MIDDLETOWN
STANDARD VOLUME 2 / NO. 4 March/April 2004
BUILDING A LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Colleagues & Parents:
The Public Hearings on the 04-05 budget are set for Monday, May 24th and Tuesday, June 1st, 7:00 p.m., Town Hall. We encourage you to join us for these meetings - make your voice heard. The School Committee has presented a lean budget with a 5.46% increase over the 03-04 budget. This budget represents a loss of 13.5 positions.
The School Committee offered to “roll over” five labor contracts: NEAM Teachers until 2006; Custodial, Teacher Assistants, Clerical Personnel and Principals until 2007. The School Committee views this as providing the district with some stability and additional time to build communication and identify each other’s future needs and expectations. A “roll over” means the contract terms and language remain the same for the specified time period. Each of the unions ratified the School Committee offer.
With just a few weeks left in the school year, our teachers and students continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence. Several high school students will achieve the Certificate of Initial Mastery. High School staff are working diligently on the accreditation self-study process. Gaudet School staff are formulating plans in response to the SALT evaluation. Disciplinary Literacy, as an instructional approach, is evident in many classes at Gaudet. Our elementary schools continue to focus student instruction on Readers’ and Writers’ Workshops. All of our teachers will be reviewing the new State Grade Level Expectations (GLE) and revising curriculum and assessments.
Please join me in honoring our teachers and staff during National Teacher Week (May 2nd-May 8th). They make a difference in the lives of our students
Sincerely,
Rosemarie K. Kraeger