Staff writer
A discussion to renew Steve Reiner for the summer credit recovery program was met with resistance from one board member during Monday’s meeting.
Since Peabody-Burns no longer has summer school, credit recovery would allow students that have failed a class to make up for the class over the summer.
Board member Travis Foth stated his concern with the program, saying that it does not teach kids proper discipline or consequences for failing a class.
“I don’t care for it,” Foth said. “It’s too easy. How does that teach them to be work ready if we’re giving them three weeks to do a semester worth of schoolwork?”
Superintendent Ron Traxson said he understood Foth’s concern, but that there is a bigger picture when it came to helping students who have failed a class.
“Part of the idea is maybe they made that mistake that semester, and maybe mom and dad made them work an extra job to pay for that, and they get back on track that next year,” Traxson said, “but if they don’t get back on track, then the chance of losing them is a lot greater. But I understand what you’re saying.”
Foth still didn’t approve of the program.
“That’s not really preparing kids to be work force ready,” Foth said. “That’s teaching them that there is an easy way out.”
Traxson said that this was a replacement for summer school, which was cut due to budget issues.
“I would love to have summer school classes,” Traxson said, “but we’re not getting enough money to pull that one off.”
The board approved to rehire Reiner for the credit recovery program 5-1, with Foth dissenting.
In other business:
- Lori Soo Hoo visited with board members about Parents as Teachers participation approval. PAT passed all 17 essential requirements for the 2015-16 school year, she said.