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Show Schools Face Scores Of Changes : By TOM BUSSELBERG North County Editor LAYTON -- It was a big "idea factory" for the board of education, last week, as they heard scores of ways the face of education could be changing in the future. AND THOSE presenting these ideas were local loc-al people drawn from district administrative level, school principals, PTA officers and parents, pa-rents, with committees formed to study elementary elemen-tary classroom changes. "More Time on Task for Students," "Improved Home and School Communications," curriculum coordination, "Differentiated Staffing," funding and increased in-creased student requirements and graduation requirements. There could be some far-reaching changes, depending on how many recommendations are approved, with that based largely on how much , money legislators will authorize, Board Pres. Sheryl Allen noted in the meeting at Sarah Jane Adams Elementary School in Layton. COMMITTEES on graduation requirements, time effectiveness and elementary concerns addressed the board with the others to follow in the Nov. 1 meeting at the district offices in Farmington. Chairperson Claire Martin, addressing elementary concerns, emphasized the need for increased salaries when she noted a friend new to teaching was offered $22,000 or nearly double, dou-ble, for a job with less responsibility out of the field but chose teaching, at a far lower salary. THE COMMITTEE endorses a one-fourth salary increase, following Gov. Scott Mathe-son's Mathe-son's recommendation, while also calling for adequate instructional materials including books and "consumable" booklets that she said would cost less but provide more ready access to students. On top of that, carpeting of clas- TlWWIEtU. "I'!' , IMIII) HI JMIHW, "KM.!! ' W I limit m-r P1 srooms-often a sore spot with some patrons-4would patrons-4would facilitate instruction in the lower grades, where students often are on the floor in activities activi-ties if carpet's available. Class size should be kept at 25 maximum for grades 1-6 and 22 for kindergarten-not an average, aver-age, but a maximum, she emphasized, vs. those pushing 30 and above in some cases. SPECIALISTS to teach art, music and physical physic-al education should be provided, relieving teachers who have about a dozen areas they must teach while also giving them extra preparation prepara-tion time, while eliminating letter grades in those subjects due to impossibility in preparing, teaching and assessing those subjects as outlined out-lined due to teachers' limited time, resources and knowledge, oft-times. An alternative program for disruptive students stu-dents should be implemented, Mrs. Martin said, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ' : "i ! niriMi nan n m., i mliwrtu,, ... ... v.- j j ., . tma Schools Facing Many Changes CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE relieving teachers and other students from con-- con-- stant distractions while a structured support : program should be set up for first-year teachers as well as remediation for those instructors needing help, while a firing policy should also be strengthened. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher Earl Spencer, also chairman of the time effectiveness committee, listed recommendations for six mandatory basic curriculum classes with an optional 7th period . for classes such as released time seminary. A basic school curriculum for all county elementary and junior high schools should be put in place, easing confusion for transferring students, for example, while any activity not defined as basic curriculum should be counted extra-curricular and not part of the regular school day. That would mean drill team, pep : club, cheerleading, vocal and instrumental : groups, conditioning and student government . would be offered outside the regular school day. Some programs, such as newspaper, yearbook and team sports could be offered as classes dur-; dur-; ing the optional 7th period, he told the board. ALTHOUGH a fellow Davis High teacher ; asked about an 8-period schedule, such as cur-: cur-: rently exists at Davis High, Mr. Spencer said : that was rejected by the committee. The graduation requirements committee, : chaired by Beth Beck, calls for four language : arts courses with at least three in English, two in : math, including one algebra and four in social ; studies. That would include world history in : addition to civics, geography and American his-: his-: tory. Psychology would be an elective unless ' four credits for social studies are allowed, the I committee recommends. WHILE NO mandatory foreign language cre- : dits were recommended, the committee called i for the possibility of starting foreign language in : junior high school for college-bound students : with continuing foreign language in lieu of lan- : guage arts in 8th grade urged. : Healthy lifestyles and fitness would include j two credits, with one-half in health in grades I 10-12 and one-half in physical education for : both 9th and 10th grades with lifetime skills and : regular physical education encouraged. FINE ARTS and vocational courses would both receive one credit each, with 6Vi credits earned in basics and Vh for electives. ; THE RECOMMENDATIONS are being com- : piled for board use in determining curriculum : and related changes. That process should begin : in December. |