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Mayor and parents press district on classroom behavior and math staffing; administration outlines tutoring and intervention plan
Summary
Mayor Spadeo described disorder observed during Read Across America school visits, and a parent raised concerns that Harris (and Sharon Hill) lack certified math teachers; district administrators outlined tutoring orientations the week of March 23, an "Ask for Tutoring" program starting after spring break with two-to-three sessions weekly, and deployment of a district math interventionist for multiple sessions per week until certified hires are made.
Two public commenters used the board microphone to press the district on student behavior and staffing.
Mayor Spadeo thanked staff for a Read Across America event but said she saw classrooms with students out of seats and some appearing asleep, and urged the district to investigate behavior concerns. "These children need to be in school paying attention," she said.
A parent, Bernardet, raised concerns about the absence of a certified eighth-grade math teacher at Harris (and similar shortages at Sharon Hill), reported that about eight of 90 students had enrolled in the district tutoring program so far, and asked what the district would do to avoid students falling further behind. "These kids don't know the math," Bernardet said, describing students' homework struggles.
District leaders responded with concrete short-term measures: orientations for the tutoring program the week of March 23, program start after spring break with two-to-three sessions weekly, and a plan to have the district's math interventionist provide three-day-a-week instruction in turn with supplemental staff; certified teachers from elsewhere in the district will visit classrooms periodically while the district continues hiring efforts. Dr. Smack described outreach and a second roll-out of materials to boost tutoring sign-ups and said the interventionist will provide frequent classroom instruction to help bridge gaps.
Next steps: tutoring orientations and outreach to families, deployment of the math interventionist, and continued recruitment for certified math teachers at affected schools.
