At last night’s BOE meeting, Sal Corda reiterated that he was “almost positive” there were no teacher layoffs after the final budget reconciliation which occurred prior to the Common Council’s vote to add more money to the BOE funding.
This is a very important detail, because as of Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, there were still some, in positions to know better, who insisted on spreading the story that there were. Draconian, I believe was the word used. Ah yes, draconian in that instead of buying a Mercedes S-Class, they were forced to settle for the C-Class. Somewhere in all this political posturing no one bothered to say that they were still out buying a new car, when that serviceable 2006 model C-Class was still showing low miles.
As Phylis Bolden said, the BOE should learn that you sometimes just have to make do with what you have. A concept alien to most members of the BOE these past few months.
So from Alexander Fenwick’s artcile we learn:
His top priority is adding a new speech pathologist at a $30,680 cost, followed by filling a substitute nurse position left open during the 2006-07 school year for $69,000 and reinstatement of summer work for one middle school guidance secretary at each of the district’s four middle schools, for $30,000.
Donna Riddell, president of the Norwalk Federation of Educational Personnel, said summer work, including processing incoming sixth-graders’ registrations, organizing new students’ information, typing schedules and updating records, is necessary to ensure a smooth opening in September. Ideally, the secretaries should be 12-month employees, she said.
A reinstatement of outside secretarial services to record board minutes for $6,250 was the final item in Corda’s top priorities.
The items classified as “may need to do,” could change, Corda said.
Top on that list was adding an elementary reserve teacher for $76,700.
At Brookside Elementary School, another teacher is needed, and enrollment at Fox Run Elementary School is at the tipping point, Corda said. At two other elementary schools, enrollment could require the number of teachers to fluctuate.
A new state law requires that first- through third-grade students determined to be “substantially deficient” in reading skills must attend summer school and those that don’t pass must be held back.
Corda also increased his previous recommendation to add one new teacher at each high school to two teachers per school for $306,800.
“I would like to limit, to the extent possible, the number of youngsters we have in study hall,” Corda said.
In presenting his original budget, which called for seven additional high school teachers, Corda produced statistics that showed that of 375 seniors at Norwalk High School last school year, 94 had one study hall each day, while 192 had two and 68 had three.
At a recent Board of Education meeting, Corda presented a chart that showed the average number of students in study hall each period. The highest figure showed an average of 299 students in study hall during second period on a given day at Norwalk High School.
Also under the “may need” category, Corda listed two special education staff, either psychologists, social workers or a combination for $195,000, along with $70,000 in reinstated special education salary costs and $50 in special education consultant services.
The two items categorized as “under consideration” require more planning, Corda said. They include the addition of a new parent information and central registration officer for $53,820 and an extra teacher for a new special education program at $76,700.
I am pleased that Corda saw the need to put back the secretarial services for recording board meeting minutes. I’m sure you all will have something to say about the rest.
source: Advocate, Corda picks top priorities for schools, July 12 2007
