FARMINGTON – Five principals from SAD 9 elementary schools gave presentations on their School Report Cards to the district’s Board of Directors on Tuesday evening.
The five principals were instructed to discuss at least one strength and one weakness found in the report cards and discuss plans for improvements. While they discussed a variety of issues, all the principals addressed a need for the schools to improve reading and writing instruction.
Arline Amos, principal of Weld Elementary School, said, “The big concern is students are not yet able to write clear responses to short-answer sections” on tests like the MEA.
“In one area” of last year’s MEA, she explained, “a student scored 94 percent on the multiple choice section, but only 44 percent on the constructed response section.”
The principals all agreed on their schools’ greatest strengths, as well, and each told the board that the dedication of their teachers was the biggest asset the schools had.
“As a new principal to Cushing and Academy Hill schools,” said Darlene Paine, “I’m most impressed by the way the teachers” meet the challenge. “Many arrive early and many leave late. They are hungry to do right by students,” she said, “and I consider myself fortunate to be a member of their team.”
Board members discussed ways the district might save on energy costs, with some suggesting closing the school for either one day per week, or one week per year, to save on transportation costs. That solution is not yet legal, although Assistant Superintendent Susan Pratt said some members of state government are considering amending the law that makes that solution impossible.
Members of the Board of Directors discussed state and federal chemical management requirements for schools. Pratt told the board that requirements for storing and disposing of chemicals in schools, including those found in light bulbs and coffee machines, are so in depth that there may be “a good part-time job for somebody” to oversee the district’s efforts in the future.
Board members also discussed the possibility that the state Department of Education might consolidate its Child Development Services offices, which oversee education for 3- to 5-year-old children who have “an identified handicapping condition,” from 16 offices to seven and give districts the responsibility for caring for the children.
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