There wasn’t much romance at the School Board meeting on Valentine’s Day, but there was a definite whiff of dedication in the air as Board members and district administrators worked through their agenda.
New Computers Bound For Teachers’ Laps
On February 27, teachers at Glenshire Elementary will receive 27 new Macintosh laptop computers. This will be the first stage of a computer rollout aimed to place a total of 142 laptops in the hands of Tahoe Truckee Unified School District teachers by mid March.
With the new computers the district hopes to attract and retain quality staff members and to address the achievement gap that currently separates English-learning students and students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds from their peers. Ideally, teachers will use the new laptops to enhance their curricula and to access AERIES, a web-based program that allows parents, teachers, and TTUSD administrators to access student records.
The laptops cost roughly $1400 each. They were purchased with money from the Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program, a statewide program funded from a settlement between Microsoft Corporation and California consumers.
The laptop rollout is part of the district’s Educational Technology Plan, a three-year effort that started on July 1, 2006 and is designed to ensure ‘a quality learning experience with technology in all grade levels and subjects.’
A Little Adventure, Risk, and Challenge – A Lot of Gain
Tania Cabrera, a participant of the Adventure, Risk and Challenge (ARC) program, read the Board an excerpt from ‘My Independence Calls Out,’ an essay she wrote after her time at ARC in 2005. ‘Picture me (before ARC),’ Cabrera said, ‘a girl always at home, thinking she was strong but never proving it, never out of the cage, always safe. Then picture me at the end of the summer, showing my own independence, no longer too lazy to go and explore the world.’
Since her time at ARC Cabrera has begun tutoring at Truckee Elementary and taking AP courses. She has been sponsored by the Queen of Hearts Women’s Fund and is preparing for the SATs. ‘I’m getting to know more people in the community that can help me get into college,’ Cabrera said, ‘ARC is innovative, it’s really going to help the community. It keeps helping you after you’re out of it.’
However, according to ARC Program Director Katie Zanto, the course endures a constant struggle for funds. ‘We are needy,’ Zanto said. She described the ARC program at the Sagehen Facility as ‘at risk,’ and explained that every year ARC must search for renewed funding.
ARC is a 6-week summer program that provides English language instruction and outdoor education to motivated students who are learning English as a second language. The main ARC site is located at UC Berkeley’s Sagehen Creek Field Station north of Truckee. For information, email sagehen@berkeley.edu or call 530-587-4830.
Teachers Relieved to Conclude Salary Dispute
Jim Driscoll, president of the Tahoe Truckee Educator’s Association (TTEA), expressed his relief that salary negotiations between teachers and the district have come to a close. The latest contract agreement includes a 7.5 percent wage increase to be applied retroactively back to July 1, 2006. It also includes a 2 percent wage increase that will be effective July 1, 2007 and serve as a starting point for next year’s negotiations. Wages for duties outside of a teacher’s normal workday will increase for the first time in ten years.
Driscoll suggested that teachers and district administrators maintain contact by having lunch together on a regular basis. ‘Even if not necessarily to discuss business,’ Driscoll said.
Governor’s Proposed Budget Likely To Result in Few Changes to District Funds
In January, Governor Schwarzenneger submitted his proposal for the 2007-2008 K-12 education budget. The Governor’s proposal includes a 4.04 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) which will apply to state-funded programs within the district. However, the increased funds provided by the COLA are likely to be offset by a decrease in local property tax revenue. The amount of local revenue the district collects depends on average student attendance and attendance is expected to diminish.
The next school board meeting will be held March 14 at 4:30 p.m. at Sierra Mountain Education Center.
