[Vision2020] 1912 Levy Issues

Sun Apr 3 15:37:18 PDT 2005

Tim, Donovan and other visionaries,

I have two children with learning disabilities who are now in the Moscow
School District.  As is often the case with LD children, my children are
also gifted in some other ways.  There is a written school record of my
trying to get testing and adequate assistance for my children since 2000.  I
started out having them attend a charter school, because I thought perhaps
there they would have the flexibility to teach my uniquely gifted children.
But that did not work--I could not get help for their disabilities.  I
finally gave up and took them to district schools.  I told the principals,
counselors and teachers that the testing had shown that my children had
specific learning disabilities, were intelligent but significantly below
grade level and they needed help.  Because of class sizes, my children ended
up in two different elementary schools.  One school, bless their hearts, got
right on it and started giving my daughter the help she needed.  It has now
been a year and a half since that I have been asking continuously for
assistance for my son from MSD and he still does not have an appropriate
program.  The teachers have, in some cases, been as helpful as they have
been able, but it is not enough.  My son has starting to ask me to home
school him.  We are tired of him getting Fs in classes while at the same
time the teachers tell me my son knows the material--but because of his
disability, can't show them his knowledge in the proper structured way and
he is not receiving the accommodations and assistance I have been requesting
for him from MSD since the Fall of 2003.

One of the things that held us up significantly this past year was that even
before entering the Junior high, I went straight to the 7th grade counselor
and asked to get the process started for whatever classification it would
take to get him the help he needs.  But at the Junior High school, they only
have a full time counselor for one grade out of three.  By the luck of the
draw, my son's class only has a half time counselor.  (the specific
counselor stays with each grade).  This slowed the process significantly.
Every time I called, the counselor was not there because it was not his day
to work or had so many fires to put out, children needing his immediate
attention, that he couldn't talk to me.  My son plugged away in classes with
no accommodations (even through he was on a 504 which should have allowed
them), sometimes struggling for 4 hours at night to try to do the homework
and still was getting failing grades.  In January, he became seriously ill
and has missed over a month of school.  I believe, firmly in my heart, that
the un-necessary stress that he suffered at school played a large part in
his illness.

In my son's science class, they don't have enough science text books for
every child to have a text book.  I found that out when I brought home his
books from school when he got ill.  He reported to me that the students were
told by their science teacher that the science books were too expensive to
buy a text book for every student.  Instead the books stay in the class
room, the kids can only look at them during class time and I had to check
one out so that he could study at home. The science text books are excellent
and as a scientists myself, I enjoyed leafing through them.  But since the
students never have them except in class or when they check them out over
night, they are only experiencing a small portion of what the books have to
teach them.

My son is also gifted and has an amazing three dimensional reasoning skill.
He builds structures and things with his hands.  He taught himself to tan
leather from a book when he was 11 years old.  He taught himself to
flint-knap and makes arrowheads.  He could end up an engineer or architect
and it would be nice if he were learning more about building things and
getting to express this gift.  But, although there is an industrial arts
room and equipment at the Junior High, they haven't had a program for a
number of years--they lost the teacher to budget cuts and didn't replace
this program.

Of the four things that my children need, special ed and gifted and talented
training, only one in four, the special education for my daughter has been
started and is progressing as it should.  I have been asking, no begging,
for years for my children to get what they need to even get a basic
education, math, reading and writing.

So now you come and tell me that we need to spend over 20 million dollars of
our *education* budget to build a new high school, on what will be a highly
expensive piece of ground to develop, so that the high school students will
have the room to throw a fly line???!!!  That this is IMPORTANT??!!!!  I
hope you will appreciate that it has been hard for me to write this because
my hands have been shaking so hard as I did.  Is this what our education
dollars should be going to when, as a parent, I can't even get my children's
basic educational needs met??? When children in this district don't even
have counselors, teachers or even the TEXTBOOKS they need????

Yes, recreation is an important part of people's lives.  My children have
been involved in soccer, gymnastics, figure skating, dance, swimming and
horseback riding.  (Is the new school going to have a stable for them, too?
And an indoor swimming pool, for the kids who do this?)  We do these things
*after* school.  You say they need room to learn to pitch a tent?  Both my
kids do this in scouting and on summer backpacking and camping trips with
the family.  My son (remember, the kid who is failing all his 7th grade
classes?), actually loves fly fishing, has taken community college classes
for adults in this, fly casting lessons with the fly fishing shop and is now
teaching himself, from books, to tie flies. Its nice that the kids can take
these classes at the high school but they sure don't need a new school for
that.

But I don't see this the job of the schools.  The job of the schools is to
teach children basic education *first*--and from my personal experience,
Moscow School District isn't even doing that.   How the heck is my son going
to get anywhere in life if he can tie flies and throw a fly line, but can't
write? It is my understanding that PE is only required one year in high
school.  That is not many hours in the total number of hours that the high
school students spend in other classes like English, Math, that teach skills
that will be essential for their survival in the work place.  We only have
limited money in our collective pockets to spend on education.  We need to
spend our limited funds on the essentials first.

So perhaps you think we need to spend 20 million dollars so that high school
students have the room to learn to throw a fly line, and for you that is an
essential education.  Personally, I would just be happy if my daughter could
read and my son could write.   This bond is not responsible education
spending.

JW

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Timothy Rigsby" <timo5277 at uidaho.edu>
To: "Donovan Arnold" <donovanarnold at hotmail.com>
Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 12:39 PM
Subject: Re: RE: [Vision2020] 1912 Levy Issues

> Donovan:
>
> Let me clarify a little more about the unit that involves camping, fly
fishing,
> and orienteering.
>
> As of right now, the students get bussed to UI and work on their camping,
fly
> fishing, and orienteering skills in front of the PEB.  The reason they get
bussed
> to UI for these events is because there is not adequate outdoor green
space at MHS
> for these activities to take place.  With the new school, I assume that
there will
> be more green space for the students to throw out a line.  Even if the new
campus
> is covered in asphalt, the close proximity of the Junior High, McDonald,
and the
> Eagan Youth Center field will provide enough room for every student to
throw out
> a line.
>
> Just because the students do not pitch a tent on an official campsite,
does not
> mean that they cannot learn how to properly select a campsite, set up a
tent,
> and learn about other aspects of camping.  This information can easily be
presented
> in any space that has vegetation or even in the classroom.
>
> No there is not a stream running through the new gym, nor will there ever
be,
> we hope.  However, as a treat to the students in Outdoor Ed at MHS, they
finish
> the Camping, Fly Fishing, and Orienteering unit with an all day field trip
to
> Spring Valley.  Spring Valley provides students with an opportunity to
throw out
> that fly and attempt to catch a bass, provides students with real trails
with predetermined course markings, and provides adequate campsites so
students can set
> up tents and such.  Again, this all day field trip is supervised by MHS
and also by
> PE students from UI.  This event allows for a continued bridge of the gap
that
> could be present between UI and the students of Moscow.
>
> Things have changed drastically at MHS since you last attended Donovan.
> Education needs to evolve on a continuing basis as to adapt and change to
fit
> the needs of the students and of society.  Karla Harman has done a lot of
work to
> make the Outdoor Ed program at MHS an excellent learning experience for
> every student.  She has worked tirelessly to apply for numerous grants to
> allow students the opportunity to learn how to fly fish when most would
otherwise
> not get that opportunity.  Last spring for example, MHS was awarded a
grant from
> a national fishing organization that allowed MHS to purchase enough fly
> fishing equipment for about 30 students.  Without this grant, students
would not
> get the instruction that they have received this year.
>
> It is obvious that teachers are doing their part to facilitate the
learning of
> every student, yet some people in this town claim otherwise.  Supporting
this levy
> will only increase the opportunities that students have to learn in a safe
> and positive environment that is up to date and loaded with all the
amenities
> that students deserve in 2005 and beyond.
>
> This new building may not benefit every aspect of Physical Education and
> some activities will still have to take place off campus, but the new
building
> will sure make the jobs easier and increase the instruction time for both
students
> and teachers in Physical Education.  Physical Education is just one
example of
> why this levy needs to be passed.
>
> Tim
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Donovan Arnold <donovanarnold at hotmail.com>
> Date: Sunday, April 3, 2005 11:40 am
> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] 1912 Levy Issues
>
> > Timothy,
> >
> > You write, "The Physical Education Department, for whom I have
> > worked
> > extensively with this
> > >school year, is lacking proper and safe facilities as well.  Ms.
> > Karla
> > >Harman
> > >busses her students to the University of Idaho Tuesday-Friday to
> > >participate
> > >in Outdoor Education classes.  Ms. Harman’s students receive
> > instruction on
> > >Wall Climbing, Fly Fishing, Inline Hockey, Biking, Camping, and
> > Racquet
> > >Sports to
> > >name a few activities.  "
> >
> > How exactly does building a brand new high school improve
> > instruction for
> > students on camping and fly fishing? Are we thinking that there is
> > going to
> > be a camp ground and fishing stream going through the new high
> > school gym? I
> > am lost, somebody help me out here.
> >
> >
> > Take Care,
> >
> > Donovan J Arnold
> >
> > >From: Timothy Rigsby <timo5277 at uidaho.edu>
> > >To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> > >Subject: [Vision2020] 1912 Levy Issues
> > >Date: Sat, 02 Apr 2005 16:06:49 -0800
> > >
> > >Phil:
> > >
> > >I don't know about the downfalls of the science lab, but I do
> > know that if
> > >the
> > >science lab is not up to par, it is not the only facility at MHS
> > that would
> > >fall
> > >into this category.
> > >
> > >The Physical Education Department, for whom I have worked
> > extensively with
> > >this
> > >school year, is lacking proper and safe facilities as well.  Ms.
> > Karla
> > >Harman
> > >busses her students to the University of Idaho Tuesday-Friday to
> > >participate
> > >in Outdoor Education classes.  Ms. Harman’s students receive
> > instruction on
> > >Wall Climbing, Fly Fishing, Inline Hockey, Biking, Camping, and
> > Racquet
> > >Sports to
> > >name a few activities.  I doubt very seriously that even with a
> > remodel of
> > >the
> > >1912 center, that these activities could take place in the
> > remodeled space.
> > >  Would
> > >you be willing to let students play inline hockey at CJ’s instead
> > of
> > >building a
> > >new building?
> > >
> > >Not only is Ms. Harman taking her students off campus, but Mr.
> > Amos and Ms.
> > >Barnes
> > >are as well.  Bussing students off campus takes away from the
> > student’s>activity time.  According to the governing authority of
> > Physical Education,
> > >NASPE, students should receive a minimum of 150 minutes per week
> > in
> > >vigorous
> > >physical activity.  By bussing students, we are cutting their
> > classroom
> > >time to
> > >about 35 or 40 minutes per day.  Once you figure instruction or
> > >demonstration
> > >and introduction of new skills, the students may only get about
> > 20 to 25
> > >minutes
> > >of vigorous activity time.  100 minutes per week is nowhere near
> > the NASPE
> > >standard
> > >of 150 minutes.
> > >
> > >Considering that Unleaded gas is running $2.19 today per gallon
> > and diesel
> > >is
> > >sitting right around $2.70, so I hear, I think that building this
> > new
> > >school
> > >would help cut down considerably on the fuel cost to bus these
> > students to
> > >far
> > >off playing fields and gymnasiums.
> > >
> > >If this bond passes, and I hope to hell it will, the students
> > will more
> > >than
> > >likely not have to be bussed daily off campus to participate in
> > activity>classes.  Granted, in order for wall climbing to take
> > place, they will
> > >still
> > >get bussed to UI, but this unit is typically only three weeks
> > with the
> > >students
> > >bussed a maximum of 15 times.  When you were in school Phil, were
> > you
> > >climbing up
> > >a premier climbing wall, learning to fly fish, or playing games
> > such as
> > >Omnikin
> > >Ball or Pickleball?  You probably don’t even know what Pickleball
> > or Kin
> > >ball are
> > >do you?  Students at MHS have one heck of a physical education
> > program and
> > >are extremely fortunate to have what little facilities they have
> > as is.
> > >Giving
> > >these students a new school that is light years ahead of where
> > they are now
> > >will
> > >not only help the morale of the students but also will help
> > further the
> > >educational opportunities these students are missing out on.
> > >
> > >Tim Rigsby
> > >Student, University of Idaho
> > >College of Education
> > >Physical Education, School & Community Health Education, and
> > Sport Science
> > >
> > >
> > >_____________________________________________________
> > >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > >                http://www.fsr.net
> > >           Vision2020 at moscow.com
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
> _____________________________________________________
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