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Supes
By Cassie Jungers
The Alpine Sun
At the March 10th Alpine Union School
District board meeting the topics of discussion included teacher
layoffs, reduced library hours and the Alpine’s new high school.
Various teachers, librarians, and concerned parents shared their
opinions with the board.
Superintendent Greg Ryan announced that 17 teachers
will be receiving layoff notices along with custodians and a
decrease of 5 bus drivers in the district. The teacher lay-offs
will force the class sizes up to 28 to 1 per classroom.
Chuck Taylor feels that local school boards are being
blamed for teacher layoffs, when, in reality, he feels the whole
state of California is the one jeopardizing students’ future as
well as teachers’ careers.
He said “I would love to see every resident who pays
taxes in Alpine, including our board members, file a
class-action suit against the California legislature,” in order
to set straight the harm being caused to teachers and students.
However, Taylor disagrees with the board’s reason for
teacher layoffs. Many teachers are currently being given pink
slips based on seniority; Taylor would appreciate seeing layoffs
based on performance rather than time spent in their position.
Alida Greer, AUSD teacher, expresses her concern for
the students when increasing class sizes by nearly 30 percent
due to teacher layoffs. She feels many students today, compared
to the earlier generations need more one-on-one attention from
teachers.
Greer asked, “How do you support an increase of 30
percent more children in a classroom and expect our students to
get that extra attention and compassion…?” Picturing her
classroom with eight more students only causes hardships. Her
solution is looking to the state, who is allowing the
possibility of reducing the 180 day school year by a few days.
This would allow less days of pay and all teachers to keep their
jobs; therefore, not increasing the class sizes.
Librarian, Vicki Reed from the County Office of
Education, is “concerned about protecting the integrity of the
Alpine School library collection.” She hopes the board will keep
in mind the amount of finances that have been invested in the
books, software, technicians, and librarians that are available
at local libraries when making the decision to cut student and
teacher access. Read tells the board that libraries are an
academic investment not a financial one and student success is a
priority.
Sal Casamassima has been working for an innovative,
high technology program for the students in Alpine that would
offer a revolutionized system for education delivery. He states
that San Diego is currently number 18, after many years of
holding number one, as the nation with the lowest drop out rate.
Cassamassima says that the district needs to “do what’s right
for our students, they’re the first priority.”
After a request made of the board to redistribute
students in Creekside Early Learning Center back to Elementary
campus, i.e.: use Shadow Hills as a middle school, and make Joan
MacQueen a temporary high school, superintendent, Greg Ryan
agreed to consider.
This would serve as a solution until Alpine District can provide
the requested High School. The major problem that were arose was
whether or not JMMS field could serve as an adequate high school
sports facility, however, this concern was dismissed because the
new High School would not have a legitimate field either.
As an eighth grader going into high school,
Daniella Tutino shared her opinion on using JMMS as the Alpine
High School.
She agreed that many students would not appreciate a high
school without a football field available and that the board
members need to keep in mind student priorities.
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