|
SCC
looks into balanced calendar
|
State
award given to career center
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The
Southeastern Career Center received the Indiana Career and
Technical Education Partnership Award for Excellence on
February 6. Pictured are those attending the ceremony at
the Statehouse. Pictured from left are Jac-Cen-Del High
School Principal Johnny Budd; Ripley County Ec015 Director
Cheryl Obendorf; Ripley County Community Foundation Executive
Director Sally Morris; Brenda Wetzler, RCCF grants committee
and JCD Superintendent Bill Narwold.
|
Beth Rumsey
Staff Writer
The
Southeastern Career Center board of managers explored the issue
of a balanced school calendar at the regular meeting held on Wednesday,
February 9. It is the efforts of the SCC to align their calendar
with the participating schools in order to reduce the number of
days with low student attendance due to scheduled breaks or summer
break.
According to SCC Director Brad Street, a balanced calendar starts
earlier in the year and allows for additional days for spring
and fall breaks. The schools will have the opportunity to use
a portion of the two-week breaks to help those students in danger
of falling behind academically.
Southwestern Jefferson County schools will use a balanced calendar
starting in the 2011-2012 school year with the Madison Consolidated
schools expecting to begin a balanced calendar the following year.
Some of the other schools are currently discussing the balanced
calendar with their boards.
Common concerns for the school districts to work on include payroll
scheduling and the scheduling of Christmas and Thanksgiving breaks.
A typical calendar shows nine weeks of instruction with two or
three weeks off for break.
Street noted the SCC would change to a balanced calendar if the
majority of participating schools switch. The topic will continue
to be on the agenda for discussion at the March meeting.
The Southeastern Career Center received the Indiana Career and
Technical Education Partnership Award for Excellence on February
8 at a special ceremony in Indianapolis. The SCC was given the
recognition through a partnership with Economic Opportunities
through Education by 2015, EcO 15, which includes C4 Columbus
Area Career Connection, the Community Education Coalition, the
Heritage Fund Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and the
Ripley County Community Foundation.
Ec015 is a grant initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment to advance
those in the southeastern Indiana region in education, job training
and placement and income. It supports area high schools, career
centers and colleges as well as Work One sites to provide resources
for advanced technical education needed in the current workplace.
The Heritage Fund and the Community Education Coalition provide
oversight to the grant. The grant is unique in the fact that it
supports education in the fields of advanced manufacturing, healthcare
and hospitality/tourism. The region includes the counties of Bartholomew,
Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio,
Ripley, and Switzerland in southeastern Indiana.
In other business:
The Adult Education/GED contracts through June 4 were approved.
The board unanimously accepted the quote from WRM America
Insurance for property/casualty insurance.
At the February meeting, the contract for Tom Lovins to
teach the welding class through the end of the year was unanimously
approved.
The SCC Board of Managers will hold their next meeting on Wednesday,
March 9 beginning at 9 a.m.
|
|