of significant increases in behavioral problems and school failure among kindergartners. They question unrealistic standards that are developmentally beyond many young children, forcing teachers to spend long hours trying to meet them, and leading to the wrongful labeling of normal child behavior and learning patterns as misbehavior, attention disorders, or learning disabilities.
The authors note that children in China and Japan, which are envied for their success in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math, enjoy a play-based, experiential approach to schooling until second grade. Finnish children similarly have a lengthy and playful childhood, not beginning formal schooling until age 7. Yet Finland consistently gets the highest scores on international exams.
Synthesizing a range of recent national and international research, including the three studies reported here for the first time, Crisis in the Kindergarten describes the current state of public kindergartens in the U.S. as a national disgrace.It calls for a refocusing of early education on well-designed play-based approaches, warning that the nation is blindly pursuing educational policies that could well damage the intellectual, social, and physical development of an entire generation.
Crisis in the Kindergarten makes six recommendations for education policymakers, school administrators, teachers, and parents. For more details see Chapter 8 of the report at www.allianceforchildhood.org http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/ :
Restore child-initiated play and experiential learning with the active support of teachers to their rightful place at the heart of kindergarten education.
Reassess kindergarten standards to ensure that they promote developmentally appropriate practices, and eliminate those that do not.
End the inappropriate use in kindergarten of standardized tests, which are prone to serious error especially when given to children under age eight.
Expand the early childhood research agenda to examine the long-term impact of current preschool and kindergarten practices on the development of children from diverse backgrounds.
Give teachers of young children first-rate preparation that emphasizes the full development of the child and the importance of play, nurtures children’s innate love of learning, and supports teachers own capacities for creativity, autonomy, and integrity.
Use the crisis of play’s disappearance from kindergarten to rally organizations and individuals to create a national movement for play in schools and communities.
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Free lunch
With the economic situation right now, more parents may qualify for free and reduced lunches for their children. I got a press release about this program called Benefits Bank. Visit www.obb.ohio.gov to check out if you qualify for any government assistance. It breaks down your potential eligibility for several government programs like food stamps or free and reduced lunch. You don’t have to give a last name, because it is just an estimate.
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Poetry winners
I read through LOTS of poems and had several Cox Publishing and Lakota employees help me select the winners of the 2009 Lakotafest writing contest. Enjoy!
Coming Together By Rowan Chatterjee, first-grader at Creekside Early Childhood School Coming together with my friends and teacher My teacher helps me in Then other friends come in Together we practice a song It takes us so long I help my friends do math They help me too in math I do writing workshop with my friends In my school I like my friends I like the reseses the best we shoot hoops, slide down, swing high Into the sky Together with my friends.
Southern Belle in Cherokee By Allie Green, third-grader at Cherokee Elementary School
A new job for Dad, a new school for me. Goodbye South Carolina! Hello Cincy.
First day of school, I’m really scared. I’m the new kid, everybody stared.
Mrs. Herkins held my hand for me And said “Class class, this is Allie Green!”
The girls were nice, I made two friends My very first day, had a happy end
My school (Cherokee) is a happy place There are smiles and friends, all over the place
The kids are nice and the teachers great My mom is one, which I don’t hate
I love to read and write short stories I think they’re fun (not ever boring)
So that’s my poem about my school I hope you like it, Cherokee is cool!
Lakota Fun Endeavor Style By Elizabeth Davis, third-grader Endeavor Elementary School Popcorn day, Hip Hop Hooray! Puzzle night, I put it in just Right! Basketball, Softball. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Children playing in the sun. All this fun for everyone! After school program Who ate my Green eggs and Ham? Scrapbooking, Art That’s just the start! Movie Night and friends galore, Throw a blanket on the Floor! Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, C’mon guys you really should! Learn to be patient, caring, and good, Sisterhood and brotherhood Don’t forget about that TEST!!! Endeavoring to Be Our Best!
At Home By Meggie Zahneis, sixth-grader at Freedom Elementary I am from something called HSAN II A disorder that has Challenged me And my resilience All my life.
I am from Rejection.
But I am also from Lakota, Where I’ve always felt Accepted. From kindergarten at LECC Where kids of all kinds Learned to accept each other.
I’ve always been Welcomed, even Wanted. I never had to worry about Fitting in, Because of the efforts made by Teachers Counselors Peers To make me feel At home.
Never Forgetting Lakota By Laura McLaughlin, seventh-grader at Lakota Ridge Junior School What is Lakota? Is it just one of the top ten School districts in Ohio? Or the student enrollment of 18,359 in October, 2008? Sure, but who is Lakota? We are.
We aren’t just teachers or students, but people, with things to say. Things the world needs to hear. And never forget.
We are the authors of our stories. We are the missionaries of the world.
When we go through Lakota, we cross over a bridge between ordinary and excellent. Our bridge is not made from bricks of cement, but from our lessons learned. The lessons we’ll never forget. Never forgetting Lakota.
With every word we say, and every stand we take, we come together. We form a whole, but a whole of individuals.
When we leave Lakota’s Bridge, We’ll take our stories, our lessons, to the world. That way nobody will ever forget. Never Forget Lakota.
Lakota By Ellen Bellino, 10th-grader at Lakota West High School my first day and I feel at home innocence blossoms across the playground finger painting vivid colors to bring home to Mommy Boy Bullies. Scraped Knees. A Beginning. butterflies tickle as I discover that boys don’t have cooties the rush and ringing piles up the homework my head whirls and twirls as I begin to grow up First Kiss. Popular Group. Curiosity. joining a lonely figure at lunch to comfort them lockers and drama slams inside of me pressure to conformity drills into my emotions First Boyfriend. School Clubs. Diversity. my favorite sight is the school spirit on the Friday night sideline cheers flow from pom-poms while the band’s beat explodes the kick-off all of the cliques surround me and their warming smiles penetrates into me First Heartbreak. Prom. Promises. true friendships will complete me and last forever teachers’ guidance encircles love all around me driving free, yet still so long until we face our greatest challenge Independence. Memories. An Ending. stressful transcripts and deadlines cause senioritis lakota ignites the start for my road to success only with this family, my happiness is fulfilled and my life changed
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Vaccines for college
State Senator Gary Cates (R-Butler County) recently introduced legislation designed to prevent the spread of serious disease on Ohio’s college campuses. Senate Bill 69, which is similar to legislation Sen. Cates introduced during the 127th General Assembly, would require all students living in on-campus housing at an Ohio college or university to be vaccinated for meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis B, unless they are cleared for religious or medical reasons.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young adults are at an increased risk of contracting meningitis and hepatitis B due to several lifestyle factors, including living in dorms. They recommend that college students get vaccinated to protect themselves from infection.
Over the past three years, cases of meningitis have been reported at Miami University and Ohio State University. Last month, two students at Ohio University were infected with the disease, which can cause brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability and even death.
Sen. Cates explained that the idea for SB 69 was brought to him by Ruth Fenton, a resident of Butler County, who has two daughters in college, one enrolled at Indiana University and the other at the University of Cincinnati. Ms. Fenton was surprised to learn that while her daughter at IU was required to get vaccinated for meningitis and hepatitis B before living on campus, Ohio did not require her daughter at UC to do the same.
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Rubric
This is the math rubrics Lakota officials and teachers have created.
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More math
This may take an extra long time to load. It is all the math standards and research done by Lakota.
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All you wanted to know about math and more
The following blog posts are a compilation of the math curriculum presentations and what parents can expect from the new standards. Below you will find a Power Point presentation given to the board Monday.
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Ridge assistant principal named
Laura Griffiths will be assistant principal at Ridge Junior School. She is a teacher on special assignment currently serving in the role of assistant principal. She has been a Lakota teacher from 2006-2008 with a concentration in special education and math. She also has taught in Boardman, Ohio. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati. Her salary will be $64,960 on a prorated basis.
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School fees FYI
While the board has discussed the possibility of raising preschool fees soon, next year the fee remains at $1,350 a year for typically developing students, pending board approval. I am told that is on the low end of preschool costs. Fees for kindergarten are $35, grades one to six are $55 and high school fees vary depending on the classes. Lakota has one of the largest preschool programs in the state. The board has been discussing the possibility of hiring an administrator to oversee the programs, which have expanded to another building this year.
The district will save more than $1,245,000 by assessing student fees, according to information provided to the board.
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Lakota board agenda
Here is the board agenda for Monday. One thing to note: the board will hear a proposal on the math curriculum!
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