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The Port TIMES RECORDVolume 23, No. 11 February 18, 2010

PORT JEFFERSON BELLE TERRE PORT JEFFERSON STATION TERRYVILLE

Port Jeffdoctorhelping HaitiDr. Shanleyand team travelto Dominica to treattrauma victims

Page A3

Where the North Shore clicks: www.northshoreoflongisland.com

Chaos at EdnLouise SpeaIs departmentalizatioat Port Jef elementaracturing or osterinthe 4th and 5th gradeBY DAVE WILLINGERdave_w@tbrnewspapers.com

About 10 parents at this m

meeting implored the Port Jeschool board to drop departmention, calling the program chaotcounterproductive. Te term reenew program this year which has and h-graders changing clason a daily basis to receive math aence instruction rom teachers wditional accreditation or experiethose academic areas.

Fih-graders are way too yoube walking rom classroom to claduring the school day, according toWeldon, the mother o a third-grEdna Louise Spear Elementary ScPort Jeferson. Along with about aother parents, Weldon pleaded wschool board at its February meet

week to discontinue departmentaliin the elementary school. In additioburden she believes it puts on the kpolicy o having students move romroom to classroom to be taught bthan one teacher also leaves teacherragmented vision o the kids, accto Weldon, who called it a great disto deprive kids o that great relatiowith the elementary school teacher.

Lisa Alter said her h-grade dawas already counting the days unwould be moving up to middle schsad statement, she said. Alter proplowing parents to opt out o departmization, although it is unclear i such

Continued on pa

Time toFocuson HealthCircle o lie choices,ZUMBA: dontexercise - dance,Olympians heal

Inside this week

Fossilfeld tripPort Jeferson Middle School

sixth- and eighth-graders viewed

a dinosaur exhibition at Stony Brook

University last week.

They are accompanied by teacher

Peter Burawa, second rom let,

and SBU proessor and

paleontologist David Krause, right.

Photo by Jennifer Choi

Page A5

In its inaugural year, departmentalization at the Port Jeferson elementary school has caused a serious rit between some parents o young

children and district administrators who championed the new program as a way o improving math and science learning. Caught in between

is the school board, which is assessing the program and later this year expected to advise whether to continue or scrap the innovation.

Photo by D. Willinger

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PAGE A10 THE PORT TIMES RECORD FEBRUARY 18, 2010

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103036

4th and 5th gradersTe students themselves reacted as

might be expected o young children

when it comes to a particular schoolpolicy. Comments by students afectedby departmentalization include:

Day goes asterI think its a waste o timeHaving one teacher or threeperiods is too boringChanging teachers gets conusingWe have more homeworkWhy is there less homework?Backpacks easierHard bringing backpackSometimes dont like sharing deskFifh grade only

TeachersFrom a reading o teacher c

ments, some educators doubt

structure is appropriate or chilin those grades. Others point ouneed or additional storage spacstudent belongings while voicing cern about how departmentalizimpacts special education studOther teacher comments include:

Double periods are too longHarder to integrate instructioncontent with separate subject clHomeroom at end o day is awaste o timeStructure is not age appropria

track system could be implemented.I eel like this year or her has been

a waste, Sheila Alterson said o herh-grade daughters experience withchangng classrooms. Alterson saidthere is no enrichment in h-grademath no homework.

Another parent claimed that while de-partmentalization may unction in otherdistricts, it is a model we cant possiblyimplement in this school.

One speaker demanded an audit o thechildrens work in the classroom.

Every teacher I have spoken to hashated departmentalization, DennisMarinino, another resident, said. Allourth- and h-grade teachers wereemailed seeking comment this week,which is winter vacation week, but noneresponded in time or deadline.

When parent Drew Biondi came up tothe lectern to speak he turned to the 80 orso persons in attendance and asked or ashow o hands. No hands were observedraised in support o departmentalization.

No one can speak or departmentaliza-tion, Biondi said.

But School Board President StaceyZink told Te Port imes Record thisweek, Tere are parents out there whosupport it. What about those parentswho spoke against departmentalizationat the February board meeting? Do theyrepresent the majority view or are they a vocal minority? Zink said, People thatare opposed to something are usuallythe loudest.

BOE member Mark Doyle reminded allthose parents, residents and teachers in at-tendance that the majority o board mem-bers have a child in ourth or h gradethemselves, but he was shouted down bya man in the audience who disputed that

assertion. For the record, our out o sevenPort Jeferson BOE members have a childin ourth or h grade.

At the meeting BOE president Zinksaid the board is reviewing reports ondepartmentalization but board membershave not made a decision to end thisprogram. Tis week Zink emphasized

that departmentalization was conto increase math time or all stuZink said assessments o departmization would be presented to theat its March meeting and urther sions based on those data wouplace among board members anparents and teachers.

As part o their review, board mwould be looking or the best way ter increased math instruction, Zin

One option that has been suwould be to have teachers move romto room instead o the students.

Zink said it was too early to specuwhen a decision might be reached, stressed the program has only beein efect since October.

Superintendent Max Riley yesaid testing results available in and other results to come in Maybe used to evaluate the prograthereore there is not any possdepartmentalization would be dtinued during the current schooly

Te vocal opponents represenabout 13 percent o the 350 to 400 with children in the grades afectedprogram, Riley said. He said he b

that minority is suspicious o this cin math instruction or a variety sons but is united by a common dihaving their children change classI we had overhelming oppositiwould have to reconsider, Riley sai

It was not known i other Longschool districts use a similar prWhen asked about departmentalSmithtown Schools SuperintendeEhmann said his district does noscribe to it. I dont want to criticiJeferson or doing it, Ehmann sastressed his belie that the teacherbe trained in al l subject areas.

Ehmann said he recognizes thaace o demands or ever-higher ament, departmentalization gua

students get math and scienceday. But the Smithtown superintsaid he is aiming instead or a totadisciplinary approach.

Which philosophy is better?it comes down to it, Its the tthat means more than anythingEhmann said.

District comments on departmentalizatioReactions to departmentalization collected by the district

in December ofer a wide range o opinion.

School dazeContinued rom page A1