Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. FOA Salute to Families. On March 26th, 2009, Family Outreach of Amherst (FOA) will be hosting its Seventh Annual Salute To Families Series, at the the Amherst College Cole Assembly Room of Converse Hall, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This year's event, titled "Coming Home: Memoir Writing and Transformation", will feature author Leslie Garris. Ms. Garris is an Amherst native and granddaughter of the authors of numerous popular childrens' books, including The Bobbsey Twins and the Uncle Wiggly series. Ms. Garris will read from her recent book, The House of Happy Endings: A Memoir. Additionally, she will discuss some of the challenges and rewards inherent in writing about one's family, particularly one fraught with mental illness. The evening will be moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Madeleine Blais. Following the book reading and discussion, there will be a reception and book signing. Tickets to this event will be available at the door. The cost of tickets ranges from $25 Benefactor, $10 General, $ Seniors, to free for Students. All proceeds will benefit Family Outreach of Amherst. Multi-Arts Play-Writing Competition. As a way to inspire children and young adults to create stories and promote their imagination, Multi-Arts invites them to enter a play-writing competition. The winner will receive $200 and the staging of their play by children in our summer program. Rules can be found on our website: www.multi-arts.org. A note from Parent Council. We will publish information about non-Parent Council sponsored events with the following conditions: 1. The event should be of interest to Fort River families.

2. The information should be sent to Ann McLaughlin at damclaughlin@comcast.net in the form of a short description. 3. Contact information (website or name, telephone and/or email address) must be included. We add new information to the blog every Friday during the school year. Please note that we do not accept announcements of items or services for sale (with the exceptions of children's classes/lessons). Inclusion in this section does not imply any guarantees or endorsements by Fort River Parent Council or Fort River School.

Second superintendent candidate visits Amherst, Daily Hamphire Gazette

By Mary Carey

02/13/2009

AMHERST - West Hartford Superintendent David Sklarz has led school districts in Charleston, S.C., and Santa Cruz, Calif., places he discovered were "3,000 miles apart in geography and 10,000 miles apart in philosophy."

He would like to conclude his long and varied career in Amherst, he told parents and teachers at a community breakfast at the middle school Thursday. "Amherst is where I belong; I just have to convince you of that."

Sklarz is the second of three superintendent finalists to visit the district. Northampton Superintendent Isabelina Rodriguez met with parents, teachers, students and administrators earlier this week. Alberto Rodriguez, a Florida principal, is scheduled to visit the district later this month.

A new superintendent in Amherst will enter the system at a time when budgets will have to be slashed.

"The challenge is to say, what's important?" said Sklarz. "The only way you can find out is you ask people, #If we have to give something up, what do we keep, what do you stop? What do you want to change?'"

He said he is aware of a proposal to eliminate the elementary instrumental music program, and said he sees the arts as one of four pillars of a sound education, along with academics, athletics and social and civic responsibility. "Eroding one of the legs weakens the system."

Still, Sklarz said educators must "ask the tough questions."

"In an economic crisis like this, nothing can be sacred. Everything has to be held to the same litmus test. ... That's the hill I'm willing to die on," Sklarz said. "In the next couple of years, you're going to define the new Amherst for the decade. I think that's exciting."

Sklarz has been an elementary and high school teacher in his native Ipswich; middle school director in Ridgefield, Conn.; middle school principal in Marblehead; a principal in Concord, N.H.; and a superintendent in West Hartford for 14 years. He gave notice that he was retiring from that post 18 months ago and a successor has been named.

"I think seven to 10 years is when a superintendent is at his peak," he said. "After seven to 10 years, you start to get possessive about it, and you lose objectivity."

The average tenure of a superintendent in Massachusetts is under four years.

Sklarz said he would describe closing the achievement gap between black and Hispanic and white students as a passion.

When he accepted the position of deputy superintendent in Charleston, the district was under a court-ordered desegregation plan. Now the high school in the area ranks among the top in the country, he said.

Then he went to Santa Cruz as superintendent. He noted the contrast, saying that the joke out there was that people moved to Santa Cruz when Haight Ashbury became too conservative.

Asked by a science teacher to talk about his middle school vision, Sklarz said middle school teachers should want to work at middle schools rather than at a high or elementary school. Most educational programs don't teach people how to work with this age of student, he said.

In answer to a question about how schools can reach out to families who do not feel connected to the system, Sklarz said the West Hartford system rented a vacant Section 8 apartment and staffed it with teachers and guidance counselors with the idea of turning it into a kind of community and learning center. Only one family came at the beginning of the first year, by the end of the second year, it was usually filled to capacity until closing time.

Parents said they were impressed by Sklarz's breadth of experience and communication skills.

"He seems like a straight shooter," parent Laura Quinn said.

Amy Rose said she appreciated his "can-do attitude."

Michael Jacques said, "I feel like he can maximize the full potential of the Amherst educational system."

Article on Feb. 10 School Committee Meeting

'Opening salvo' as Amherst schools eye cuts

By Mary Carey, Daily Hampshire Gazette

AMHERST - The elementary schools' instrumental music program would be eliminated in the preliminary budget cuts that administrators unveiled to the dismay of 250 or more community members packed into the Mark's Meadow Elementary School Auditorium Tuesday.

But at least $800,000 in cuts must be made, school officials said, and another option on the table is closing Mark's Meadow.

Shuttering the smallest of the town's four elementary schools could save up to $687,000, according to preliminary figures school officials released for the first time Tuesday.

Proposed cuts that would save $799,000 involve eliminating not only the music program but cutting two English language learner teachers, two cafeteria aides, a computer teacher, math coaches and a custodian, among others.

About two dozen parents and others spoke out against both options, castigating School Committee members for lacking "vision" and focusing too narrowly on money.

Meanwhile, elementary school students played string instruments in the hall to call attention to the value of musical education and a group of Mark's Meadow students made a brief appearance to urge officials to "save Mark's Meadow."

It was just the "opening salvo" in the budget discussion, Amherst School Committee Chairman Andrew Churchill said of the evening's proceedings. The committee will consider the cuts in the budget school administrators presented Tuesday as well as two other plans under which more drastic cuts would be made. The committee is aiming to finalize a budget by the end of March to present to the Select Board and Finance Committee and then Town Meeting in May. Similarly deep cuts will have to be made in the regional school budget.

Seven teachers would be cut in the elementary school plan to meet the Finance Committee's request that the final budget amount to no more than 2 percent more than last year's total. An additional nine teachers would be cut under the plan that cuts $1.2 million from a level-services budget and eight more teachers for a total of 24 under the "worst-case scenario" budget proposed.

"This budget scenario we're facing is like saying to someone, #Do you want your left hand or your right hand cut off?'" said Irvin Rhodes, who is running for School Committee.

Community members should "reorient" their thinking away from any cuts and talk to their friends and neighbors about raising taxes to support the schools, one parent said.

At least a dozen parents talked about how important Mark's Meadow is to the community, and about a dozen others argued to keep the music program intact.

The instrumental music teacher said it had taken decades to build the music program that Amherst takes pride in now.

Another music teacher suggested the School Committee find a way to keep some of the music program going.

Ninth-grade musician Tess Domb Sadof said her classmates at the high school were upset to learn that younger children might not have the same opportunities they did to learn to play an instrument. Some 387 students at the high school have already signed a petition asking to preserve the program, she said.

"For me, music education is part of our core," said Tess' mother, Mindy Domb.

Some speakers offered suggestions for saving money that the School Committee never considered, with Town Meeting member Vincent O'Connor, for instance, suggesting that the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School be folded into the district so that Amherst children's per pupil aid from the state would not continue to be diverted to the charter school.

Megan Rosa and Steve Rivkin, who are also running for School Committee, explained their positions.

Rivkin said he supports closing Mark's Meadow and redistricting the elementary schools, because there are vast inequities among them now.

"All of it sucks, it just sucks," Rosa, a Mark's Meadow parent, referring to the divisiveness she said talk of closing Mark's Meadow has caused. But if the school must close, the community will make it work, Rosa said.

More Information on Proposed Cuts to School Budget

Copies of the proposed cuts to next year's school budget and the various re-organization scenarios are online at the following link to the APRS.org website: http://www.arps.org/node/713. Last night's meeting will be rebroadcast for re-broadcast on ACTV (Channel 15). Schedule here. Although it is not available as of this writing, I assume it will also be available on demand for viewing on your computer. I recommend checking this page for a link in the near future.

Upcoming School Events

Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Feb. 6th. Click here for order form. There's still time to get your orders in by the end of school today! Superintendent Search Public Forum: Dr. Isabelina Rodriguez. Monday, Feb. 9th, 7pm. High School Library. See below for details and other public meeting times. School Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 10th, 7pm. Marks Meadow Auditorium. Superintendent Search Public Forum: Dr. David Sklarz. Wednesday, Feb. 11th, 7pm. High School Library. See below for details and other public meeting times. Fort River Math Night. Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009. In the Fort River Library. All parents invited. See below for more information. Winter Recess, Feb. 16th-Feb. 20th. No School. Superintendent Search Public Forum: Dr. Alberto Rodriguez. Monday, Feb. 23rd, 7pm. High School Library. See below for details and other public meeting times. Box Tops For Education Collection Deadline, Wed. Feb. 25. Please send in your Box Tops by this day for the last collection of this school year. All box tops received after this day will be held until next Fall's submission. See below for more information. Note: Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

February 10 School Committee Meeting Venue Changed To Marks Meadow Auditorium

The venue for the next very important Amherst School Committee meeting has been changed. The school committee will be discussing the various scenarios for dealing with anticipated cuts in the school budget during this meeting on Tues. Feb 10 at 7pm. According to the ARPS.org website: Location Changed for February 10th Amherst School Committee Meeting Home

In order to accomodate all interested community members, the location of the Amherst School Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 10 has been changed. The meeting is now scheduled in the auditorium at Marks Meadow Elementary School at 813 N. Pleasant Street on the UMass campus. Parking is available in UMass lots 66 and 44. Lot 66 is in front of Marks Meadow by the School of Education. Lot 66 is accessible by passing through Lot 44 and continuing around the left side of the Marks Meadow building. Both lots are clearly marked.

Also, please note that although I previously reported that babysitting would be available during this meeting, there will be no childcare provided. Sorry for any confusion! -- Ann McLaughlin

Updated Schedule for Superintendent Candidates Visits

The Superintendents office has rescheduled the visit of Dr. Alberto Rodriguez to Monday Feb. 23rd and Tuesday Feb. 24th. (The first days back from February vacation.) The Parent Groups of all four elementary schools will be offering limited babysitting for children age 4 or older during each of the evening events. Please make use of these services only if necessary. Also, please note that according to the full schedule of events for each candidate, there will also be a "Drop-in lunch with Parents/School Councils/PTOs" held on the second day of each visit at the High School cafeteria from 11:30am to 12:30pm. This is another chance for you to meet informally with each of the candidates. Here is the updated schedule of public events.

Candidate: Dr. Isabelina Rodriguez

Public Forum

Date: Monday, February 9, 2009 Time: 7-8:30pm Location: Amherst Regional High School Library

Community Breakfast

Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Time: 8-9am Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria

Candidate: Dr. David Sklarz

Public Forum

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Time: 7-8:30pm Location: Amherst Regional High School Library

Community Breakfast

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009 Time: 8-9am Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria

Candidate: Dr. Alberto Rodriguez

Public Forum

Date: Monday, February 23, 2009 Time: 7-8:30pm Location: Amherst Regional High School Library

Community Breakfast

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Time: 8-9am Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria