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sources.”
One parent objected to the phys. ed. reduction by letter; others came to the meeting, hoping to have a chance to speak.
Vickie Eastham described the five-day program as essential. “Children need a change of pace from seat work,” she wrote, noting that homework assignments severely limit time for after-school play, particularly for the academically-motivated youngster. She also pointed to a decline in scores for physical fitness testing posted by the fourth through seventh grade age group when physical fitness requirements are being raised. In addition, she wrote that teachers need the unencumbered time for planning, use of school machines and participation in conferences to develop the statemandated Individual Educational Programs (IEP) for special education students.
RCES science teacher Lynne Baines asked if the board would entertain questions and comments on this agenda item, taken up after 10 p.m. following the board’s hour and a half closed door meeting on “contractual obligations” with architects for the high school building project.
“Not until the end of the meeting,” answered Mrs. Massie.
That end didn’t come until after midnight and after the departure of several parents who had brought their children with them to the School Board meeting.
The loss of planning time will mean that teachers will have to stay after school for screening, eligibility and IEP meetings, said Mrs. Baines, who waited out the board. If the problem with daily phys. ed. is the heavy student load for the phys. ed. teacher, how can classroom teachers be expected to take double classes during the resource period, she asked.
The RCES veteran pointed out that the number of phys. ed. students has been excessive for well over a decade, with the situation even more aggravated before the recent decline in the school’s enrollment. “We’ve needed another phys. ed. teacher for at least 10 years,” Mrs. Baines said.
Maintaining that a “PE aide is just as necessary as an aide in the office,” she asked for a year’s study before any program changes are implemented. With the new tougher
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