Due to schedule changes, Kramer Elementary School teacher Sarah Riede said she now has only 10 minutes to prepare before students come through the door in the morning, compared to the 45 minute prep period last school year.
Teachers also get 15 minutes at the end of the day, but that is periodically taken away because of the rotation of drop-off or pick-up duties, she said.
“Teaching elementary school is a bit like putting on a Broadway production every single day,” Riede told the school board during the regular meeting on Sept. 21. “It would be ridiculous to imagine an entire cast and crew of a musical showing up 10 minutes before the audience arrives.”
Teachers and parents complained about the schedule, busing problems and other issues during a boisterous meeting that lasted about two hours.
Community member Kelvin Corbin said the current schedule does not provide time for teachers to collaborate with others or research ways to improve lessons. Corbin said that elementary teachers are technically given the required amount of time to prepare the day by state standards, but they are also teaching longer than the state minimum requires.
“A deep undervalue in the elementary staff is starting to show its impact on families, educators and our students,” Corbin said. “Our district is currently ensuring a master burnout of some very talented individuals.”
During the comment period, an Oxford community member expressed her disdain for the council’s financial decisions, particularly the elimination of busing for students within a two mile radius. She challenged the school board on why her 8-year-old grandson can’t ride the bus.
Living within the two mile radius, she said, “We pay just as much taxes as someone who lives five miles away from school.”
“I think there ought to be a deeper investigation into the school board,” she said.
The council encouraged her to contact the administration privately.
At the meeting, third grade teacher Stephanie Pearson shared an update on the playground project in progress at Kramer Elementary School. She said the students love the new main playground installed this summer, but an expansive grassy area, where the swings used to be, still remains vacant.
Over the summer, Pearson’s third grade class from last school year partnered with the Oxford Masonic Lodge to raise funds. With support from the Masons, they raised $38,000 for new playground equipment for the section that wasn’t replaced.
Locations have been scouted for the new equipment, and a timeline for the equipment installation is still pending, she said.
“Thank you to all the community members and families but specifically to those students who were so motivated and worked so hard,” Pearson said. “I hope we get to reap the benefits of their work really soon.”
Due to safety concerns about the ground underneath the new swings, Pearson said additional money might be needed to fund safe padding. More information on the playground project can be found here.
