On January 26, 2017 the Superintendent’s Cabinet, among other things, recommended:
- Eliminating all (30) social and emotional learning specialists and a coordinator.
- Eliminating all (20) literacy interventionists.
- Eliminating four of 16 resource teachers who help support teachers of students determined to be gifted and talented.
- Cut the 2 GT teachers who run the District’s only HS GT program at Wheat Ridge.
Let’s hope that the Board was as surprised by these recommendations as I was.
By all indications, these programs are successful and working to help our kids. Schools nationwide are investing in social emotional work, which helps students develop skills to manage their emotions, resolve conflicts and make responsible decisions. District research shows that the literacy interventionists are “closing the gap for our most highly impacted populations.” The targeted cut of the 2 GT teachers includes a 2017 Colorado Teacher of the Year Finalist.
All of these successful programs were designed to help students on the margins. It makes me wonder what message the Superintendent and his Cabinet is sending to teachers, students and the community with these recommendations?
The Board has an opportunity to show the community that it really does care about kids and their education by rejecting these recommendations and finding other ways to fund their desired compensation investment of $25M.
If the Board accepts these recommendations, we will be left questioning their priorities and reasoning, and an at-risk population will be deprived of vital resources. While I agree that compensation issues need to be addressed, the district and the teachers union just signed a 5-year agreement a year ago. A reasonable person needs to ask if there really remains an additional $25M need for increased salary, or if this is payback for the union’s support during the election?
The School Board needs to remember its responsibility to put the kids first!