To the Region 12 Board of Education, Booth Free School administrators, teachers, parents and the Roxbury community members:
We all love our community and our school and want to support our students in the best way possible, however we believe that the decision to transition Booth Free School to a Multi-Age Classroom model has been done in haste and without sufficient community involvement.
Whether or not this is a good thing for our school in the long run, remains an unanswered question. Despite this, it appears as though the administration has already made the decision to move Booth Free to School to a Multi-Age Classroom model without any community input and has only brought it to the attention of the parents a few short weeks before everything must be finalized in order to offer teacher contracts for the upcoming school year.
We have been given the opportunity to participate in a series "community meetings" on a very short timeline. However, these meetings appear to be designed to give us the opportunity to discuss issues with the transition and offer input on whether it would be a 2 classroom or 3 classroom model, without leaving room for parents express whether or not they feel this change is a good idea in the first place.
We don't understand why the decision seems to have already been made without more back and forth discussion and why it is being implemented so quickly. Recent enrollment information indicates that student numbers will remain the same at Booth Free School next year, so there is no urgent need to implement this change now. We would like to take more time to better understand the advantages and disadvantages that such a model would present.
Furthermore, it was mentioned at one of the community meetings that a marketing firm will be hired to advertise the new model and try to bring in students from outside the region. Why was this not tried prior to deciding a change to the classroom structure was needed? Booth Free School is a wonderful school as is, why not promote that?
Whether or not a multi-age classroom is ultimately a good model for our school, we strongly believe that more time should be given for a more thorough, thoughtful, 2-way discussion before such a major change is made.
For this reason, we are requesting a delay on the decision for
multi-age classrooms at Booth Free School until the 2021/2022 school year at the earliest. This more relaxed schedule will allow for more research, deeper discussions, and better planning so we can all feel that the best decision is being made for our children.
14 Comments
The board of Ed Needs to obtain community involvement on this decision. We need more information: 1) what grades 2) what age range per class 3) Class size 4) number of teachers per class Both of our children have graduated from Region 12 David & Selma Lindsay
I Agree that this decision seems rushed and am surprised a change of this magnitude has not been more formally communicated, with metrics from other schools that have made this change as well as details around the effect on the schools budget, etc. One meeting does not allow parents to perform proper diligence on this material change to our children’s education. I wholeheartedly support this petition.
As i see no disadvantage in multiage classrooms , i also are no problem with giving more time to the switch and more time for parents of the region to be more informed and feel like they were more involved in the process.
I am very excited for this change!! Regardless of 10, 9 or 12 k, this current model is not working Optimistic about this new model of education! I can't sign this but urge you to take a 1 on 1 with the curriculum experts
I also haven't signed my son up for K, so that could be 11. I'm trying decide between Booth and WPS.
The matter of teacher training and what that entails specifically should be addressed, especially since they claim teachers have not been selected at this point.
I feel that ever sense I went to Booth it has always been a great school.I don’t think they should change the way it is.
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To the Region 12 Board of Education, Booth Free School administrators, teachers, parents and the Roxbury community members:
We all love our community and our school and want to support our students in the best way possible, however we believe that the decision to transition Booth Free School to a Multi-Age Classroom model has been done in haste and without sufficient community involvement.
Whether or not this is a good thing for our school in the long run, remains an unanswered question. Despite this, it appears as though the administration has already made the decision to move Booth Free to School to a Multi-Age Classroom model without any community input and has only brought it to the attention of the parents a few short weeks before everything must be finalized in order to offer teacher contracts for the upcoming school year.
We have been given the opportunity to participate in a series "community meetings" on a very short timeline. However, these meetings appear to be designed to give us the opportunity to discuss issues with the transition and offer input on whether it would be a 2 classroom or 3 classroom model, without leaving room for parents express whether or not they feel this change is a good idea in the first place.
We don't understand why the decision seems to have already been made without more back and forth discussion and why it is being implemented so quickly. Recent enrollment information indicates that student numbers will remain the same at Booth Free School next year, so there is no urgent need to implement this change now. We would like to take more time to better understand the advantages and disadvantages that such a model would present.
Furthermore, it was mentioned at one of the community meetings that a marketing firm will be hired to advertise the new model and try to bring in students from outside the region. Why was this not tried prior to deciding a change to the classroom structure was needed? Booth Free School is a wonderful school as is, why not promote that?
Whether or not a multi-age classroom is ultimately a good model for our school, we strongly believe that more time should be given for a more thorough, thoughtful, 2-way discussion before such a major change is made.
For this reason, we are requesting a delay on the decision for
multi-age classrooms at Booth Free School until the 2021/2022 school year at the earliest. This more relaxed schedule will allow for more research, deeper discussions, and better planning so we can all feel that the best decision is being made for our children.
14 Comments
I don’t want to move our School into a multiage classroom. I feel our opinions were never asked when this decision was being made. Classroom divided by age were designed for a very good reason. Children develop differently. The current module works, we should keep it. The only research we kept hearing from is about Burnham school; it’s insufficient data to be put as and example.
The board of Ed Needs to obtain community involvement on this decision. We need more information: 1) what grades 2) what age range per class 3) Class size 4) number of teachers per class Both of our children have graduated from Region 12 David & Selma Lindsay
I Agree that this decision seems rushed and am surprised a change of this magnitude has not been more formally communicated, with metrics from other schools that have made this change as well as details around the effect on the schools budget, etc. One meeting does not allow parents to perform proper diligence on this material change to our children’s education. I wholeheartedly support this petition.
As i see no disadvantage in multiage classrooms , i also are no problem with giving more time to the switch and more time for parents of the region to be more informed and feel like they were more involved in the process.
I am very excited for this change!! Regardless of 10, 9 or 12 k, this current model is not working Optimistic about this new model of education! I can't sign this but urge you to take a 1 on 1 with the curriculum experts
I also haven't signed my son up for K, so that could be 11. I'm trying decide between Booth and WPS.
The matter of teacher training and what that entails specifically should be addressed, especially since they claim teachers have not been selected at this point.
I feel that ever sense I went to Booth it has always been a great school.I don’t think they should change the way it is.
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I don’t want to move our School into a multiage classroom. I feel our opinions were never asked when this decision was being made. Classroom divided by age were designed for a very good reason. Children develop differently. The current module works, we should keep it. The only research we kept hearing from is about Burnham school; it’s insufficient data to be put as and example.