There has been plenty of exchange between Times' readers regarding the merits of the proposed new school project. However, one thing on which most readers can agree is that a small school education offers several advantages.
Smaller schools know how to educate their students and typically can do it with better results than their larger counterparts. In a recent report by the Rural School and Community Trust, Lorna Jimerson, Ed.D, offered her top 10 research-based reasons why small works for schools. This list was forwarded to us by a loyal reader, and we thought it was important to share it with other readers of the Times.
Residents of the Dorchester School district are encouraged to review the following from time to time, especially as the Sept. 11 special election nears.
'Top 10 Reasons Small Schools Work Better'
1. There is greater participation in extracurricular activities, which have been linked to academic success.
2. Small schools are safer.
3. Kids feel they belong.
4. Small class size allows more individualized instruction.
5. Good teaching methods are easier to implement.
6. Teachers feel better about their work.
7. Mixed-ability classes avoid condemning some students to low expectations.
8. Multi-age classes promote personalized learning and encourage positive social interactions.
9. Smaller districts mean less bureaucracy.
10. More graduates in one school alleviate many problems of transitions to new schools.
2. Small schools are safer.
3. Kids feel they belong.
4. Small class size allows more individualized instruction.
5. Good teaching methods are easier to implement.
6. Teachers feel better about their work.
7. Mixed-ability classes avoid condemning some students to low expectations.
8. Multi-age classes promote personalized learning and encourage positive social interactions.
9. Smaller districts mean less bureaucracy.
10. More graduates in one school alleviate many problems of transitions to new schools.
when will the friend fanatic send in his list about why consolidated schools are better?
ReplyDeletePersonally after spending time as a tutor in an after school program for a Lincoln school I believe that small schools offer better opportunities for students and teachers alike. It is very hard to keep kids focussed when there are seventy of them instead of twenty or thirty.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I think our small school could benefit from is FFA. Many schools have quality FFA programs and I believe they give students a better change to broaden thier horizons. Agriculture is very important in today's Nebraska and World. The issue is none more evidant than in the current situaiton with the Republican River Compact.
I'm not the friend fanatic but that might be the dumest thing I ever read!
ReplyDeleteIf you're from Friend I'm surprised you can read at all......
ReplyDeleteI do agree that there are benefits of the small school (small classroom numbers) but I would like to let people know who are relying on past blogs that Lincoln city schools (at least the elementary school that I had a practicum at) don't have seventy kids in one classroom. You have to be insane to think that administrators are going to push one teacher in a room and tell them to control seventy kids. Come on now. They split the grades up into different homerooms which average about 20-25 students. So, classrooms are the size of a small school.
ReplyDeleteThough I enjoyed my time at DHS, I don't believe that I had the opportunities that other surrounding schools had and still have. C.W. has a point, Dorchester needs FFA. What kind of small school in a town whose main income is probably agriculutre doesn't have FFA?!? There are many other things that aren't offered by Dorchester public schools-- Student Council, TeamMates, Student Government, cheerleading (though I wouldn't have done it, others wanted to), Cross country, baseball, softball...the list goes on. Maybe Dorchester school should look at providing more opportunities to the students instead of spending all of that money on a new school...
Some good points are raised by all previous reader comments, but I have a couple of questions.
ReplyDelete1. We can offer 100 new programs/sports but why would a Class D or C-2 school do such a thing when student participation isn't even at 75% for the current programs offered at DHS?
2. We can offer 100 new programs/sports and pay for even "more opportunity" than we already provide for our kids, but when do we start getting a better return on our investment? We give our kids a top rate education so they can move away, work somewhere else and never come back. When do we start asking them to consider coming back here to open their own business or raise a family?
By the way I agree DHS needs an FFA. Should of had it years ago.
just to mention, that, why is it that now they want to change to roofing on the old gym building, with the new school the roof wont work is that cost of all the little things included in the 3.9 million, or excuse me its probably more than that, i guess iam willing to take a chance, i'll bet it isnt, i think this whole school issue should be put to rest, until the actual figures are really set, and then people, should be informed then, i think there are alot of hidden figures, that even the school board doesnt want us to know.
ReplyDeleteHuh....?? Would somebody send the interpretor??????
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteIf you would have attended the school meeting about the new school, you would have been able to ask this question like someone else did about costs over the new school. If the new roof is going to happen during the construction of the new school, it is included in the cost. The only thing the company said was not included was new desks, computers, etc. in which the school says they have budgeted for to update furnishings a couple classrooms at a time every year.
i was at the meetings. i still say it going to cost more than they expect. iam not against a new school, just dont know how a small community like ours can afford it. i dont know where my tax dollars are going to come from, with the new tax evaluations, plus this added on, do you.
ReplyDeletei have an idea.
ReplyDeleteCAll the guy from Wilber and see if he wants the school to put beside his church.
We could sell it to him for a dollar and make money so we dont have to pay to haul it away.
I too was at the meeting and I remember the board saying even though they have the authority to use all the levy that the override provided, they will only use what they need. That tells me that because our valuations went up the School 'asking' should go down and pretty much be a wash where the general budget is concerned. The bond for the new school would of course be extra.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the design-build system that the board chose as the way to design and construct the school is very effective in bringing projects in at, and many times under budget. Perhaps we are placing too much emphasis on the "what if" scenarios that may increase the costs. I am not sure I would vote no due to a "what if" scenario. We have plenty of costly "what ifs" built in to our lives.
ReplyDeleteI also remember the board communicating that they would do their best to keep the school operating costs where they were, during the levy-override procedings. So, if the valuations go up, then the levy limit they access may stay the same or go down.
All of these questions should be asked at the next public meeting.
Informed Citizen
Here's a fairly sure bet.......if our founders had been as reluctant to invest in their own community as some are today, Dorchester would still be a depot and jerkwater tank........and that's all!
ReplyDeleteI for one will not be attending the next meetings, after hearing what a mess the last person left the school, I think we need to get things back in order before I vote on anything, also the people need to be informed about the shape the school is, money wise, and why the was much money spent that wasnt needed.
ReplyDeleteI need to specify, what I meant by seventy kids in a classroom was for the after school program. I can see that I didn't make myself clear and appologize for that.
ReplyDelete