Learning at ARPS
February 7, 2008
You are invited to attend A Public Forum with the
Amherst Budget Coordinating Committee
Monday, February 11, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium
Community Voices and Budget Choices:
Planning for a Stronger Future and Looking at Ways to Fund It
Our Town--Our Schools--Our Libraries
We Need To Hear From You!
The forum will be preceded at 7:00 p.m. by the League of Women Voters presentation "The Whys and Wherefores of Budgeting in Towns and Cities in the Commonwealth."
Dear Everyone Learning @ Amherst, Region, and Pelham Schools:
Did you know that this year's kindergarten class is the high school "Class of 2020!" (I know there should be a question mark there, but I am taking the liberty of email grammar to highlight 2020.)
Did you know that a teacher we hire next year, after a 30 year career, would retire in the year 2038? Did you know that if that teacher teaches kindergarten, the children in his or her last kindergarten class will graduate in 2050? Talk about touching the future! 2020! 2050!
Can we even imagine the skills those children and teachers will learn in order to reach great achievements? Can we imagine the technology? On one level, I presume those future students will still be memorizing their times tables and, hopefully, reading great books. On another, I know we must be prepared with resources and skills to meet challenges that we can't even yet anticipate.
If that all sounds too "futuristic," then consider something a bit closer to home and today... 2011!
We can easily articulate the most practical desired features necessary for our students in 2011:
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Every middle and high school student able to take a full schedule of courses without study halls.
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High school core class sizes lower than 25.
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High school students able to take two science, math, world language or other courses in the same year.
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Elementary school libraries with full student research support from paraprofessionals in the libraries.
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Enhanced programs in elementary school art and music.
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Increased enrichment opportunities for all students.
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A comprehensive plan for professional development and evaluation.
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Continued attention to infrastructure.
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Up-to-date technology.
Whereas these are building blocks for the future, they are essentials for today. Of course, this begs this question: How can we insure the resources are available to achieve these means -- all of which achieve the ends of student achievement, academic engagement, and school membership?
The January 11 meeting described above is designed to look at the various ways to fund town and school services and to allow the policy makers and administrators to hear your voices about these choices.
Join Us!
Sincerely,
Jere Hochman
Superintendent
Public Forum with the Amherst Budget Coordinating Committee Flyer