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 Anne Troka, vice president of the Horizon Elementary School Parent Organization (PATH), tells the school board, "It's time for a reality check regarding this community's genuine view of education." Troka was one of about 150 people who attended the meeting Tuesday (December 18, 2007) to voice support for continuing the Plymouth Joint School District's 4-year-old kindergarten program. More pictures |
About 150 Plymouth area residents and educators packed a school board meeting Tuesday (December 18, 2007) to support the district's 4-year-old kindergarten program and to challenge comments by State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend), a 4K opponent who was invited to speak at the meeting by two board members.
“It is time for a reality check regarding this community's genuine view of education,” the vice president of an elementary school parent organization told the Plymouth Joint School Board.
“I encourage you to remember your primary agenda as board of education members, which is raising student achievement and involving the community in the attainment of that goal,” said Anne Troka of the Horizon Elementary School parent organization. She reminded the board that its civic duty was to incorporate the community's view in the development of a vision of education for Plymouth schools.
That vision includes 4K, the crowd demonstrated to the school board through citizens' statements, as well as through boos and groans at several of Grothman's comments. The district's 4K program is in its second year of operation.
“Cutting programs is not going to raise student achievement, and the success of this board of education is directly related to the achievement of our students,” Troka said. “If raising student achievement to the highest level possible is not your primary agenda, then you should not be a member of the board of education.”
“As a parent, I feel betrayed by the majority of this school board,” said Plymouth resident Michelle Shutter, who was instrumental in getting the 4K program started in the community. She pointed to her son’s success as a kindergarten student in the district this year. “…his growth can be attributed to the partnership between home and school that began in 4K. Our students are benefiting from this program. Our community is benefiting from this program.”
Shutter chided the board for inviting an elected official to speak against 4K without offering an invitation to speak to a proponent of 4K. As she questioned the educational accomplishments of the board, Shutter was ruled out of order. She later submitted her comments, which included a request for the board president to step down, to the local newspaper.
Assistant Superintendent Carrie Dassow and Superintendent Clark Reinke stood up for the 4K program, offering an update to the board and community about student learning results and the larger impact of the 4K program in the community. They stressed that long-term studies indicate that high quality preschool programs, such as Plymouth's, result in a reduction in criminal justice, health care and welfare costs. They also increase graduation rates and decrease special education placements.
Not only does 4K have academic benefits for the community, but a report released by Plymouth's Director of Business Services Jon Miller in October stated that the program is financially beneficial.
No action on the district's 4K program was taken at the meeting.
Troka urged the board to begin asking the community what it values in terms of education programming. “Vision is not about what we are, but where we want to be,” she stated. “It's about where we are going and what kind of school system we are trying to create now and for the future.”
Posted December 19, 2007