By Curtis D. Tucker, Enid Buzz | Thursday, August 18, 2016
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Updated information from Enid Public Schools.
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ENID, Okla. - Enid Public School officials heard from some very angry and concerned Waller Middle School parents Thursday night after they discovered a change to the way Pre-AP (Pre-Advanced Placement) classes were going to be handled this year.
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Pre-AP classes are intended for middle school students wanting an advanced curriculum to explore and prepare for AP classes in high school. Waller families had become accustomed to Pre-AP classes having their own classroom and teacher.
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Due to a budget cut of a million dollars for the 2016-17 school year and a teacher shortage, the EPS administration submitted a Spring budget reduction plan. The plan, presented to the school board, included integrating middle school Pre-AP students into regular classes sharing the same classroom and teacher but using an advanced curriculum.
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Unfortunately, parents were not notified of the change. Some picked up on the new plan at the parent/teacher night but most became aware of the change when their kids came home from school describing the situation. Some students felt they were in regular classes with the only difference being extra homework.
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It wasn't long before concerned and shocked Waller parents began texting and emailing each other. Enid Public School officials took note and quickly put together a possible second option for Pre-AP students. They called a special meeting for Waller parents in the schools auditorium to address the issue and present the two options.
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A good crowd of parents filed into the auditorium along with board members, teachers and school officials. Superintendent of schools, Dr. Darrell Floyd, addressed the crowd and took responsibility for not communicating the new plan to parents. He spent time on the budget shortfall and personnel reductions.
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Waller Principal, Adam Beauchamp, then addressed the crowd and explained the new plan called Option 1. He explained that Pre-AP students would remain in class integrated with non-AP students but would be doing much more than extra homework. Pre-AP teachers would be providing higher thinking skills, problem solving and taking concepts further.
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Doug Stafford, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, then described the newest plan that is still being pieced together. Under Option 2, Pre-AP students would leave the integrated classroom and spend their time in a computer lab. While in the lab students would take online classes through the Edgenuity system which is a blended learning environment.
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Option 2 would be an online experience combined with master teachers who would come in on a set schedule and work with students to extend learning. A facilitator would need to be hired to watch over the students in the computer lab. This person would encourage students and answer any questions that they could. Students would have the ability to send questions by message to teachers within the Edgenuity system.
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It was at this point that parents began firing questions and concerns at the school officials. Many were angry and felt their children were not going to obtain the total Pre-AP experience. Dr. Floyd and Stafford gave examples of having dealt with the integrated Pre-AP system in their careers and personal lives. They said it was already being done in part at Emerson and Longfellow middle schools. Things got heated during a few of the exchanges between parents and administrators.
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At one point an Enid Public School teacher spoke up expressing his concern over past online systems and integrated classrooms. With his voice breaking at times, his remarks drew a large applause from the audience. School officials admitted they would not use similar online systems for high school AP students but felt at the Pre-AP level they were useful.
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Option 1 and Option 2 were not the only choices, students have the choice to do a mixture of both. Pre-AP math classes are going to be left alone and not integrated into the new plan. Families will be given a week to make their decision on which option they would like for each Pre-AP class. An August 29 deadline was given for choosing the Edgenuity online program.
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Another concerned parent with a child at Emerson spoke up and voiced his frustration that Emerson and Longfellow parents had not been directly invited to the meeting. Dr. Floyd agreed that the other middle schools would be dealing with the same issue. He stopped the meeting after 45 minutes due to other school related activities but invited parents to stay and ask questions, which many did.
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I was approached by a teacher of my middle school daughter. She wanted to assure me that she was prepared and committed to giving all Pre-AP students the extra attention that they would need to advance at their own pace. She did not want to see kids sitting in front of a computer and told me the middle school teachers were ready to handle the integrated classes.
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Enid Public Schools should be releasing more information and an update on the situation. From the sounds of things additional master teachers might need to be hired depending on Pre-AP class sizes at Emerson and Longfellow and computer lab facilitators would need to be found.
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EPS Officials Feel The Heat Over Pre-AP Changes
