Subscribe
Community
Hashing out what really counts in education
Latest forum aims to identify potential trouble spots in schools
Friday, Dec. 4, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by JESSE YEATMAN
Renae Redmond, an instructional resource teacher at Piney Point Elementary School, acts as a facilitator Tuesday night at the third St. Mary's public schools' "What Counts" forum held at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center.
|
E-Mail This Article
Concerns over technology, universal prekindergarten and teacher workloads were among some of the issues brought up at a forum for community members and educators to talk about what is important in education.
The St. Mary's school board and Superintendent Michael Martirano hoped to gather information on possible trouble spots or gaps in the public school system and determine whether they are generally heading in the right direction.
"They're helping us find what you think is important and then helping us implement … programs" to address those issues, school board Chair Bill Mattingly said.
Cathy Allen, school board vice chairman, said it is important for those with a stake in the public schools to sit down and have a conversation.
People can discover their shared views and help the school board understand those views, she said.
This is the third "What Counts" forum; they have been held every two years at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center.
The superintendent used some of the ideas that came out of the original forum in a goals and priorities chart used by the board of education, which included diversity, rigorous curriculum, school safety, parent involvement and quality instruction and staff.
"The work of education is never done," Martirano said.
Tuesday night at the forum each of about 30 small groups talked for about half an hour about what is still missing from public school education in St. Mary's. Each group prioritized the top four ideas and gave the rationale for why they are important.
Technology showed up again and again on lists, as did universal prekindergarten.
Other things deemed important included year-round school, after-school activities, inequities among schools, lower class sizes and the lack of physical education classes.
"While there are 192 people at 30 tables, you can see there is a lot of consensus," said Jeff Maher, director of professional and organizational development for the schools. About half of the participants had not been to either of the previous "What Counts" forums.
The groups then discussed what could impact changes in the schools. Funding was high on the list.
There were about 14 students intermingled with teachers, principals and parents. Several of the table facilitators said the students added a needed voice to the discussion. Facilitator Jared Tyler, a sophomore at Chopticon High School, said equitable learning environments and financial sustainability are important factors to consider in evaluating education.
Facilitator Renae Redmond, an instructional resource teacher at Piney Point Elementary School, offered some questions that should be asked of any new program: "Has it worked the last time it came through? Do we really need to do it again?"
Other questions included the impact a new initiative would have on teachers, including time, and whether the data supports it.
"We keep putting things in but we never take anything out" and school staff have to do more and more in the same amount of time, Elfreda Mathis said.
Allen said that the school board needs to look at how technology is being implemented in schools and make sure it is being distributed evenly.
"The common themes each time we do this show that people truly enjoy the opportunity to get with others and talk about the school system and education in St. Mary's County," she said.
Allen said the school board used the information gleaned from the first two forums and will use this week's information in the future.
"We truly have utilized the feedback we have gotten in all our decisions," as a school board, she said.
On Thursday, Maher said he was still culling through the data and planned to prepare a report for the school board.
"The evaluations were extremely positive. People valued being heard," he said.
