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District issues follow-up on EMS incident
By GARY P. KLINGER
Ephrata Review
Published: May 07, 2008 10:42 AM EST
EPHRATA - Several weeks after an incident involving Ephrata Middle School students,
an Ephrata resident inquired for further information at the Monday night
Ephrata School Board meeting.
Brian Hoffman of Ephrata was one of
three people from the community to attend the meeting.
He asked the
board for an update on the situation. Board President, Robert Miller
declined further comment, saying that the position of the school board was
to neither confirm nor deny any of the rumors or innuendo that had been
floating around the community. He explained that this was at the strict
advice of the district's solicitor.
Assistant Superintendent Ken
Porter added that it was not that the district didn't want to release more
information but that they couldn't for reasons of confidentiality to
protect students and the teacher.
"Legally, we just cannot say much
at all; in addition, we cannot say much until an investigation has been
completed," Porter said. "Unfortunately we are in a position where the kids
are free to go home and state immediately their version of events while we
just simply cannot."
Pressed by Hoffman about the fate of the
teacher, Superintendent Gerald Rosati said that it was a personnel issue
and that the district does not discuss personnel issues in public meetings.
He did say, however, that the teacher was in the classroom but not aware of
the situation until after class.
Hoffman said the community knows
more through word of mouth than from communication from the district and
accused the district of only having communicated the event once news of
this hit the press.
Rosati said that was false, stating that the
district was the one that contacted the press on the incident with the
submission of a press release. In addition, the district took the
initiative to contact and speak with the parents of each of the students in
the classroom during the incident.
"The press didn't come after us;
we released first. We also spoke with every parent of the class in
question. Again, it was the district took that action proactively," said
Rosati.
District spokesperson, Stephanie Gingrich, noted that in
additional contacts with the parents and with the press it was made clear
that the incident "was non-violent, that it did not involve weapons or
drugs of any kind, that the incident was mutually consensual and that the
teacher was not involved in the incident."
Gingrich added that she
hoped "the community would understand and appreciate the district's concern
over the privacy of the students and the teacher. I mean what if this were
one of our own kids?" She noted that as a result of the incident an
investigation had been launched and changes were being made to hopefully
prevent a similar incident in the future. She said that first and foremost
the district had done all it possibly could to communicate with the parents
of those students in the classroom. And, she explained that in all cases
the district works very hard to keep open the lines of communication
between parents and the community and the district. "We are always open to
phone calls or emails anytime anyone has a concern."
***
In
other business, the Personnel Committee submitted a list of several
personnel changes to the board. Included in the list were one retirement,
two resignations and a number of transfers. Assistant to the Superintendent
for Elementary Education Kim Schlemmer explained to the board that most of
the transfers were from the various elementary schools to the new
Intermediate 5/6 building which will open for classes in the fall. The
complete list of personnel changes will be voted upon at the next Meeting
of the Whole on May 12.
The board also discussed the creation of a
new "Classrooms for the Future" coach position for the 2008-2009 school
year. Creation and board approval of this position would be required in
order to qualify for a Classrooms for the Future grant through the state.
This coach would receive extensive technology integration training and
would in turn be responsible as a trainer and resource person to other
teachers. The person filling this position would work with teachers to
assure integration of the latest technology into the classroom. Dr. Rosati
noted that he intended to place an in-house person who is already very
immersed in technology plus perhaps another person in the district so that
we don't have just one person with this training in the district. The
salary of $30,000 for this position would be covered in the grant, which is
expected to be for $432,302. Teachers included in the program would also
undergo training with the coach being there to assist the teachers in full
implementation. The grant and the coach would provide help with use in such
things as the SMART board, teacher training and staff development. The
grant is for a 2-3 year period; however it would only provide funding for
the person in this position for the first year.
It was noted that
the position needs to be created and approved in order to qualify for grant
money but that the ideal candidate would only be placed if the grant is
received. The intention of the grant is to help the district move into the
standards of the curriculum.
Mrs. Schlemmer noted that this is not
for the entertainment of the students. "The use of the active boards has
really significantly increased the degree to which the students are
becoming engaged in the educational process." She added that the state is
looking for the district to make a significant commitment to this program
in order to award grant funds.
Dr. Rosati discussed the future of
both primary and secondary staffing.
"Five years down the road we
may need to look at staff reduction," said Rosati. "Hopefully through
retirement and attrition and consolidation this won't be necessary but just
with the increases in utilities and fuel oil alone it may need to become a
budgetary reality. We are working hard to stay below our budget and operate
as cost effectively for the tax payers, yet not compromise educational
standards. The redesign of the 5/6 model gave us some really great
opportunities to take things apart and to tighten the ship through shared
staffing, facilities and the like. We would like to explore other similar
opportunites."
Robert Miller asked Rosati about projected increases
in the population. Rosati expressed confidence that the district will still
see those increases but perhaps not as fast as projected under the current
housing, credit and economic situation.
***
A proposed change
to the manner in which school physicals are now administered was also
discussed. Currently sports physicals are offered two different times
throughout the year.
The district is looking at having only one
round of physicals, to be held during the summer over the course of a few
days. In the past some kids would need to wait for physicals in order to
start sports. As proposed, physicals would now be held in June and cost
students $5.
PIAA would require recertification for later sports,
such as basketball. The June physical would fit for football.
Recertification would amount to a parent signing a form indicating that no
injuries or changes to the student's physical condition had taken place
since the June physical in order to play basketball. According to Rosati,
athletics director Tommy Long will also get a lot of information out to the
parents.
The next meeting of the Ephrata Area School Board
will be a meeting of the whole and will be held at 7:30 on May 12 at the
Highland Elementary School.
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