The 3/2/05 CapTimes includes an excellent op ed piece by Ruth Robarts detailing her concerns about creating a large K-5 elementary school. http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/opinion//index.php?ntid=30501
Ruth Robarts: Better to rethink new school now than regret decision later
By Ruth Robarts
March 2, 2005
On March 28, the Madison School Board will cast the final vote on the proposed referendum for $14.5 million to build a second school on the Leopold Elementary School site.
The proposed "paired" school would open in September 2007 and house up to 550 kindergarten through second-grade students and another 550 third- through fifth-grade students. If the Leopold community's current population mix holds, a school of 1,100 or more would include 275 (25 percent) students for whom English is a second language and 121 (11 percent) with special educational needs. Over half of the students would come from low-income homes.
Unlike other Madison paired schools that are on different sites, Leopold's buildings would be on the same grounds and physically linked in an L shape. Students from both schools would share lunch rooms and playground facilities. Students would have separate entrances, but share buses to and from school.
My duty as a board member is to weigh the pros and cons of this recommendation from the administration. Although I see why current Leopold parents expect great positives from the new building, I believe that these are short-term gains for the school and community and that the negatives of creating an extremely large elementary school may outweigh the short-term advantages.
I am particularly concerned that the short-term relief for overcrowding would be undermined when the building reaches full capacity and houses two schools, each of which is far bigger than any K-2 or 3-5 school today. It is my responsibility to ask whether we have the experience to make such a joint school work and what additional resources would be required to assure student success under such conditions.
In the short term, the proposal meets some, but not all, of the needs of Leopold's current students. It would end the overcrowding. Because it would open at 75 percent of capacity, the students at the school in 2007 would have small classes in an oversized facility. On the other hand, in the interim there must be a plan to control enrollment size through such means as freezing enrollment, sending grades to other schools or changing school boundaries. So far the board has not seen the interim plan.
In the long term, it is difficult to imagine ways in which a very large paired school offers new educational benefits to our children, but easy to list the problems that likely would arise from turning away from our goal of keeping schools small. Madison's standard is consistent with national trends for school size that prefer small over large schools. Research and our experience link smaller schools with higher academic achievement (especially for low-income children), more engagement in school activities by students and families, and less truancy, discipline problems and need for special education services.
The Madison School District has remained true to this standard, even during difficult economic times. Currently, our largest elementary school - after Leopold - is Chavez School. Enrollment there is capped at 650. The biggest paired school is Franklin-Randall at 716 students. Even our largest middle school, Hamilton, has only 705 students. At the middle and high schools, we are working hard to break the schools into "smaller learning communities." Nationally, millions and millions of dollars are going into reducing the size of schools at all grade levels for the sake of improving the academic achievement of low-income and minority students.
I greatly regret that I underestimated the need to focus on the educational dimension of the question before us from the very beginning. I realize that it is late in the game to raise such questions. However, I learned a painful lesson when I did not question or oppose the board's decision to go ahead with construction of Chavez Elementary School, despite our doubts about the general contractor for the project.
The scenario was similar. We had overcrowding problems on the west side and urgently needed a solution. We voted yes to move the project ahead. The result was a poor construction job and a new school that opened and, within a few months, closed again due to serious problems. Despite our good intentions, our rush to resolve one problem created a new problem and disrupted the children, families and staff of seven schools for most of a school year.
Although my thinking disappoints proponents of a new building, I do not believe that I will have fulfilled my responsibilities if I fail to raise the issue. It is possible that the current proposal for a 1,100-student school will prove to be educationally sound. However, it is my goal to avoid creating additional problems for the Leopold community by thoroughly discussing plans before, rather than after, they are implemented.
Ruth Robarts serves on the Madison School Board and chairs the Long Range Planning Committee. E-mail: comments@madison.k12.wi.us
Published: 7:37 AM 3/2/05
Posted by Joan Knoebel at March 2, 2005 11:32 AM | TrackBackHere is the letter I sent to the board in response to this op ed:
Dear Board members,
I applaud Ruth Robarts for openly discussing the problems a second school on the Leopold site might produce. I appreciate her giving us a look into her thinking on the subject.
I hope you all will give the public the same transparent analysis of your views on this expansion. That said, I hope your discussion will be free of ad feminems or hominems. The public needs to understand whether this expansion is a good idea, not the clique of personalities on the board.
Sincerely,
Joan Knoebel
Posted by: Joan Knoebel at March 2, 2005 11:37 AMwebcam tits -
live sex cams
webcam porn -
directsex live video chat girls webcam -
live streaming video
world webcams -
direct sex live video chat
webcam babes -
live web cams
free view webcams -
adult chats
free porn webcams -
adult webcam
cool teen chat -
free live sex web cams
free webcam pics -
live sex video
free live video chat -
free web cam sex
free teen webcams -
live sex cams
free live sex cams -
free xxx web cams
free adult cam -
adult free chat
free adult webcams -
free live sex cams
free adult sex chat rooms -
free web cam
free live sex video -
secret friends live sex chat
free live video chat streamray -
webcam now
adult web cam sites -
mount st helens webcam
free video sex chat -
free porn webcams
free adult chat sites -
free live web cams
H3l11-Hello guys! I love this blog!-H3l11
teen nude -
fat women nude
women nude -
bond girls nude
teens nude -
early teen nude
nude babes -
free nude women
sex chats -
futurama nude pics
chat free -
free gay chat room
free chat -
girls in the nude
nude beaches -
ebony nude women
ideochat -
free adult nude pictures
sex chat -
celebrity nude pictures
girl nude -
free adult nude women
beaches nude -
free cybersex chat rooms free cybersex
video chat -
free adult chat rooms for public
nude women -
free chat in nude live
angelina jolie nude pictures -
adult phone chat
artistic nude teen females -
free live nude chat
asain free nude pictures -
free live webcam chat
arab women nude -
adult chat world
amateur nude pics -
free nude teen pics
angelina jolie nude pics -
free nude pics of girls
adult chat world -
free adult sex chat rooms
adult sex chat -
celebrities nude pictures
amateur nude women -
gastineau girls nude
all natural nude women -
free sex chat rooms
amber frey nude pictures -
free adult sex chat
adult video chat -
college girl nude
adult chat sites -
girls aloud nude
arabian babes nude -
asian women nude
amateur nude girls -
free chat avatars
amateur free nude pictures -
cyber sex chat rooms
adult xxx chat -
beach nude girl
adult chat free -
free sex chats
amatuer nude pics -
free cybersex chat
almost nude teens -
free chat room
arab girls nude -
free nude ebony pics
amateur nude pictures -
free celebrity nude pictures
amber frey nude pics -
adult chat network -
free nude celebrities pictures
amature nude pics -
free phone chat line for guys
adult chat rooms -
free adult nude women
adult chat room -
free singles chat
artistic teen nudes -
carmen electra nude pics
artistic nude women -
free xxx video chat
adult sex chat rooms -
college girl nude
adult phone chat -
free nude pics of evita dimitrova
H982o81-Hello guys! I love this blog!-H982o81
free view webcams -
free cams
live webcams - free live web cams
live web cams -
webcam chat
live web cam -
free web cam
web cam girls -
web cams
sex cams -
free college girl webcams
webcam chat -
live webcams
girl webcam -
free nude webcams
free web cams -
webcam girl
free webcam -
free webcam chat
girl web cam live -
teen webcam galleries
webcams -
live web cam
girl cams -
free web cam
webcam -
bathroom cam
web cams -
dildo cam
girl shower cams -
live streaming webcams
web cam -
live sex cams
adult web cams -
webcam girl -
free webcam
college girl webcams -
live sex cams
adult webcams -
free live cam girls
live cam -
girl webcam
nanny cams -
webcam teens
turf cams -
adult webcams
free cams -
webcam teen
free webcam chat -
webcam teens
college girl dorm cams -
free live web cams
free webcams to watch -
live webcams
webcam teens -
cam girls
live sex cams -
web cam girls
sex cam -
free shower cams
free sex webcams -
free webcams
girls on webcams -
college teens webcam
free adult webcams -
free view webcams
cam girls -
teen webcam galleries
free live cams -
webcam nude
free college girl webcams -
web cam sex
free web cam -
nude web cams
free live web cams -
unmonitored webcams
web cam sex -
college teens webcam
hidden girls shower cams -
teen cam
bathroom cam -
girl shower cams
live webcam -
free sex cams
free girl webcams live -
free live cam girls
comp cams -
dildo cam
teen cam -
webcams
8942LKJ-Hello guys! I love this blog!-8942LKJ
download free sex videos -
free adult webcams
angels of porn -
sex cams
teen girls taking a bath -
webcam girl gallery teen love quotes -
teen webcams
britney spears in playboy magazine -
girl web cam live
jennifer garner nude -
webcam
wide open vaginas -
bathroom cam
teen titans raven -
free sex webcams
little girls nude -
nude webcam
russian little girls -
amateur webcam
free lingerie galleries -
live web cam
britney spears naked -
turf cams
ass licking lesbian -
web cam
tanya harding nude -
free girl webcams live
lil kim nude -
teen cam
big breast lovers -
turf cams
adult free video clip -
unmonitored webcams
lindsey lohan nude -
teen girl web cam
free lesbian porn -
nanny cam
free porn stories -
teen web cam
free sex pictures -
webcam girl
big tit -
crane cams
adultfriendfinder -
free cams
intercourse -
webcam girl
japanese schoolgirls -
free adult web cams
asian lesbian -
free sex webcams
erotic massage -
webcam chat
little pussy -
free web cam
latina girls -
teen cam
free anal -
live cam
hardcorejunky -
cam girls
boob -
asian lesbians -
free shower cams
adult toys -
live webcams
hot teens -
teen webcams
fist fucking -
free webcams
anal fucking -
free web cam
adult cartoons -
free live cam girls
flat tits -
real teen webcams
bondage -
live web cam
breast reduction -
free nude web cams
butt plug -
college girl webcams
free lesbian -
web cam now
horny teens -
webcam nude
anal fuck -
free webcams to watch
drunk girls -
girl webcam
boy nude -
webcam chat
anal orgasm -
girl webcam
cheerleader sex -
webcam sex
bald pussy -
free webcams
chubby teen -
free sex cams
bikini chick -
live sex cams
girls ass -
bathroom cam
crossdress -
teen girl web cam
fucked -
free sex webcams
goth girls -
webcam chat
hot boys -
sex cam
lingerie models -
web cam
horny wife -
free cams
hypnotized girls -
webcam girls
huge boobs -
teen webcam galleries
accidental nudity -
free webcams
asian fuck -
girl shower cams
lesbianism -
webcam chat
boob implants -
live cam
dick ebersol -
girl webcam
adult entertainment -
cam crush
ls girls -
nude web cams
clitoris -
free live webcams
girls showering -
girl webcam
black sex -
girl webcam
latin girls -
celebs nude -
live sex cams
fantasy art -
teen webcam
coral reefs -
gallery webcam girl
girl cams -
teen webcams
big ass -
adult webcams
blowjob movie -
webcam sex
adult emoticons -
turf cams
fantasy fairies -
free webcam chat
finger fucking -
adult webcams
asian sex -
free live web cams
celeb sex -
web cam
large boobs -
live web cams
big tits -
crane cams
92o2oLKJ-Hello guys! I love this blog!-92o2oLKJ
i gotta say i disagree
Posted by: Back Room Facials at March 28, 2005 05:38 PM