Friday, March 05, 2004
Monrovia SchoolLink Preview for Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004 meeting
The board will discuss whether to adjust its meeting times and will listen to a presentation about what I take to be summer school. Other stuff, too. I'd have thought the full agenda would be at the board Web site (http://www.monroviaschools.net/BOEMinutes.htm), but as I write this Monday night, it is not. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Also, check out the letters at the bottom. I feel a bit badly about these letters; I'm getting so much response that I'm having to trim and summarize more than I'd prefer. Hopefully I haven't mangled things too badly. Let me know if I have.
- Brad Haugaard (brad@sacklunch.net)
~ Board of Education Regular Meeting - 7:30 p.m. - Board Room
Item 4.1 The board will honor MHS students on winning first place in the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealer Association Automotive Competition.
4.1.2 Dr. Michael Viera, President of Citrus Community College, will address the Board regarding Measure G, The Citrus College Facilities Bond.
4.2 Public hearing for items not on the agenda.
6.6 The board will receive a report on "The Summer 2003 Program And Intervention Programs." I think this means the summer school programs, with an emphasis on students who are doing catch-up work.
6.7 The board will hear about the Western Association Of Schools And Colleges progress report on Monrovia High School. I think WASC is kinda like an accreditation group.
7.7 A report on projected revenue for the 2004-05 fiscal year.
9.1 Vote on whether to support of Measure G. That's the thingy up in item 4.1.2.
9.2 Vote to proclaim February as School Counselor Recognition Month.
9.2 Discussion, with possible action, regarding the revision of Regular Board Meeting starting time.
LODOLO ~ Rosemary Harahill wrote to say that she forgot to put in a good word in the last issue for Monrovia High School teacher Mary Lodolo, who won the Seaver Award for 2003-04. Rosemary said, "I thought her presence was so professional and dignified. I wish all teachers looked that good! You can tell Mary takes her job seriously!"
GATE COMMENT ~ Also, John Pentecost contacted me (in person and by email) about a comment by district representative Carol Kaylor at the recent GATE meeting, which was noted in the last SchoolLink issue. John said Carol was refering to the cost of the popular but more expensive GATE Astro Camp program, not to the GATE program as a whole, when she said that maybe only Mayflower parents could afford to contribute to it. One of the main topics of the meeting, John said, was exploring different ways of helping GATE, including getting corporate sponsors and gifts from individuals.
THEORY AND REALITY ~ Sharon Weiser writes that while GATE is supposed to be "integrated" and provide "differentiated instruction," the theory and reality are not the same.
"The problem," she writes, "comes in how teachers will be given support in differentiating lessons in a significant way so that the GATE students receive enriched curriculum. With the emphasis on teaching the standards to ALL students (this can be overwhelming in itself) now teachers are required to provide differentiation. This may be seen by teachers as having ANOTHER thing to do.
"Teachers can resent GATE students because often they march to the beat of a different drummer, are creative in their solutions (often different from the "right" one that the teacher has come up with), can ask "annoying" and persistent questions which challenges the teacher. And besides all this, they finish their regular work before the others and become a nuisance to the teacher and those students around them. Teachers will not, as a whole, welcome this integration thing. Just as they did not welcome the integration or collaborative model (special ed students in regular classrooms with support from the special ed teacher).
"Teachers need to be shown simple, effective strategies that they can implement that do not absorb all their time that will accomplish the goals of gifted and regular ed.
"This will not be easy. Maybe I'll just attend that study session!"
The board will discuss whether to adjust its meeting times and will listen to a presentation about what I take to be summer school. Other stuff, too. I'd have thought the full agenda would be at the board Web site (http://www.monroviaschools.net/BOEMinutes.htm), but as I write this Monday night, it is not. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Also, check out the letters at the bottom. I feel a bit badly about these letters; I'm getting so much response that I'm having to trim and summarize more than I'd prefer. Hopefully I haven't mangled things too badly. Let me know if I have.
- Brad Haugaard (brad@sacklunch.net)
~ Board of Education Regular Meeting - 7:30 p.m. - Board Room
Item 4.1 The board will honor MHS students on winning first place in the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealer Association Automotive Competition.
4.1.2 Dr. Michael Viera, President of Citrus Community College, will address the Board regarding Measure G, The Citrus College Facilities Bond.
4.2 Public hearing for items not on the agenda.
6.6 The board will receive a report on "The Summer 2003 Program And Intervention Programs." I think this means the summer school programs, with an emphasis on students who are doing catch-up work.
6.7 The board will hear about the Western Association Of Schools And Colleges progress report on Monrovia High School. I think WASC is kinda like an accreditation group.
7.7 A report on projected revenue for the 2004-05 fiscal year.
9.1 Vote on whether to support of Measure G. That's the thingy up in item 4.1.2.
9.2 Vote to proclaim February as School Counselor Recognition Month.
9.2 Discussion, with possible action, regarding the revision of Regular Board Meeting starting time.
LODOLO ~ Rosemary Harahill wrote to say that she forgot to put in a good word in the last issue for Monrovia High School teacher Mary Lodolo, who won the Seaver Award for 2003-04. Rosemary said, "I thought her presence was so professional and dignified. I wish all teachers looked that good! You can tell Mary takes her job seriously!"
GATE COMMENT ~ Also, John Pentecost contacted me (in person and by email) about a comment by district representative Carol Kaylor at the recent GATE meeting, which was noted in the last SchoolLink issue. John said Carol was refering to the cost of the popular but more expensive GATE Astro Camp program, not to the GATE program as a whole, when she said that maybe only Mayflower parents could afford to contribute to it. One of the main topics of the meeting, John said, was exploring different ways of helping GATE, including getting corporate sponsors and gifts from individuals.
THEORY AND REALITY ~ Sharon Weiser writes that while GATE is supposed to be "integrated" and provide "differentiated instruction," the theory and reality are not the same.
"The problem," she writes, "comes in how teachers will be given support in differentiating lessons in a significant way so that the GATE students receive enriched curriculum. With the emphasis on teaching the standards to ALL students (this can be overwhelming in itself) now teachers are required to provide differentiation. This may be seen by teachers as having ANOTHER thing to do.
"Teachers can resent GATE students because often they march to the beat of a different drummer, are creative in their solutions (often different from the "right" one that the teacher has come up with), can ask "annoying" and persistent questions which challenges the teacher. And besides all this, they finish their regular work before the others and become a nuisance to the teacher and those students around them. Teachers will not, as a whole, welcome this integration thing. Just as they did not welcome the integration or collaborative model (special ed students in regular classrooms with support from the special ed teacher).
"Teachers need to be shown simple, effective strategies that they can implement that do not absorb all their time that will accomplish the goals of gifted and regular ed.
"This will not be easy. Maybe I'll just attend that study session!"
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