As some of you know, I am working for a new local online newspaper, www.thedailynorwalk.com. The site launched today! I am responsible for the schools section. Some of the stories might seem familiar to you, since I write about them here. However, there are a bunch of other stories that I haven't posted on the blog which might interest you. I'll be cross-posting, pointing from this blog to TDN (The Daily Norwalk) and from TDN back to the blog. Let me know what you think. I'm very open to suggestions. norwalknet@gmail.com
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Norwalk students will most likely be in school until the end of June and have to make up days missed last week due to the storm. "The likelihood of a waiver is remote", says Tom Murphy, spokesperson for the State Commissioner of Education.
Mayor Richard Moccia sent a letter to Commissioner Mark McQuillan last Friday requesting that the Commissioner waive the requirement that Norwalk children have to be in school for 181 days. As of Friday, Superintendant Nast was also planning to send a letter. Murphy says only the State Board of Education has the authority to grant a waiver on the number of days of school required. “There is misinformation out there about who makes the call. It is not the Governor or the Commissioner,” he said.
A waiver would only be granted “under extreme circumstances" and if a district could not reach the 181 day mark by June 30, says Murphy. This includes taking days away from April vacation. Murphy adds that a particular district does not “merely request a waiver”, but it must petition the State Board of Education with a comprehensive plan that shows how the missed days will be made up the following year. As of now, Norwalk has to make up six days – 2 snow days and the 5 days missed this week (minus 1 because we already had an extra day of school scheduled). This means the last day of school would be June 29. April break is not going to be shortened.
Murphy said that several district have called him informally about reducing the number of make-up days at the end of the year . In past years, Brookfield had a shortened year because of asbestos and Danbury's school year was curtailed because of construction problems.
Monday, March 22, 2010
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So a state of emergency does not warrant a waiver? This is ridiculous! I also can't believe that Norwalk wouldn't even consider taking away days from vacation in April. Greenwich is doing that. Not EVERYONE has made vacation plans. Is vacationing more important than education? What about the people that made vacation plans for the last week in June, when it was safe to assume that school would be out? Norwalk needs to get their priorities straight. There is not going to be ANY learning going on that last week in June. Stupid!
ReplyDeleteIf there has to be a comprehensive plan that shows how the missed days would be made up the following year, where is the net gain?
ReplyDeleteToo much of this sounds childish. There is time to make up the days, so just do it. Saying that the time won't be productive is a very sad commentary about low expectations. This could easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers and principals will have to demonstrate that they are in control of what happens in the schools.
Why can't Norwalk just make up a few days in April....can someone from the board of ed please comment on this!! If you don't want to take away the whole week....shorten the break. We just had a qeek off!!!
ReplyDeleteIf someone already has plans, then they can just have an excused absence.
12:28 Why would you think it was safe to assume that it was okay to make vacation plans in June during the scheduled make-up days rather than the scheduled spring break?
ReplyDeletemake up days in June are there for a reason....why shorten a scheduled break when we have enough days to make them up??? Some people make no sense! Stop causing more drama and just accept the make up days that are already scheduled in the calendar!
ReplyDeleteI for one am glad that days will not be taken from the April vacation. We are taking my high school junior son for three college visits during the April break, and I would imagine/hope that others are doing the same. I would have hated for him to miss three days of school if the April vacation were taken away.
ReplyDeleteObviously none of you have had to teach in a classroom the last week in June, in a room that is not air conditioned. The kids are hot and cranky,and everyone is in "pack-up" mode. It's easier to sit there on your self rightious throne and say "Saying that the time won't be productive is a very sad commentary about low expectations. This could easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy."
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that we shouldn't make up the days, I'm saying that the board needs to look at creative ways to make up the missing days and set priorities straight. Oh right, this is the board that tacked on 2 extra days to Christmas vacation last year for people that were traveling to vacations!
Stop the whining, those teachers who are complaining of heat. Yes, I did teach in a classroom in summer school and there was no air conditioning in the school.
ReplyDeletePrincipals should demand lesson plans from the teachers and should follow up to see that teaching is indeed done. Parents should follow up too. Five extra days for learning absolutely does not mean 'packing up' days. Since when do we send our children to school to 'pack up?'
You really are naive.
ReplyDelete4:05 - I have taught in hot, humid and crowded classrooms in June, July and August, and I know it is difficult. However, I have NEVER forgotten my responsibility to teach and I have NEVER used my instructional time for "packing up" or any such nonsense. I won't use the heat as an excuse not to have productive activities taking place in my classroom. The people who are saying that there won't be any learning in late June are being irresponsible. The truly amusing part, although it really isn't funny, is that they have no idea if it will be hot.
ReplyDeleteWow, how long ago did you teach? Our summer school is in the air conditioned schools.
ReplyDeleteNaive? Teachers are paid to do a job, and that includes packing up for the summer. Students are NOT paid to clean up! Parents should be up in arms about the attitude of these teachers. First they tell us that it is too hot to teach, but it is okay to use our children to do housework in the heat..I hope the BOE is reading this. Using children to lug books into closets and clean should not be allowed in our schools.
ReplyDeleteOMG! where did you get that children were being used to "do housework in the heat"? Talk about looking for ANYTHING to get up on your soapbox.
ReplyDeleteNorwalk Public Schools really ought to utilize some of the April break for make-ups. It is ridiculous that both February and March are going to finish with less than eighteen school days in each month. There is a high likelihood in June that students will be disinterested, many will not attend because of prescheduled vacations, and there will be a general malaise across both the student body and likely the administration. Particularly when other neighboring communities will be on Summer Break, as Norwalk was the only school district that was off for the entire week last week.
ReplyDeleteAt last, a voice of reason! Thank you Marc!!!!!
ReplyDeleteActually, Stamford and Greenwich were off for the entire week too. Greenwich however, is deciding by March 25th how the days will be made up.
ReplyDeleteHousework is exactly what most teachers ask their students to do in those days. I've seen it myself. Kids lug books into book rooms, scrub desks, clean blackboards, take down bulletin boards and display cases, tape newspapers in front of bookshelves. You really think I could make this up?
ReplyDeleteHey look, a class is a community. As part of a community everyone works together, shares and is a "family" for 10 months. During the school year, children have chores that help keep their classroom clean and cared for. I see nothing wrong with having children tape newspapers in front of bookshelves, etc. Believe it or not, they enjoy doing it! It gives them a sense of accomplishment and responsibility. People need to stop treating their children like china dolls. Many of these kids don't have any chores to do at home. Please get over yourself!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete...and we are looking to increase teaching time so that our CMT and CAPT scores measure up to other districts? Parents, read the 3:44 PM post very carefully. This teacher believes that many of her students don't have chores to do at home so that they should learn them in school. That's quite an assumption, don't you think? I am not happy with that statement for sure.
ReplyDeleteI want my children to LEARN reading, writing, etc. in school, not learn how to clean a classroom. I was kinda hoping that I didn't give birth to a custodian. (sorry, custodians, but I was hoping for a scientist or a mathematician in the family).
I DO hope the Board is reading this!
Feeding the class pet, passing out papers and being the class line leader takes so much time from instruction!!!! Do you really feel your children are above doing classroom chores in the course of the day? I can only imagine the kind of spoiled and entitled "future scientists and Mathematicians" that you are raising.
ReplyDeleteThe negative attitude of many of the teachers here is very frightening. Is this really the way teachers view parents and our children in Norwalk? We are the taxpayers and we pay their salaries. I am truly concerned about how 'they' feel about 'us.'The accusations made by 6:22 to a parent would be enough to get someone in the business world fired if something equivalent was said to his/her boss. ('I can only imagine the kind of spoiled and entitled future scientists and mathematicians' that your are raising.') Do I really want to entrust my children to these teachers who think so poorly of a parent? Really, these teachers are kicking the proverbial gift horses in the mouth!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, 6:22, I think the parent was referring to real chores as opposed to students who receive rewards or honors in recompense for worthy behavior,that is rewards like being line leader, passing out papers, etc.
Paper passer, board eraser, and line leader, are all "real chores" that can be found on any "chore chart" in a classroom. Obviously this discussion has gone way off course. Some of you feel that your children are being forced into a labor camp if they are asked to contribute to the upkeep of the classroom by doing simple chores, that could be found in any pre-school. There is no rationalizing with the irrational. I'm done.
ReplyDeleteGood.
ReplyDelete