Post by Marc LeVine on May 3, 2007 11:17:15 GMT -5
Teaching staff being reduced in Freehold Regional district
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer
There will be fewer teachers in the Freehold Regional High School District in the 2007-08 school year.
Based on the fact that more than 2,000 sections (classes) had under 19 students enrolled in them during the current 2006-07 school year, administrators made the decision to inform 17 non-tenured teachers that their contract for next year will not be renewed, said Ilse Whisner, the district's public information coordinator.
Some of those 17 teachers could be rehired if positions come open between now and September, she said.
"In these times of tight budgeting we owe it to our taxpayers to provide schools that are academically sound and cost-efficient," Whisner said. "Based on the number of sections we had in 2006-07 that were underenrolled, we did not believe that we needed as many staff members next year. Our goal is to have the appropriate staffing levels based on the number of students enrolled."
She said that in the current school year, for all six high schools, there are 2,338 sections with under 19 students in a class. There are 2,899 sections with between 20 and 29 students in a class. There are 746 sections with more than 30 students in a class.
Whisner said administrators are looking to have more sections with between 20 and 29 students. The goal is to have about 25 students per class, she said.
She said classes that are at or slightly above 31 or 32 students may be at that level as a result of one or two students asking for permission to take a class after registration for the class has closed. In some cases the late registrants are accommodated and that can put a class at or above 32 students, she explained.
Whisner said there is no indication that any single class will have 40 students during the 2007-08 school year. She said if there is any indication that a class is going to have 40 students, administrators will take action to address that situation, including hiring more teachers.
As of April 27 there were 11,685 students enrolled in the district's six high schools. It is estimated that there will be 11,750 students enrolled during the 2007-08 school year, she said.
At the FRHSD Board of Education meeting on April 23, Debbie Gates-Kane, the president of the Freehold Regional Education Association, address the topic of the non-renewal of non-tenured staff.
She said the union membership worked hard to get the district's budget passed by voters in the April 17 school election and thanked taxpayers for coming out in support of the students.
Speaking on the teachers who will not return in September, Gates-Kane said, "In other words, these 17 teachers had good or excellent class observations, served as coaches of sports or advisers of clubs, volunteered their time for a number of after-school activities; in short, they were model, dedicated teachers in this district. Their reward? No job next year.
"According to the central administration, it's merely a question of numbers. They say there are fewer class sections. That's why they reluctantly have let these 17 competent, dedicated non-tenured teachers go. Nonsense. Has our student population undergone such a drastic decrease next year to justify the elimination of 17-plus teaching positions? Absolutely not.
"The reason for the elimination of these teaching positions is quite clear: the district has adopted a new policy that is committed to significantly increasing class sizes. It's that simple," Gates-Kane said.
She went on to say that larger class sizes will result in poorer student performance on standardized tests.
"This new policy of ballooning class sizes and cutting competent faculty is ill-advised, educationally unsound and ultimately detrimental to the needs of our students. As I have said before in front of this board, our district needs more teachers, not fewer," Gates-Kane said.
In response to Gates-Kane's comment that the district has adopted a new policy that is committed to significantly increasing class sizes, FRHSD Board of Education member Bunny Hammer, of Freehold Borough, said the district has no such written policy.
She said she understands the budget constraints the board is under, but knows as a retired teacher that smaller class sizes lead to better student performance.
"It bothers me that we are letting teachers go, some of whom are probably very good," Hammer said. "My concern is that there are some very large classes in certain subjects in certain schools."
Hammer said it is also possible that some classes that presently have a low enrollment will no longer be offered. She said the reduction in staff means class sizes in certain areas will get larger. .
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer
There will be fewer teachers in the Freehold Regional High School District in the 2007-08 school year.
Based on the fact that more than 2,000 sections (classes) had under 19 students enrolled in them during the current 2006-07 school year, administrators made the decision to inform 17 non-tenured teachers that their contract for next year will not be renewed, said Ilse Whisner, the district's public information coordinator.
Some of those 17 teachers could be rehired if positions come open between now and September, she said.
"In these times of tight budgeting we owe it to our taxpayers to provide schools that are academically sound and cost-efficient," Whisner said. "Based on the number of sections we had in 2006-07 that were underenrolled, we did not believe that we needed as many staff members next year. Our goal is to have the appropriate staffing levels based on the number of students enrolled."
She said that in the current school year, for all six high schools, there are 2,338 sections with under 19 students in a class. There are 2,899 sections with between 20 and 29 students in a class. There are 746 sections with more than 30 students in a class.
Whisner said administrators are looking to have more sections with between 20 and 29 students. The goal is to have about 25 students per class, she said.
She said classes that are at or slightly above 31 or 32 students may be at that level as a result of one or two students asking for permission to take a class after registration for the class has closed. In some cases the late registrants are accommodated and that can put a class at or above 32 students, she explained.
Whisner said there is no indication that any single class will have 40 students during the 2007-08 school year. She said if there is any indication that a class is going to have 40 students, administrators will take action to address that situation, including hiring more teachers.
As of April 27 there were 11,685 students enrolled in the district's six high schools. It is estimated that there will be 11,750 students enrolled during the 2007-08 school year, she said.
At the FRHSD Board of Education meeting on April 23, Debbie Gates-Kane, the president of the Freehold Regional Education Association, address the topic of the non-renewal of non-tenured staff.
She said the union membership worked hard to get the district's budget passed by voters in the April 17 school election and thanked taxpayers for coming out in support of the students.
Speaking on the teachers who will not return in September, Gates-Kane said, "In other words, these 17 teachers had good or excellent class observations, served as coaches of sports or advisers of clubs, volunteered their time for a number of after-school activities; in short, they were model, dedicated teachers in this district. Their reward? No job next year.
"According to the central administration, it's merely a question of numbers. They say there are fewer class sections. That's why they reluctantly have let these 17 competent, dedicated non-tenured teachers go. Nonsense. Has our student population undergone such a drastic decrease next year to justify the elimination of 17-plus teaching positions? Absolutely not.
"The reason for the elimination of these teaching positions is quite clear: the district has adopted a new policy that is committed to significantly increasing class sizes. It's that simple," Gates-Kane said.
She went on to say that larger class sizes will result in poorer student performance on standardized tests.
"This new policy of ballooning class sizes and cutting competent faculty is ill-advised, educationally unsound and ultimately detrimental to the needs of our students. As I have said before in front of this board, our district needs more teachers, not fewer," Gates-Kane said.
In response to Gates-Kane's comment that the district has adopted a new policy that is committed to significantly increasing class sizes, FRHSD Board of Education member Bunny Hammer, of Freehold Borough, said the district has no such written policy.
She said she understands the budget constraints the board is under, but knows as a retired teacher that smaller class sizes lead to better student performance.
"It bothers me that we are letting teachers go, some of whom are probably very good," Hammer said. "My concern is that there are some very large classes in certain subjects in certain schools."
Hammer said it is also possible that some classes that presently have a low enrollment will no longer be offered. She said the reduction in staff means class sizes in certain areas will get larger. .