By Jarret Liotta
The needs, trials and success of the average Westport student were discussed today at the Board of Education’s brown bag lunch.
Superintendent Collen Palmer address today’s luncheon meeting as other board members listen. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Close to 50 parents were in Town Hall Auditorium for a one-hour Q&A that included comments on the intrinsic pressures many midrange students face in a high-performance district.
“When a teacher tells me that in a high school for a 15-year old he is teaching a college-level course,” parent Peter Hein said, it’s a red flag.
“If you are giving this impression to students,” he said, noting a sometimes-pressurized climate for achievement at Staples, students in the middle will already feel insecure and at a disadvantage.
Hein asked how the district could put less emphasis on extremely high achievement so that the majority of students don’t feel disenfranchised.
Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer said Westport is moving toward a personalized-learning philosophy, where “one size doesn’t fit all.”
About 50 persons attended the brown bag lunch. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
“It’s really emphasizing choice and voice,” she said, promising changes in how teachers approach learning in the future.
“We need to empower them to think creatively and innovatively as we move forward,” Palmer said of faculty.
“Every educator in Westport is now looking at everything they’ve been doing for the last 20 years and seeing if it’s the right way,” Vice Chair Jeannie Smith said.
Palmer said that in the future, based on a recommendation from an outside consultant, Staples will likely have fewer levels separating its course offerings in order to facilitate access to students across the board.
Several board members suggested that parents talk more with teachers if they have questions about grades and progress.
“I think you’ll find them very receptive to working with you,” board member Mark Mathias said.
Parent Peter Hein says it’s a red flag to hear a teacher is teaching a college-level course to a 15-year-old. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Palmer said ignoring teacher recommendations, however, have sometimes led to questionable results.
She said last year 80 parents at Bedford Middle School chose to override teacher recommendations for math classes.
For two-thirds of those students, “by the time they’re a junior at Staples they’re no longer in honors math,” she said.
“I think when you see the data it’s startling,” she said, adding a less intense path might have achieved long-term success.
Palmer also defended some standardized tests, but said it was “not good instruction” to be directly preparing students for their content.
“No one’s losing their job over test scores,” she said. “I don’t want a message going home that we’re learning for a test.”
Concern was also expressed that language arts was receiving a short shrift at the expense of math.
“The idea is we want kids to love reading,” said parent Phyllis Wallitt, noting there wasn’t adequate focus on literature.
Parent Jill Dillon pointed out that these typical students being discussed probably account for 80 or 90 percent of the student body.
Yet unlike kids on either end of the achievement spectrum, it’s not entirely clear what the expectations are.
“I, as a parent, need a little bit more guidance as to what is typical,” she said.
