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Math department chair urges board to keep 8th-grade math position
Summary
Tom Wall, math department chair, told the board that a retiring 8th-grade teacher position is not among planned replacements and urged the board to find funds to retain the role to preserve course options, supports and learning-lab coverage.
Tom Wall, math department chair, spoke during the public-comment portion about staffing and curricular implications if the district does not replace a retiring 8th-grade math teacher. He urged the board to consider finding funds to fill that position, arguing it affects both lower-level students needing sustained support and upper-level students seeking advanced coursework.
"I hope there's some way we can find a little bit of extra money to fill that position," Wall said, warning that without the hire the district could lose an intermediate-algebra offering that serves as a bridge to SAT and college readiness. He said the one-year acceleration experiment for algebra had left 8–10 students at risk of failing without additional supports and would also reduce learning-lab coverage that currently provides extra help during lunch periods.
Wall outlined specific consequences for scheduling and course access (conflicts with Hilbert College concurrent-enrollment offerings, larger class sizes for advanced courses) and recommended the board explore alternatives before finalizing reductions.
