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Show ) Dalino Oitli Board By ROSELYN KIRK Davis Education Association (DEA) officials of-ficials received no definite answer on when or if a request to meet with the Davis County School Board in an information infor-mation session dealing with school financing would be granted. SCHOOL BOARD president, Lucile Reading said she favored such an exchange, but explained that at this point the board could make no commitment to a definite time for such a meeting. "We will find a convenient time, but don't know when that will be," she told spokesman Wayne Cable, DEA president, and Dee Bumingham, DEA executive secretary. In a letter written to the school board, DEA officials had also requested that the board consider questions on the implementation of a period of teacher planning time in schools that had submitted sub-mitted requests. OTHER ITEMS of consideration that the DEA requested discussion on were whether teacher involvement should be allowed prior to the initiation of the testing test-ing program and the issuing of elementary elemen-tary report cards distributed for use by teachers this year. In addition Mr. Burningham said the DEA wished to indicate their concern that substitute teachers have received no increase in pay for six or seven years, even though inflation had caused living costs to increase 50 percent during that time. SUPERINTENDENT Bernell Wrigley reacted against the request saying, "It appears you're moving into year around negotiations." He said that the DEA was by-passing the liaison team which traditionally tradi-tionally had dealt with such problems as the salaries for substitute teachers and indicated that he didn't feel the school board should enter into discussions with the DEA on this matter. Mr. Burningham said the letter requesting the information gathering session "was not an attempt to bypass the liaison council, " but said the two groups "could find real value in exchanging ideas with the school board." LYNN BURTON, school board member, said the school board should discuss the matter further before calling for the in formation gathering session. The salary schedule for substitute teachers was also questioned by one member of the audience who identified herself as a parent and a former substitute substi-tute teacher. She said that in some cases administrators bypass teachers with certificates cer-tificates and use those who are less qualified, since they are paid less. MR. BURNINGHAM said, if a substitute substi-tute takes over the class for an extended period of time, the district should pay that teacher more than the usual substitute rate of $20 a day. He said that more qualified teachers could be hired if the salary for substitute teachers were increased. Superintendent Wrigley charged that DEA representatives were really discussing discuss-ing personal leave for regular teachers rather than the issue of increasing the salaries for substitute teachers. He said the matter should come before the liaison council rather than the school board. MR. STEVENSON said that the district policy on substitute teachers is to pay substitutes the same salary as regular teachers if they take over the classroom for as long as two weeks. He said the substitute teachers are usually "good teachers," but admitted the substitute teaching program "needs to be looked at." That council is composed of the superintendent of schools and the deputy and assistant superintendents, in addition to the five DEA members including the president and the executive secretary. IN THE other matter of concern, Mr. Cable asked that schools requesting permission per-mission to test a planning time for teachers be allowed to implement that program during the second term of the school year, which will begin in November. Two schools. J. A. Taylor and Sunset Elementarv Schools had initialed the planning time on a pilot basis last year, but administrators had not announced that anv schools would try the teacher planning period this year. Mr. Cable said that seven schools had proposed that they be considered for similar pilot programs. MR. CABLE said the DEA felt teacher involvement should have been involved in the planning for the writing of the new report card which requires teachers to mark students on achievement and effort in every subject area. He also indicated that DEA should also have input into a testing program, which is being given to sophomore students this year. These students will be required by the Utah State Board of Education to meet certain J requirements before they graduate in Up three years. |