Parents Question Possible Changes to Lakeview Student Schedule

More than a hundred parents, faculty and staff turned out at to talk about proposed changes to next year's student schedule Monday night.

A DuPage County education expert and teachers from and presented the administration's 2012-2013 schedule, which would include switching from trimesters to semesters and merging two sets of classes.

According to Principal Paul Windsor, the recommended changes accommodate two teacher retirements and a predicted drop in enrollment.

Currently, 419 students attend Lakeview. Next year, the district believes that number will drop by 26 to 393 students. The teachers -- Thomas Dodd and Paul Rodda -- will not be replaced. Dodd teaches physical education and Rodda teaches applied technology.

Applied technology is one of Lakeview's elective courses, which students can take for two periods each trimester. Other electives include art, consumer education, computers, music and health. These classes have been offered by the District since 1995.

The switch-over to semesters would mean the six 12-week encore classes would become four 18-week exploratory block classes. To make this work, physical education and health and applied technology and computers would merge.

The combination of applied tech and computers would then be known as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

Previously, students worked on 12 applied technology labs over their three years at Lakeview. The 12 units would still be taught either in STEM or be absorbed into other appropriate classes. Technology would be worked into other content areas.

"Although there is restructuring in the plan," said Principal Windsor, "no experiences are being eliminated for students."

That had been a frequent concern voiced by parents, both prior to the meeting and during the more than hour-long question and answer session after the district's presentation.

Attendees were particularly worried that several weeks of physical activity would be lost because of the PE/health merger. However, the district said more students would have access to the class than do currently because of conflicting schedules and the administration thinks getting this information to all students is more important than breaks in gym class.

"Is 18 weeks of Consumer Ed more important than losing three weeks of PE?" said seventh grade parent Maureen Gibbons, "I'd like to understand how that decision was made and making sure that's in the best interest of 400 students that come to this school."

Gibbons understands it will be hard for the school board to decide what's best for everyone but said she'll support them as long as their choices are well-vetted.  

Parent John Rustik likes the idea of merging health and PE.

"My daughter is in 7th grade; she's not had health," said Rustik. "And if you're going to extend this and give more students the opportunity to experience more classes, I think it's a beneficial thing."

Rustik was the only one to ask if the change was about money.

"No, the changes are not driven by money," responded Superintendent Jay Tiede. "Yes, we will save a little money with the teachers retiring but we thought this was a better arrangement for students."

Tiede also said that if the teachers were not retiring, they would not be making the changes. "This is an optimal solution for us," he said.

Glenn Olsen has a sixth-grader at Lakeview and has been following the schedule proposal closely since it was first presented at the November Board of Education meeting. Olsen said he and a group of parents want to be sure the district has its priorities straight about what students will need to know to work in the real world.  

"The administration and the teaching staff does not work in industry and if they looked to the people in this room that work in industry," said Olsen. "Those people told them quite freely that they would like to see an emphasis placed on science, technology, engineering and math. Putting two classes together and giving them a name is not a solution."

Olsen's comments, along with those from other parents, will now be given to the District 66 school board for review.

"Now the board will have more feedback to consider as they work towards trying to come to a consensus and decision on what's the best plan," said Tiede.

Tiede said he was pleased with the turn-out and thought the meeting was productive. He said the board will not be rushed to make a decision. It's expected a vote would likely take place in March.

Editor's Note: The District's presentation to parents is now available on its website.