Keene Elementary Schools

Since the Special Board Meeting October 25, 2011, we have received several questions and comments via email and through our website. We will address these questions and concerns at the November 30 forum which will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Keene High School Auditorium.

In the past month I have met with the parent teacher organizations for Jonathan Daniels, Wheelock, Fuller and Franklin. I have met with the Jonathan Daniels staff and am in the process of scheduling meetings with other school groups. I have also met with the Keene elementary principals and the PTO presidents on multiple occasions and will continue to do so as we move along in this process.

On November 10,  Keene Board of Education member, Kristin Blais and I visited the Elmwood School in Hopkinton, MA where we met with the superintendent and principal to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of narrow grade spans. Hopkinton, MA has three elementary schools; K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. 

NAEP

The National Assessment of Educational Progress released test results last week for math and reading. Students across the country take this test in the fourth and eighth grades. New Hampshire fourth grade students were second in reading behind Massachusetts and NH was sixth in math. Our eighth grade students were third in math and fourth in reading.

NCLB

The NH Department of Education submitted a letter referencing the "strong possibility" that the department will request a waiver from NCLB. The waiver would include a plan to transfer to a growth model as the major criteria used to determine if a school has made Adequate Yearly Progress.

Constitutional Amendments

There are currently two proposed constitutional amendments; both are intended to limit the rights of all children to an adequate education at the state's expense. Both are being advertised as solving the education funding issue. One of the two amendments will likely be approved in this session of the legislature because both parties and the current Governor support a constitutional amendment related to education funding. If approved, the final version will be submitted to all voters in the general election of November 2012 and require a 60% vote of approval.