Janger is asked: Is interdisciplinary approach included?
Questions about how the interdisciplinary education would be incorporated in the design of the new high school dominated the Thursday, March 1, School Committee meeting.
‘So what is meant by interdisci-plinary, and how is it related to this school design?’
— Kirsi Allison-Ampe Presentations by Principal Matthew Janger and architect Lori Cowles of HMFH preceded this discussion of the new high school education plan to be submitted to the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) this spring.
The committee also considered the disposition of new funds for the fiscal 2019 school budget and held the second reading of the school calendar.
Janger opened by presenting a first reading of the education plan for the new high school. Read it here >> He said this plan identifies “what we have now and want to keep, and what we want to change.”
To support the big vision for the high school will be an interdisciplinary commons. It would be, he continued, “not just a traditional library but space for teachers and students to work together.” It would allow for “interdisciplinary projects, different activities, small-and-large breakout spaces with access to resources. He emphasized that students “would not just talk but create projects.” The students could create projects in a new centralized maker space.
Chief architect Cowles displayed a chart in which “bubbles” of different sizes represented academic programs and their “adjacencies,” or where programs would be located in relationship to one another in the design of the new high school. See the space chart >>
For example, areas for the humanities and STEM would each have “an identity as a programmatic space.” In addition, she described the two forms of entry, one on each side of the building — one for the students and one for the public when attending public events.
Cluster by subject?
Committee members questioned the layout of the “adjacencies.” Kirsi Allison-Ampe, referring to her attendance at visioning sessions and other meetings, said she “did not come away with that we had decided that we cluster by subject.” She asked: “So what is meant by interdisciplinary, and how is it related to this school design?”
Member Len Kardon added that “the placement of science and math together is not supported by the narrative” of Janger’s report.
Janger defended his approach to disciplines: “It is what we do best” and “as a district, we are so strong in our disciplines.”
He then made a distinction between a vision and a plan. He suggested that the high school should continue to do “what we do well and build capacity toward different models.” Already, he reported, the high school has an interdisciplinary certificate program.
Cowles interjected, “Classrooms are classrooms. How they are used and grouped is determined by the teachers, except labs and art rooms.”
Member Jenifer Susse had three concerns: 1.) the plan underemphasizes high school as a community resource; 2.) omits resilience, emotional intelligence and empathy as skills to be taught; 3.) does not explain whether the number of students, 1,750, is the highest number who can be accommodated or the average.
Responding to her first two concerns, Janger pointed out that this was just a first reading of his report and can be revised. The number of students to use the building, Janger and Cowles said, was set by the MSBA.
Superintendent Kathleen Bodie closed the discussion by informing everyone that the report will be amended over the next several weeks. Parents can find the report on the website — AHSbuilding.org — and anyone can email suggestions and corrections.
Use for additional funds in school budget
Bodie referred $200,000 in added expected state funds and said the money could pay for some of the unfunded priorities. About $240,000 in additional funds available for the fiscal 2019 budget were announced at the Feb. 14 meeting.
Already, she said, part of the money would already be used to hire a new preschool teachers. Member Paul Schlichtman suggesting using the rest to fill contingency positions. Allison-Ampe argued that she has heard from parents of the great need for teaching assistants in large classes other than kindergarten. The consensus was that would be the best use for this money. The priority list will be discussed at the next meeting, on March 16.
2018-19 school calendar passed; kindergarten days to be determined
The second reading of the 2018-19 school calendar passed. However, the dates for kindergarten are still up in the air because the elementary principals proposed doing assessments at the end of the year, and end classes four days early. The committee discussed the possibility that for kindergarten classes the start date might be on Wednesday.
This proposal will be discussed further before the exact dates will be determined. Then amendments can be made to the school calendar.
A considerable amount of time was devoted to deciding whether the start days for all schools should be delayed by one day because of the primary polling places that would be held in a number of elementary schools. Although schools have considerable experience with having classes at the same time as polling takes place, some committee members argued that students will have a great deal of trouble adjusting to the first day. Member Bill Hayner made a motion to delay the first day until the Wednesday after Labor Day. After a long discussion, the effort to move the start date from Sept. 4 to Sept. 5, for all classes and schools was defeated, 3-4. Voting yes were Schlichtman, Hayner and Allison-Ampe; voting no were Kardon, Susse, Jeff Thielman and Cindy Starks.
The vote to approve the second reading of the school calendar was 6-1, with Hayner voting no.
This version of the school calendar may be amended to allow kindergarten to begin Sept. 5 and may end early in June to allow for four days of evaluations. This special arrangement for kindergartens will be discussed at the March 15 meeting. Kindergartens are not held by the state to the required 180 days of school.
Bodie reminded everyone that kindergarten registration starts Saturday, March 10.
After the consent agenda, the meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.
Feb. 14, 2018: More state school funds on horizon; snow-day plan remains vague
Jan. 29, 2018: Money sought to pay for full-time teaching assistants for kindergarten, AHS
Jan. 17, 2018: $65.8M budget: More AHS resources, new plan for kindergarten teaching assistants
Dec. 26, 2017: Citing enrollment, AHS, Ottoson seek staff increases
Dec. 15, 2017: Elementary principals seek $1.4M, but $650K available
This news summary by YourArlington freelancer Jo Anne Preston was published Tuesday, March 6, 2018.
