kids

[duffer]

ok, from the SAND BAR and the DUFFER we seem to be losing student at an alarming rate, where teachers are teaching their own kids because no new blood with kids can move to the island. as many of you know a few years ago we hosted a foreign exchange student, Yoo, well I have been thinking of hosting another. my challenge is lets get on the band wagon and host a bunch of kids, honestly we offer a unique life style. its good for us and brings culture to our little mono culture here. i truly loved yoo, and it was a very enlightening time in my life. you will find what you give comes back in spades and aces. who wants to get on board, we could become a national treasure because of this and maybe it will get us back to thinking of others and not just our own woes, I have information for a few programs for exchange students, lets pit real culture here on this little island, i want to see if anyone has it in them to make this something big, please give as much input as possible. WE COULD MAKE BIG NEWS, and WELL WORTH MAKING!

[duffer]

I can see that for most people here opening there doors and heart apparently seems to ask to much, doors are always open for extended families but not for someone new< i think its been that kind of thinking thats hurting this place, if we don't open up and at least get input here were just adding nails, i think its off island ideas that are gonna change this place because the status quo has not and its obvious. I figured something so simple as getting a little new culture here would be helpful?

[Pam Grassmick]

I think it is an interesting idea for the island. Would the BICS PTA put together a community meeting outlining an exchange program?

[duffer]

i think its a great idea Pam, its a simple thing to try would help the school, and maybe get us a little national recognition. its kinda like a challenge. I see nothing but positive effects from it and it would teach people here a whole new world, thanks for at least acknowledging that it could be a great idea. most will think its work, but with all work comes rewards. I don't see anyone else offering up ideas to SAVE OUR DWINDLED SCHOOL! having been raised by a family of educators i see it as nothing but a good idea!

[AEW]

Here is the budget data.

http://www.munetrix.com/app_assets/docs ... 150702.pdf

[AEW]

Current staff to student ratio.

1. How many full time employees work at the BICS?
2. How many part time employees work at the BICS?
3. How many students are currently enrolled at BICS? and,
4. Please provide a list of all current job positions at BICS.

#1 and #2--Beaver Island Community Schoolâ??s staffing includes the following employees:
â?¢ 1.0 Interim Superintendent/Principal
â?¢ 1.0 Administrative Assistant/Athletic Director/School Meals Director
â?¢ 1.0 Secretary/Receptionist
â?¢ 1.0 Pre-Kâ??Kindergarten Teacher
â?¢ 1.0 First/Second/Third Grade Teacher
â?¢ 1.0 Fourth/Fifth/Sixth Grade Teacher
â?¢ 1.0 Secondary English-Language-Arts
â?¢ 1.5 Secondary Mathematics Teachers
â?¢ 1.0 Secondary Social Studies Teacher
â?¢ 1.0 Elementary/Secondary Science Teacher
â?¢ 1.0 K-12 Art Teacher
â?¢ 1.0 K-12 Special Education Teacher
â?¢ 2.3 Para-Professionalsâ??1 for Title I students, & 1.3 for 2 high needs Spec. Ed. Students
â?¢ 1.3 Custodial/Maintenance (for the 25,000 sq.ft. building used 12-15 hrs. a day)
â?¢
#3: The full time and part time staff identified here now serve 51 studentsâ??the smallest number we have had for many years. These 51 students are enrolled in all 13 grades. The reduced number of students is consistent with the reduced numbers in other districts in northern Michigan, however. The Intermediate School District attributes the overall drop to the loss of jobs across the northern area, along with fewer numbers of adults in the childbearing years. Though it will be modest, growing numbers are expected to increase gradually over the coming years.

Earlier this year, BICS Board of Education approved guidelines for a minimum set of staffing needs in light of the content standards, graduation requirements, and special education students we serve in concert with Michiganâ??s education laws. Our small elementary and secondary learners need teachers competent in their subject fields, and our special ed. students also need well-trained professionals.

#4: In terms of your 4th question, we have no current job positions in addition to what I have listed above, though pending reviews of several special-needs students may slightly adjust the part-time staffing numbers. This year we have several volunteers and two contract hires for enrichment courses, however, in addition to our official employees. They are offering special elective learning experiences in robotics, computer programming, health occupations, photography, and strings (with the Crooked-Tree Arts Center in Petoskey). We also pay two part-time coaches for soccer and basketballâ??as we are in the Northern Lights League. Our Administrative Assistant also coaches Volleyball and manages student travel to and from the Island.

So thatâ??s about itâ??but if you have other questionsâ??please let me know and I will clarify as best I can. I would also be interested in chatting with you by phone or in person if you are interested, as Iâ??ve learned much recently about the strengths and challenges in maintaining a small but successful small school on the most remote inhabited Island in Lake Michigan.

Sincerely,

Judy Gallagher,

Thank you Judy for your openness, honesty and transparency to the people of the community.
_________________

[Patrick S. McGinnity]

Quite an interesting idea.

The library gets a flyer each year from International Fellowship, Inc. seeking volunteer host families. I don't know anything else about the organization, but if anyone is interested in looking into them, their contact info is below.

P.O. Box 130
Westfield, NY 14787
infelwes@gmail.com
1-800-647-8839

I'm sure there are a lot of other organizations who handle matching exchange students with communities and host families.

[stardust]

I think an exchange student program is a great idea but do you not have to exchange a student for a student. Not a fix long term, In till there is affordable year round housing and some type of Commerce that can employ 10 to 20 people full time.

[AEW]

I accidentally posted the wrong budget information previously. This is the more accurate one which breaks down expenses better.

Pour a drink, sit down and enjoy the read. (And remember there are 51 kids)

http://www.munetrix.com/app_assets/docs ... 2-3919.pdf

[MR]

Exchange program to increase students would be great. Good idea.

However....

Unless people stop looking at students as small numbers that can be combined into unbelievably large spans of grade levels/abilities/ages, no sane person would send this child to the school. Sorry. Just not going to happen.

As a former teacher, I left for that reason. No WAY would I want my children in the same classroom for 3-4 years. It is not fair. Not fair to students. Not fair to parents. Not fair to teachers. Their developmental abilities are far too different for this to be okay. Teachers I talk to now look at me like I am crazy when I tell them what I used to do. Seriously. Crazy.

And on the subject of pay, I get paid more now than I did on the island. At least 8% more. Sure, my students are more difficult and stressful...but I can tell you, my work load is HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS less. To individualize all lessons and cater to each and every student is more time consuming than you will ever know. And, by the way, your data isn't salary. It is all things combined....salary, insurance, retirement, etc.... No one makes that much. Get real. If that was true, everyone would want to be a teacher. Believe me, I wonder why I didn't go into advertising or business like my sister. I would have less education and still make more.

Get over yourself. Become a teacher. You will be incredibly embarrassed over your ignorance.

[conanconnor]

if I was a more established adult and could afford to host a foreign exchange student, along with taking them on trips to explore some of the country i gladly would. unfortunately i am a young islander continuing to just make it by. With no outlook of building a family of my own here.

[AEW]

MR - The GOOD quality teachers are very valuable and should be paid well. I never said that teaching is not a tough job with long hours. I am sure it is.

I added the data because the post mentioned the school and I feel whenever we discuss something publicly funded we should have the budget displayed. I did not make up those numbers. They came from the school.

Levi, its a shame you feel that way. I really wish the leaders would try to emphasize with the next generation like you. I still own my land on the Island but after 15 years on the Island I have found off Island life very rewarding. There is a big beautiful America out there with lots of opportunities.

[AEW]

One more thing MR. I have taught thousands of hours of classes as a Non Commissioned Officer in the US Army over my 12+ years of service. I have taught classes to groups of 3 to 400 people at a time. I have prepared more training outlines, performance oriented lesson plans than you could ever imagine. I have taught over a hundred different individual classes and blocks of instruction. I have taught people through translators in several foreign Nations. I am familiar with teaching. It is tough work.

I am sorry your job on the Island with a class size of 3-5 kindergartners was to much for you. I hope you find something in life more fulfilling.

[Campbell60tr34@aol.com]

I have no issue with the BICS here. That's way more than I want to get into.

My issue is the statement by MR... " And, by the way, your data isn't salary. It is all the things combined...salary, insurance, retirement, etc... No one makes that much. Get real."

I was a union member and union negotiator during all 40 years of my regular working career. One thing that was always stressed to union members was that the benefit package is a major part of their final salary. Those health insurance and life insurance premiums along with retirement, vacation days, sick days, personal leave days, holiday pay, etc. etc. etc. all cost real money and are a part of your salary. That is the reality- or - vote for Bernie, and we will all get the free stuff that no one has to pay for!

[medic5740]

Here are a few facts about the situation regarding infrastructure on Beaver Island, and it will contain something pertinent to this discussion.

I taught in the BICS for 30 years, four months, and I did my student teaching and my directed teaching here also. I started teaching with the Dominican nuns, so it was a while ago. The only reason the structure of the school consisted of more grades in a classroom then compared to now was that the teachers were nuns.

I once had the job of teaching four grades in one classroom at the same time. It makes no difference whether there is one student in a class or ten or thirty, the preparation for teaching is the same. What really is a problem is the amount of time that can be spent teaching at the student's grade level. Let's do the math.

We'll use a sixty minute time period since it is easy to do the math with that number. We have an hour to do math, and hour to do English and Spelling, an hour to do social studies, etc. With two classes in the room, say 7th and 8th graders, you get thirty minutes of instruction and discussion with each grade level, and can individualize the instruction because of this thirty minutes. The teacher has twice the amount of preparation as a teacher with one grade in the classroom.

Now, let's put in four grades in the same classroom. I got to do this just one year. Now, you have fifteen minutes to teach each grade level of each of the topics. You have four times the preparation of a single grade level teacher, and you have no time to individualize the instruction.

Then take away about twenty plus days of instruction for testing nowadays, and even the most dedicated teacher of all time at BICS, Sister Marie Eugene, could not do what some suggest.

Four grades in the same classroom means that the student has the same teacher for four years in a row. What if the learning style of the student and the teaching style of the teacher are not a good match? What if the parents and the teacher don't see eye to eye?

Do you see that the infrastructure must be present to provide a good learning environment, adequate instructional time, and reasonable preparation responsibilities for the teacher? Do you see that it also must be present to benefit the student and the families in the school?

Two grades in a classroom is about the maximum to accomplish the curriculum mandated by the testing. Even then, it's hard to provide extra help to those having difficulties, and even more difficult to provide enrichment for those that catch on quickly.

Now, let's move on to the other infrastructure on the island. The minimum infrastructure would be a step back in history in all areas on Beaver Island. Could we move back to Basic Life Support for our EMS or even get rid of it entirely? Yes, we could, but some people would die. Is that an acceptable option for those that want your taxes reduced? How about the fire department? Do you want to sell the fire trucks and go back to the old equipment that we had twenty years ago when any house that caught fire out of town burnt to the ground? That's certainly an option.

How about the roads? You want to cut the road tax, so you you don't pay as much? How about the county services for seniors? Want to eliminate those?

Why is the infrastructure now too expensive? Has it changed that much in ten years? Has it gone way outside the average in the state?

Do you see that the same infrastructure has to be in place no matter whether the population of the school is fifty or eighty? Do you see that the same infrastructure has to be in place whether the population is four hundred or four thousand?

If we don't take care of those that are left, how will we ever attract others to move here?

This is not meant to detract from the discussion. It is not meant to accuse. It is just honest questioning for all to consider.