Parents: textbooks showed up late
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:39 p.m., October 11, 2007
Updated 01:39 p.m., October 11, 2007
Emporia board of education members faced a short but time-consuming agenda Wednesday evening when they met at Mary Herbert Learning Center. They heard a complaint about late textbook deliveries, approved use of an anti-bullying program and heard curriculum reports from teaching teams at Lowther South Intermediate School, Lowther North Intermediate School, Emporia Middle School and Emporia High School.
District patrons Karen and Jeff Cope talked to the board about textbooks.
Karen Cope told members that middle school seventh- and eighth-graders at EMS did not have science or literature books at the beginning of the year. She said she talked to George Abel, associate superintendent of Learning and Teaching, and was told that the books had been ordered and should be in soon. Cope said the literature books did not arrive until mid-September, and the eighth-grade science books came in about Oct. 1.
She said she understood why budget constraints and curriculum requirements caused the books not to be ordered until June, but she did not understand why, when the 28 cases of books arrived at the district office on a Wednesday, they still had not been taken to the school by Friday.
She told the board that for the first nine weeks of school, eighth-graders had been doing laboratory classes in science.
“Labs are supposed to reinforce what they’re learning,” she said. “And those poor teachers. ... They have been doing the best that they can with what they have.
“Shame on us. Shame on the system for not getting the teachers the tools that they need. I’m not sure that the seventh-graders have their science books yet. I guess I’m just really frustrated as a parent that my child wouldn’t have a book.”
Cope’s husband, Jeff, said he believed the publisher should guarantee a delivery date for the books. He said other schools have implemented a financial penalty against publishers who do not meet the delivery dates.
Board president Grant Riles said that there were some complicating factors that affected the book delivery and that the board appreciated the Copes’ concern.
A group of teachers presented a program about “Challenge Day,” which they plan to bring to the district in April. The teachers asked the board to allow them to accept donations that have been offered to finance the $12,000 program.
Adults and teenagers supporting Challenge Day talked to the board about the program, which is intended to discourage bullying and give students tools for combating bullying.
After watching a video about the program, Member Glen Strickland asked Barbara Clark, EMS teacher and Challenge Day group spokesman whether there had been any long-term studies to show that the program had been beneficial.
“There’s probably no great big study that I know of, but the schools have seen a difference,” Clark said. “I’ve talked to other schools.”
Clark said that about 100 Emporia High School and 100 EMS students would participate in the program will be offered in April. P
She said that before April, the group will have other projects to discouraging bullying.
“I’ve seen things like this done ... but I’ve never seen a follow-up study that shows an overall impact,” said Strickland, who mentioned that he was involved in similar programs when he taught at the University of Denver.
Board member Homer Garza supported the proposal.
“I was probably the kid that bullied those kids,” Garza said. “If there was a program like this out there, it would have opened my eyes up. You know why I bullied? Because of my color. ... If there’s a program out there that’s going to help us cross that line, then we should have it. Let us be the leaders, not the followers.”
Mike Crouch agreed, saying he would like to try the program, monitor it, and make adjustments if necessary.
“Honestly, I think more adults in this town probably need to go through this.”
Strickland said he was not against an anti-bullying program, but he wanted the district to use a program proven to be successful.
“Let’s try something that works,” Strickland said. “... I asked for the proof of it and didn’t get it.”
Another board member, Mike Helbert, questioned whether the emotional upheavals shown in the video might be dangerous to the students.
Supporters said that resources would be there to intercede if a participant seems overwrought.
Crouch moved to accept the donation to proceed with the program and Garza seconded the motion, which passed 5-1. Board member Mary Helmer was not present at the meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, Abel had prefaced the curriculum reports with information about the Professional Learning Communities that have been implemented at the four schools that made presentations.
Abel said that about 100 educators had been trained in the PLC process, which is used to improve schools over time. The PLCs, he said, are “an umbrella over the District Improvement Plan.”