201 Study Halls

[mortonwest4159]

Today I was informed that all students next year will be forced to have a study hall. This means 5 classes for each year, not including the lunch/supervisory period. Freshman sophomores and juniors are starting to be called down to the counselors office to choose a class to eliminate.

They are also either going to be breaking a law, or breaking the teacher contract. Law states that students must be in a classroom with a certified teacher (so no security-run study halls). The teacher contract states that the teachers can't be required to teach a study hall.

So essentially, instead of learning, students will be sitting in rooms with perhaps 40 other kids in it, texting for an hour (as would be expected) and teachers will, instead of teaching, be paid to baby sit a large group of kids for an hour. Who wins? Nobody. Students don't learn, teachers can't teach, and little
money is saved because the teachers are still going to be paid for that time.

Just thought everyone should know

[Berwyn Patsy]

That is sad all the way around for everyone.  I have a question, though.  Are kids
allowed to use cell phones (talking/texting)  in school?
I see this allowed in the workplace, and am appalled, no wonder kids can't learn and the world is
going to hell faster every day!

[Ted]

Today I was informed that all students next year will be forced to have a study hall. This means 5 classes for each year, not including the lunch/supervisory period. Freshman sophomores and juniors are starting to be called down to the counselors office to choose a class to eliminate.

They are also either going to be breaking a law, or breaking the teacher contract. Law states that students must be in a classroom with a certified teacher (so no security-run study halls). The teacher contract states that the teachers can't be required to teach a study hall.

So essentially, instead of learning, students will be sitting in rooms with perhaps 40 other kids in it, texting for an hour (as would be expected) and teachers will, instead of teaching, be paid to baby sit a large group of kids for an hour. Who wins? Nobody. Students don't learn, teachers can't teach, and little
money is saved because the teachers are still going to be paid for that time.

Just thought everyone should know

   This was part of the plan that was put before the public last February at the February 25th meeting. Several parents and students complained about the required study hall at both the February public meeting and the March board meeting.  Here is a summary of the plan the district is carrying out:


Overview
+ Reduce spending by $5 million per year
+ Eliminate 7 administrative positions
+ Eliminate 65 full time certified staff
+ Eliminate 11.5 non-certified staff
+ Reduce Athletic and Student Activities programs

Curriculum measures:
+ Reduce credit hours from 22 credit hours to 20 credit hours
+ freshmen must earn at least 6 credit hours;
+ sophomores must earn at least 5 credit hours
+ juniors must earn at least 5 credit hours
+ seniors must earn at least 4 credit hours
+ One year less of required science credit
+ One semester less of elective credit
+ Combining US History and American Government class
+ Eliminate Horiculture class
+ Eliminate Prairie State track classes (intense instruction for a smaller number of students)
+ Students will receive one Study Hall period
+ Incorporate Dance program into PE
+ Eliminate newspaper and year book classes
+ No drivers education classes during school year (only summer and night school)

Class Size Measures
+ Not provide a class unless it is 85% full  (including math classes)
+ Students will be forced to take other classes if they cannot get into the class they want because the class is less than 85% full
+ Re-evaluate class size for special ed students; Could potentially increase class size from 1 teacher to 8 students to 1 teacher to 15 students (state law maximum allowed)
+ Students who fail a class will not be allowed to repeat the class during regular school hours the next semester or year. That student must re-take the class in summer school, night school or via virtual training

Personnel
+ Eliminate 7 clerical positions
+ Eliminate 7 administrative positions
+ Eliminate 65 certified teaching positions
+ Cut # of assistant coaches and other cuts in athletic programs

Clubs
+ Combine clubs (e.g. one Language Arts club rather than French Club, Latin Club, etc.)
+ Incorporate clubs into classes
+ $200 up front fee for all clubs, to be fund raised

Fees
+ Charge fees for facility use
+ Increase registration fee
+ Increase student planner fee
+ Add fee for changing classes
+ Increase summer school/night school fee
+ Increase Driver's Education fee
+ District will hire a collection agency to collect fees from students

State Aid
+ Has not yet received $1.7 million from the state
+ Expects reduction from state in FOUNDATION level

 

[mustang54]

  In the 60's we had study hall every day. It was a help to the students.
1. You got to do your homework.
2. Talking was not allowed
3. You had to bring work,no newspapers
4. The teacher was not a babysitter they were there to help students who needed it. DUH what a novel idea.
  Don't allow cell phones, make the kids use the time the way it should be used. And tell the teachers if they act like a babysitter instead of teaching they will be fired. You make rules for both students and teachers and it will work for everyone if you enforce them.

[mustang54]

  BTW I doubt they will be breaking any laws or agreements with the sacred and allmighty teachers contract. They are not that stupid.

[rbain]

I can't help but laugh at "don't allow phones". I recently heard a story on NPR about teens and texting, and researchers had been interviewing teens about texting and driving, and were amazed when they discovered that the teens had been secretly texting under the table DURING the interviews. They can text more descreetly than you could have passed a note to the kid behind you in studyhall.

[NYWREB]

Study Halls were great when I was in HS too - a time to start to crank out the hours of homework I had everynight.  However, wasn't there a thread about the LACK of homework being assigned at Morton - b/c kids just weren't doing it - so the teachers weren't assigning it?  If there isn't homework to do - study hall is nothing more than an indoor recess for these kids.  Not exactly prepping them for the real world.

[mustang54]

Study Halls were great when I was in HS too - a time to start to crank out the hours of homework I had everynight.  However, wasn't there a thread about the LACK of homework being assigned at Morton - b/c kids just weren't doing it - so the teachers weren't assigning it?  If there isn't homework to do - study hall is nothing more than an indoor recess for these kids.  Not exactly prepping them for the real world.

What they need to do is have the teachers give homework. In fact now that they will have study hall the teachers can now explain to the kids that study hall is the place to get it done. Again, make rules and enforce them, just like the old days. Don't let the inmates determine how the asylum will be run. The lack of discipline at home many comment on here is just as big a problem in the schools as it is at home. Its easier for the adults to let the kids have their way.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

The bottom line is that 201 has to do something to reduce spending because they obviously don't have the money.  Used properly (if that's what happens) a study hall isn't the worst thing that could happen.  What they are doing with the fees is pretty much a no-brainer.  The driver's ed fee (I paid $50 for my daughter about 3 or 4 years ago) is dirt cheap compared to other high school districts and obviously, driving is a privilege, not a right.  If people can't afford to pay more for drivers ed how can they afford for the kid to drive anyway.  The one thing I'm really not happy about is what they may do in terms of special-ed and increasing that class size.  My son has all regular classes with one resource class where he gets extra help so he can stay in those classes.  Right now it has eight and I don't see how I teacher can give that kind of attention to 15 students.  Again, I've talked to parents who have children in other high school districts and they are paying much more for registration and other things.  With money where it is in the district there really aren't too many options left.  The taxpayers have spoken and unfortunately, they don't want to pay any more money for the district and this is what we're left with.

[Roger]

The teachers give homework and a lot of the kids don't do it.  The teachers want to fail those who refuse to turn in work and pass tests, but they are whistled in and taken to task if their failure rate is too high..... No child left behind.  The kids have the teachers by the balls and they know it.   Very frustrating and messed up situation.   No money, no governmental help apparently on the way..... like someone else here said.... the world is going to hell faster every day.    This study hall thing..... a period the students will love because it will be play time the entire time.  No matter what the powers to be attempt to do to help rectify the problems facing the district, realisitically, what can they do?   No money means teacher cuts, staff cuts, less extra curricular activities, cuts in the curriculum, and larger class sizes.  I have no doubt that the board and the new superentendent will be successful in cutting costs tremendously.  They have already taken huge steps to do so.  Unfortunately, the ones that suffer the most due to these necessary cost cutting measures are the kids, and really, unless the federal government steps and provides substantial federal dollars to school districts across the country,  things can only keep going from bad to worse.

[mustang54]

   To hell with No Child Left Behind. If children refuse to learn and abide by the rules leave them behind. In my opinion fail those who need to be failed. When a student fails half of their classes send them to the alternative school. If they choose not to take advantage of the education provided to them in their regular school give them a wakeup call and send them to the alternative school. Many students who choose not to do the work are more disruptive than those who get in a fight or do something stupid on one occasion and are sent there. You built the place use it for more than just a punishment for fighting or other incidents. If they can't be straightened out at the alternative school then so be it, it becomes their fault no one elses.
I believe the graduation rate at the alternative school is much higher than East or Wests. So they must be doing something right.

[OakParkSpartan]

I wonder what the cost per student is at the alternative school vs at East/West?  What is the student:teacher ratio compared to East/West?

[jfrickind]

Graduation rates v. doing good on the ACT (what the state uses to grade schools) are two different things.

JD

[Angel]

It is true that many teachers give homework and the kids don't do it, and that teachers are pressured to keep failure rates low.  Some students blatantly refuse to do work in class, saying it's boring or too hard.  We currently have a 25-minute supervisory period each day, which is supposed to be a study hall.  Most kids say they don't have any work to do, even though they have attended 3 or 4 classes before they have supervisory.  Even when I know they have work to do because I assigned it, and am offering help, they say they'd rather do it at home because they "can't concentrate" in school; many say they "need" to listen to music in order to get any work done.  A full class period study hall will very likely be no different.  Even with that, we will have many students who take it easy until it's time for progress reports or report cards, and then panic and expect teachers to let them make everything up.  

No, kids are not allowed to use cell phones in class; they're supposed to leave them in their lockers.  The reality is that about 90% of them have them in class, and that some of the time they are texting their parents, who are texting the kids and expecting to be answered during the school day.  

The reality is that many don't take school seriously enough, and thus are leaving themselves behind. Many students, and their parents, are satisfied if the kids pass classes with D's, just so they get a diploma.  Not only do we need huge federal dollars to preserve programs that benefit kids culturally and socially, keep them interested in school, and prepare them for college, we need to find a way to get more kids to value academic success.  Failing those who refuse to learn and/or abide by the rules would be a good place to start.  

[Ted]

I believe the graduation rate at the alternative school is much higher than East or Wests. So they must be doing something right.

  Where are you getting your statistics from?  Neither the ISBE nor the NIU interactive site list graduation rates for the Alternative School.  In fact, neither site even lists the Alternative School as a school in the district.

  I thought most kids in the Alternative School go back to their main school after they served their time.

  Ted

[mustang54]

I believe the graduation rate at the alternative school is much higher than East or Wests. So they must be doing something right.

  Where are you getting your statistics from?  Neither the ISBE nor the NIU interactive site list graduation rates for the Alternative School.  In fact, neither site even lists the Alternative School as a school in the district.

  I thought most kids in the Alternative School go back to their main school after they served their time.

  Ted

I got my statistics from the numbers Mr. Hernandez principal of the alternative school gave at a board meeting. Not all are sent back some kids actually graduate from the alternative school. Pay attention Ted to things other than dollar amounts, LOL!!

[jfrickind]

The reality is that many don't take school seriously enough, and thus are leaving themselves behind. Many students, and their parents, are satisfied if the kids pass classes with D's, just so they get a diploma.

I feel the only way to turn around our broken education system is to take the kids over - from early on.  A boarding school approach.  Reading to a child at a very early age (pre-3 years old) is the most important thing a parent can do to help with their child's education.  Recent research points to self-discipline as the biggest indicator of achievement for students with similar IQ's.

https://camcom.ngu.edu/Science/PSYC/PSYC%202385/Dr.%20Dobson%27s%20Spring%202009%20Course/Article%20Review%20I/Biological,%20Cognitive%20and%20Social%20Development%20Articles/Self%20discipline%20and%20academic%20success.pdf

This isn't being taught to the students that need it.  Schools will eventually have to keep the students longer (through 8 pm) and take them earlier (before 3) to teach the habits that parents should be teaching.

There is nothing else that a high school/middle school can do.  They can only do so much without the support from home.  The habits they form in middle school determine their high school career and future academic endeavors.  And the middle school habits start from grade school.  If the students aren't studying in middle school they won't do it in high school either.

JD

[mustang54]

You make some very good points jfrickland. But I think the older kids can be turned around if the system was more in line with the community rather than some national bullshit guidelines. What percentage of parents in this community today do you think went to college? I would think the percentage is lower than most would think.
What percentage of parents in this community do you think work with their hands instead of in an office setting? I would bet a huge percentage. With the makeup of this district today many want their kids to get a diploma and get to work. The kids are doomed from the start.
  That is why I believe Morton would be better off and be much more successful by dividing the campuses not by geography but goals of the students AND their parents. Make West a college prep type school and make East a vocational school. Here is what I think would be the end result.
1. Those who want to attend college would do even better because they could be challenged more in a prep school type environment.
2. Those attending the vocational school will learn a valued trade and I feel could be led to doing better in core classes such as math when it is explained to them if they don't have math skills to go with their trade skills they probably won't get a job or if they do will not be able to keep it.
  I believe both test scores and graduation rates would both rise with this scenario. This is not Naperville Central or New Trier, it is unfair to expect this district to produce competing numbers with more affluent districts. And I don't care how many millions of dollars you dump into this district, unless drastic changes are made things will get worse.
CPS offers both college prep and vocational schools why can't we? Our demographics are now closer to CPS than they are many of the suburban schools and this is a huge district. You will never turn a quarter horse into a derby winner no matter how much money you spend on it. Don't try and educate those who want to work with their hands the same as those who want to work with their minds, it hasn't worked and never will.

[Angel]

From the perspective of a teacher and a parent, some things parents can do to support their childrens' academic success:

1.  Read to them, often, beginning at an early age.
2.  Encourage questions, and never leave "I don't know" as your final answer.  Help kids find answers to      their questions. Not only do they learn the answers; they learn that learning is a worthwhile way to
     spend time.
3.  Teach kids to finish what they start, even if they lose interest in the middle.  Responsibility is a huge
     part of success in school.
4.  Teach them to give their full attention when conversing with others, without being distracted by music,
     TV, or cell phone. Many students miss instructions and valuable information because they can't focus
     on anything for more than a couple of minutes. 

My two cents, for what it's worth.

[Ted]

I got my statistics from the numbers Mr. Hernandez principal of the alternative school gave at a board meeting. Not all are sent back some kids actually graduate from the alternative school. Pay attention Ted to things other than dollar amounts, LOL!! 

  What are the statistics?  And, why isn't the Alternative School recognized as a separate school by the Illinois State Board of Education?