By Leslie N. Dees
The Star-Herald
KOSCIUSKO —
The Attala County School Board discussed the “accountability” of the schools staff before approving Federal grant funds for Ethel High School on December 4 in the superintendent's office.
The Title 1 grant fund will be to provide a reading tutor at Ethel High School for 90 days at $240 per day and will also pay for 10 days with an education consulting firm.
School board member Rusty Dees said he feels that the problems start at the elementary school.
“I know we are getting problems from our elementary schools – on both ends of the county,” Dees said. “As they move up into junior high and high school, they can’t read and can’t do math. We need to fix the problem at the younger grades before they get up there.”
Superintendent Bryan Weaver said changes to the kindergarten policy aim to fix the problem.
“Y’all, this may not be the place to put this but we’ve got to have some accountability,” board member Christie Moody said. “We’ve gotta have some accountability and if these kids aren’t getting what they need in the elementary – I don’t care which end of the county it is – We’ve gotta do something.”
School board president Linda Massey said she didn’t understand why the kids aren’t learning.
Dees also commented on that saying that the elementary schools have long honor rolls and “something happens” when they get to Ethel.”
Moody said she was told by a teacher that since they are mandated to give so many grades a week and some of those are participation grades.
“Just because I’m ‘Sally Sue’ and I can talk all day long. I get 100 for participation and I get on superintendent's list,” Moody said. “But that doesn’t mean that I can read and write.”
Weaver said that teachers aren’t asking to give too many grades.
“We want to hire this tutor for $240 a day for 90 days. Why can’t we use a teacher for this?,” Dees said. “We already have too many teachers in this district.”
Weaver explained that it wasn’t possible and that the pay was cheaper than if she were under a teaching contract combined with her years of experience.
Tara Kyle, Federal Programs administrator, said that when she sat down with the Ethel committee, they said a reading tutor was necessary to improving students learning.
“This is the closest solution,” Kyle said.
When asked who would oversee the reading teacher, Kyle explained that it would follow chain of command and that the principals would be the tutor’s supervisor.
At the board’s request, Kyle said she would return each month with data from the reading program, Achieve3000, so that the board could see how students were faring under the tutor.
More from the Attala County School Board can be found in next week’s edition.
