FAYETTEVILLE -- Schools Superintendent Paul Hewitt eliminated some job titles, combined positions and made other changes to the district curriculum department to respond to teachers and to save money.
Hewitt, who is finishing his first year with the School District, met with teachers and staff across the district. The meetings led to efforts to move curriculum positions from the district's curriculum office into the schools.
At A Glance
Fayetteville Public Schools enrolls about 9,500 students on 14 campuses.
"They felt that we were overloaded in the administrative area," Hewitt said. "We eliminated positions we felt were excessive. We wanted the resources at the school sites supporting the teachers. We're stewards of taxpayer dollars."
For the 2015-16 school year, Fayetteville Public Schools will not have full-time curriculum directors for science, math, English and social studies.
The district curriculum department also has lost a half-time director of teacher training and two full-time district-level literacy instructional facilitators, said Kay Jacoby, the district's executive director of curriculum and instruction. A director of assessment and evaluation position remains vacant.
"Over my career, I have found that it is not uncommon for a new superintendent in a school district to have particular views on the level and kind of district support that he/she believes is necessary in order for the district to reach its goals," Jacoby wrote in an email.
Each month, the School Board receives a list of changes in personnel, including resignations. The resignation of Jenny Gammill, former director of science and instructional technology, was presented to the School Board in April. The resignation of Ellen Johnston, the director of math, was on Thursday's agenda.
The School Board generally accepts changes in employment, whether a new hire, a change in title or a resignation, as presented at its monthly meeting, Tim Hudson, board president, said. Hewitt reviewed the structure and approach of the district's administration and felt changes were needed to benefit classroom instruction, Hudson said.
Staff members in the positions cut or reduced were notified in the spring and assured they would have a teaching position in 2015-16 if desired and would be considered for any other openings for which they were qualified, Jacoby said.
The district's Curriculum Department in 2014-15 had 21 certified staff positions, but Jacoby anticipates the changes will bring that number down to 13 1/2 positions for 2015-16, she said. The tally doesn't include campus-based instructional facilitators, but the number of those positions also has been reduced.
Sandra Taylor, the director of English, will be a part-time specialist for literacy in kindergarten through 12th grade and a part-time social studies specialist for kindergarten through sixth grade, Jacoby said.
The director of math position next school year will have dual duties as a part-time teacher and a part-time math coaching position at Fayetteville High School, Jacoby said.
The change will give the district three elementary math coaches, one middle-level math coach and one high school math coach who will teach a couple of classes, said Kim Garrett, associate superintendent for secondary education.
Johnston, who is leaving the district, is moving to Oklahoma and will be a math consultant, she said. She doesn't think the district has enough math coaches, but the math coaching positions planned for 2015-16 are a start, she said.
"It's really important we do get math leadership in every building," Johnston said.
Lacey Alkire, the social studies director, will have responsibilities in 2015-16 as a part-time teacher with two U.S. history classes at Fayetteville High School and a part-time social studies specialist for the seventh through 12th grades.
As a specialist, she will continue helping teachers implement new state social studies standards, but she won't have as much time for supporting teachers. She will balance those duties with preparing lessons and meeting with her students.
"It's important to have a support person for teachers," Alkire said. "Teachers are very busy in the classroom. They need help to find resources and align the curriculum. That's what I've tried to do."
The science director's position for 2015-16 will be the responsibility of a district team of teacher leaders and administrators, Jacoby said.
Instead of a district director overseeing teacher training, teacher training will be under the direction of the building principal, Jacoby said.
The director of assessment position became vacant when Sarah McKenzie resigned in December to accept a position as director of the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, a move that wasn't a result of the reorganization, McKenzie said.
Having specialists teach means they'll have a deeper understanding of the struggles teachers have, and teachers will still get support from a specialist, Garrett said.
The curriculum directors were intended to support teachers and principals, but to make clear their role is one of support and not directing teachers, the district changed the titles from directors to specialists, Garrett said.
"We feel this move will be putting more resources closer to the teachers instead of being housed at a district office," Garrett said.
NW News on 06/26/2015