Late-Breaking Issue for School Budget: Teacher Class Load

Community Counseling Center Gets More $; Varsity Ski Team on Hold

by Joan R. SImon

(April 6, 2005) A late-breaking issue on teacher course loads at the high school dominated the conversation at a study session on April 5, as the Mamaroneck School Board was winding down its deliberations on next year’s budget. The board first made two decisions on issues that had been raised at earlier budget hearings: they agreed to hold off on starting a varsity ski team, but decided to give the Community Counseling Center the additional $10,000 they had requested.

Most of the heat, however, was generated by a letter from Elizabeth Clain, chair of the social studies department, sent earlier in the day to school board president Celia Felsher, asking the board not to approve the provision in next year’s budget which would end “release time” to social studies teachers with two or more Advanced Placement classes. Those teachers currently have a class load of four, rather than the typical five taught by other social studies teachers. The budget calls for hiring an additional part-time (.4) social studies teacher at the high school next year, but combined with the removal of “release time,” there would be the equivalent of an additional full-time teacher in the department.

No final decision was made, and Superintendent Sherry King promised that if the school board reversed her recommendation later, she would find money in the budget to permit the continuation of the “release time” policy for the 2005-06 school year. However, the board was concerned about issues of equity among teachers. In addition to the “release time” for AP teachers, Team 9 social studies teachers and all English teachers in grades 9 through 12 teach only four classes. Almost all other teachers at the high school have five classes. The need for the smaller class load for English and some social studies teachers was attributed to the extra amount of essay writing those teachers need to review and grade. Assistant Principal Gail Kleiner expressed concern about fewer classes for teachers of AP social studies subjects: “It implies there’s less writing in a Regents class.”

Ms. Felsher reported that she had contacted other schools to see what their practices were. No other school had a similar “release time” policy, she said, but some other comparable schools require only four classes for all of their social studies teachers, as well as for their English teachers. The board discussed the need to study the whole issue of class load throughout the high school, although administrators present at the meeting cautioned about “political ripple effects” when such studies are undertaken.

Given the new essay requirement on the SATs, Dr. King suggested looking at writing in English and social studies within the context of the entire writing program in the school system. No final decision was made about next year, although a change back to the “release time” policy would have personnel implications: the personnel office has already found a teacher for the part-time position.

Ski Team and Varsity Sports

In recommending against a varsity ski team for next year, Dr. King reported on her discussions with Athletic Director Bari Suman. For Ms. Suman, she said, a ski team “would not have been her top priority if she could have made additions” this year. All administrators were instructed not to request additional funds for the 2005-06 budget. The board agreed that next year the Athletic Advisory Committee should conduct a full review of all sports and make recommendations on possible new teams. Dr. King noted that a girls’ ice hockey team was on the list of possible new varsity sports.

Community Counseling Center

The board supported an additional $10,000 for the Community Counseling Center. Dr. King assured the board that she would make reductions in other budget lines so that there would be no change to the budget total. With the municipalities also contributing more funds to the counseling center, the board agreed that it was appropriate to increase their support as well. “We are net consumers, not net contributors,” commented board member Amy Levere.

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