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 Local news and information from Castine and Penobscot, Maine. |
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News Feature
by Anne Berleant The Education Future Committee (known informally as the “school discussion group”) worked on creating a new agenda at its Wednesday, January 11, meeting. The committee, a citizen group formed to discuss ways to improve quality and keep down costs at the Penobscot Community School, regularly presents its suggestions for consideration by the school board. It researched and helped create a pre-K program proposal that is included in the proposed 2012-13 school budget. Member Jamie MacNair, who was present at the January 9 school board meeting, reported “some resistance [to pre-K] from Finance Committee members.” “We need a spokesman at town meeting,” said member Paul Bowen, a town selectman. “We have to show where the [budget] offsets are.” Member David Koenka said that, at their December meeting, the consensus among committee members was that the pre-K program should not significantly add to the budget. The overall school budget was up just under 2 percent in the fourth budget draft discussed by the school board last week. “A 2 percent increase—I don’t consider that small. We have to be sensitive to…how people will react,” Koenka said. “The pre-K [program] grew out of getting warm bodies in here,” Bowen said. “[We have to] sell the fact that it’s valuable service at a very low cost.” The discussion then turned to what the committee should now focus on. The school board is involved with the “nuts and bolts” of administration, Bowen said. “There may be a purpose and point of a group to look at the big picture of education and how to deliver that. At the state level, that is under discussion.” Committee members expressed concern over the hiring of a Union 93 curriculum coordinator, whose stated purpose is to unify the curriculum across Union schools to fulfill the national “common core” standards the state expects to be in place by September 2012. Rachel Kohrman Ramos filled this position in December. “Why the extra layer of administration?” Koenka asked. “What’s the value of implementing the common core? Is it model changing?” MacNair reported that she spent over two hours on Department of Education Web site pages devoted to the Common Core standards and emerged with no clear idea of exactly what they mean in practical terms. Still, she said, they should maximize Ramos’ impact in a positive way for Penobscot. “If she can be the impetus for change, use her to get the change here that we want,” Grillo said. Bowen suggested going straight to the source: Penobscot Community School teachers. “Ask teachers to come to [our] meetings. Ask what they would change—in a big way,” Bowen suggested. “It would help us to find a direction and how much spirit of innovation [there] is in the group [of teachers].” “If we could plant a seed…,” MacNair said. With Ramos on board to help define curriculum, “this is a good time for teachers to say, ‘How do we want to design this school?’” Grillo said. “It’s not only the point of view of, are we satisfied with [the school], but is it a sustainable model?” Koenka said. “Will the engine seize one day and we’ll not have a school?” The Education Future Committee next meets on Tuesday, February 8, 7 p.m., at the school. |
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