Schools

School Board's Scrutiny of Electives Questioned

At the Saucon Valley School Board meeting held Tuesday night, high school art teacher Sandra Eckert received loud applause when she spoke out in favor of elective courses that some fear will be cut.

At the Saucon Valley School Board meeting held Tuesday night, high school art teacher Sandra Eckert received loud applause when she spoke out in favor of elective courses that some fear will be cut.

Eckert said she and others are concerned about the board's "repeated requests" for more information about elective offerings in the district.

She voiced support for providing students with a wide choice of elective offerings, while acknowledging the fact that more choice typically equals greater cost.

"We know that we are struggling with a difficult economy. We all are," she told the board.

But she called it "distressing to...teachers when students express a sincere interest and thirst for knowledge...yet here they are denied the opportunity to take the courses."

Instead of worrying about the number of students in some elective courses, Eckert said the board should be worried about the number of students sitting in study halls instead of the elective classes they used to take.

Electives—which encompass a wide variety of subjects—help students become well-rounded individuals; something employers seek, she added.

In response to Eckert's remarks, which received a standing ovation from many people seated in the audience, board member Bryan Eichfeld said he believes many of the issues involving electives are related to block scheduling at the high school, which he has requested be re-examined.

Returning to a school day that's based on a 40-minute period and spreading classes throughout the year would "give the students the flexibility they need in their schedules," he said.

High school principal Eric Kahler disagreed.

"I believe it's the size of our school that has the greatest impact," he said. "The percentage of conflicts we have has actually gone down each of the five years I've been here."

Board member Ralph Puerta said he was surprised by the inference that the board's ongoing discussion about elective offerings is somehow inappropriate.

"This should not be a confrontation," he stressed.

Puerta added that there are "reams of data" that board members need to sift through in order to be better informed, and he said that will take time.

He said he hopes the board can pursue the discussion further, "perhaps in the winter or the spring."

"I understand we need to offer a broad range (of electives) but…we're not a private school," Eichfeld said, also acknowledging that whether or not elective offerings should be dropped "is a touchy subject."

School district assistant superintendent Carl Atkinson said some elective classes are dropped due to low enrollment numbers, and others have low enrollment because they are special needs or specialty offerings, such as AP courses.

"There's the numbers and then there's the story behind the numbers," he said.

Atkinson also encouraged Eichfeld to talk to Kahler about the number of students enrolled in a particular class if he has a concern.

Eichfeld suggested that some of the data about electives be made public via the school district website.

But he cautioned that additional information should be provided along with raw numbers if that's done.

"If you do make (the data) public you really need to explain some of these low numbers, because knee-jerk reaction of the public is going to be, 'Why do we have a class with one person in it?'" he said. "A taxpayer's going to go nuts."

Board president Michael Karabin said he expects the discussion about electives to come before the board in the future, but an exact time when that will happen wasn't discussed.

All Saucon Valley School Board meetings are now live-streamed, and video of the Sept. 24 meeting is available on YouTube for anyone who missed it.

Photo: Saucon Valley High School art teacher Sandra Eckert addresses the school board (YouTube screen shot).


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