Small Schools Can't Afford NCLB

listen:

THE ERROL SCHOOL IS LOCATED JUST A FEW MILES UP THE ROAD FROM DIXVILLE NOTCH.

KATHY URSO PROVIDED A QUICK TOUR.

SHE’S THE PRINCIPAL.

SHE’S A PART-TIME TEACHER AND ON ANY GIVEN DAY, SHE'S WHATEVER ELSE IS NEEDED.

CUT-URSO_JOBS

(…THE GUIDANCE COUNCELOR, I’M THE NURSE I’M THE CUSTODIAN WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS. I’M THE GO-TO WHEN THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT BEYOND WHAT THE CLASSROOM TEACHER CAN HANDLE.”)

WHILE NOT TECHNICALLY A ONE-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE, THE ERROL SCHOOL IS PRETTY CLOSE.

IT’S 22-STUDENTS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO CLASS-ROOMS -

ONE FOR GRADES K-4, AND ANOTHER, GRADES 5-8.

URSO BRAGS THAT IT'S A GREAT SCHOOL.

BUT SHE BELIEVES IT’S NOT THE KIND OF PLACE FEDERAL OFFICIALS HAD IN MIND WHEN THEY DEVELOPED THE FEDERAL NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT.

CUT-URSO_CHALLENGES

(“I THINK THAT WHEN NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND WAS IMPLEMENTED…IT WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS. UNFORTUNATLY, PEOPLE IN D-C JUST DON’T REALIZE THAT THERE MIGHT BE SCHOOLS IN STATES WHERE THERE ARE FEWER THAN 100 STUDENTS, OR FEWER THAN 50, OR EVEN, IN OUR CASE FEWER THAN 25. SO, IT’S NOT A ONE-SIZE FITS ALL PROGRAM.”)

FOR EXAMPLE, URSO POINTS TO THE LAW'S “HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER” CLAUSE.

IT REQUIRES THAT ALL TEACHERS – IN ADDITION TO STATE CERTIFICATION - MEET NEW FEDERAL STANDARDS ON THE SUBJECT AND GRADE LEVEL THEY TEACH.

GETTING CERTIFIED CAN MEAN FILLING-OUT PAPERWORK, TAKING A TEST OR GETTING SOME ADDITIONAL SCHOOLING.

THAT MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM AT A LARGER SCHOOL WHERE ONE TEACHER TEACHES ONE SUBJECT OR ONE GRADE.

BUT EACH TEACHER AT THE ERROLL SCHOOL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERAL SUBJECTS AND MANY GRADE LEVELS.

THAT MEANS A LOT OF CERTIFYING – EVEN FOR PRINCIPAL URSO.

CUT- I’ve got to take
(“…I HAVE TO TAKE A TEST IN A MONTH BECAUSE I TEACH ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM AND MY DEGREE IS NOT AND MY TRAINING WAS NOT IN SOCIAL STUDIES FOR 7TH AND 8TH GRADE.”)

A SMALL SCHOOL MAY ALSO HIRE PART-TIME TEACHERS WHEN IT CAN’T AFFORD TO EMPLOY FULL-TIMERS.

BUT URSO SAYS NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IS CHANGING THAT PRACTICE TOO.

CUT-URSO-SPECIALS
(“…GOING BACK TO SAY THE MUSIC TEACHER, AND ART TEACHER, LIBRY… A LOT OF TIMES I GET PEOPLE WILLING TO DO THOSE JOBS THAT ARENT FULLY IN THE EDUCATION FIELD DONT HAVE THE FULL BACK GROUND SO THEY DON’T MEET THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED STATUS. AS OF JUNE I CANT HAVE THEM HERE.”)

THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED CLAUSE ALSO HURTS TEACHER RECRUITING IN RURAL AREAS - WHERE IT’S ALREADY DIFFCULT TO ATTRACT CANDIDATES.

THEY MUST NOW FIND TEACHERS WHO ARE BOTH WILLING TO RE-LOCATE TO A SMALL TOWN….AND MEET THE NEW FEDERAL STANDARDS.

AND WHILE ANYONE WOULD ADMIT THE ERROL SCHOOL IS A SPECIAL CASE, SCHOOLS 20 TIMES LARGER SHARE THE SAME CONCERNS.

THE LISBON REGIONAL SCHOOL HAS 430 STUDENTS GRADES K THROUGH 12.

ROBERT BUTSON IS LISBON’S PRINCIPAL.

HE SAYS IT'S CLEAR TO HIM THAT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND WAS DEVELOPED FOR MUCH LARGER URBAN AND SUBURBAN SCHOOLS.

CUT-WE HAVE 1

(“IF YOU HAVE SAY 8-9 SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS IN YOUR DEPARTMENT YOU CAN PROBALY FIND SOME THAT ARE HIGHLY QUALIFIED IN EACH OF THE FIVE DIFFERENT SOCIAL STUDIES AREAS. WHETHER IT BE CIVICS OR WORLD HISTORY OR U-S HISTORY OR WHATEVER IT IS. WE HAVE ONE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER.”)

UNDER THE FEDERAL LAW, THAT ONE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER MUST BECOME HIGHLY QUALIFIED IN ALL THOSE AREAS.

OR THE SCHOOL MUST HIRE MORE TEACHERS.

BUTSON SAYS THAT'S SIMPLY NOT AN OPTION FOR A TOWN THE SIZE OF LISBON.

CUT-BUTSON_DON’T

(“…ITS JUST ANOTHER HURDLE THAT HAS BEEN PUT – PARTICLALRY IN SMALL SCHOOLS – BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIRE HIGHLY QUALIFIED IN EACH OF THE CONTENT AREAS.”)

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES PAY SOMETHING TO HELP SCHOOLS FACE THE COSTS OF THIS NEW TRAINING.

BUT WASHINGTON DOESN’T PAY THE WHOLE TAB.

THE BALANCE, SAYS PRINCIAPL BUTSON MUST COME FROM THE TAXPAYERS.

CUT-BUTSON3

(…WE’RE HOPING TO STAY AT A FLAT INCREASE FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR …NO IMPACT ON IN WHAT TAXPAYERS HAVE TO PAY. AND SO WHEN YOU GO UP THAT AMOUNT IN ONE AREA IT HAS TO COME-OUT OF ANOTHER AREA.)

LISBON’S PROPOSED SCHOOL BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR CONTAINS 45-THOUSAND-DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT.

THAT’S A ONE-YEAR INCREASE OF NEARLY 28-THOUSAND-DOLLARS.

FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I’M TODD WELLINGTON