Archives > McKinney Courier-Gazette > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Middle schools to change daily schedules
By Chris Beattie, cbeattie@acnpapers.com
In light of the statewide education funding shortfall, Texas school districts must figure out how to do the same, or more, with less.
Facing even more significant budget cuts in the coming school year, yet an increasing student population, McKinney ISD recently announced an early step in the "more with less" direction: move middle schools from eight-period to seven-period days.
The change, to be implemented this fall for the 2012-13 school year, will achieve the same reduction in average class size -- from 28 to 24 students -- without hiring 43 additional teachers at a cost of $2.4 million, which the current eight-period schedule would require, administrators say.
Periods will switch from 45 minutes to 51 (at Evans due to longer passing periods) or 52 minutes, providing extra instructional time for core subject classes other than for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR). Currently, ELAR classes are double-blocked at the middle school level, allowing 90 minutes of instruction per day.
Middle school principals expressed concern regarding reduced ELAR time, but said that McKinney ISD is developing focused curriculum integration for reading and writing, as well as providing target classes as academic electives for students who need more support in a particular subject.
Last year's wave of budget cuts forced McKinney ISD to eliminate 133 positions, including 68 teachers and educational aides. Administrators took immediate steps to make sure this year's wave wouldn't involve similar staff reductions, if any.
They and principals began brainstorming strategies for maintaining appropriate class sizes while reducing the need for additional staffing. But better accommodating a growing middle school population was a hot topic even before the budget cuts, said Logan Faris, Dowell Middle School principal.
"This has been a point of discussion since I joined Dowell Middle School in 2008 that was solidified with the recent budget constraints placed on McKinney ISD by the state legislature's reduction in state funding," Faris said.
A six-period-day option was quickly thrown out because such a schedule would have negatively affected elective availability, specifically for fine arts, which the district holds as a high priority. Within the seven-period schedule, all middle school students will maintain their elective choices -- one PE and one fine arts elective each for sixth-graders, and three electives for seventh- and eighth-graders.
A potential disadvantage of the new schedule, principals said, is the loss of the daily Professional Learning Community (PLC) planning period currently scheduled during the school day for core-subject teachers. Campus PLCs will soon need to be before or after school for each department so that teachers may continue to examine student data and plan collaboratively, they said.
Administrators say the district is confident that the seven-period schedule will help meet academic goals in all subject areas by providing increased class time and smaller class sizes.
McKinney ISD is still evaluating staffing needs for each individual campus for the coming school year.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
markntexas wrote on Feb 16, 2012 6:56 AM:
" yeah ..fine arts are critical...not so much in real life..really? how many would be impacted if this sacred cow was reduced to allow for more core instruction to prepare for the real world? "
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
