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Puttingnames,facestonumbersinbudgetcuts|June5,2013|www.clarencebee.com|ClarenceBee

20130605/LocalNews

Puttingnames,facestonumbersinbudgetcuts
bySTEVENJAGORD
Editor
Formonths,residentsinClarencehavewrestledwithhowtoaddressthedrasticmeasuresthatneededtobetakenin
ordertokeeptheirschooldistrictsolvent.Thenumbersintheinitialbudgetproposalwerentpretty,andintheend,voters
decidedtoacceptwidespreadcutsinsteadofanabnormallylargetaxincrease.
Butthosecutswereconsistentlydescribednumerically,evenintermsofpersonnel.Nowtheindividualswhomthose
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numbersrepresentmorethan53inall,spreadacrossfaculty,administrationand
nonfacultystaffarestaringatunemploymentanduncertainty.
Oneofthem,MattLauer,hastaughtsixthgradeEnglishatClarence
MiddleSchoolforsixyears.Healsocoachesmodifiedbasketball
EnlargeMap
andtrackandhasalifelongrelationshipwiththedistrict,having
beenbroughtupinithimself.
MydadwastransferredherefromErie,Pa.,whenIwasalmostayearold,Lauersaid.Iremembermythirdgrade
teacher,Mr.Gould,whojustmadelearningsomuchfunandinspiredme.
Lauersaidthatduringhighschool,heandhisfriendswereallfocusedonbusinessandaccountingclasses.Butafterthe
passingofhisfatherhisjunioryear,somethinghappenedthatmadehimchangecareerpaths.
Everyteacher,everycoachIhadshowedupatthefuneralandwake,hesaid.Fromthatpointon,IknewIwantedtobe
ateacherhereandmakethatkindofanimpactonsomekidslife.
LauerreceivedhisteachingdegreefromBuffaloStateCollegeandstartedhiscareerintheSweetHomeSchoolDistrict.
WhenanopportunitytocomebacktoClarenceopenedup,hejumpedatit.
Andforthepastseveralyearshehasseenthenumberofstudentshehasbeenchargedwitheducatingincreasebecause
ofbudgetcutsupto135studentsin201213.Heworriesaboutthefutureofthedistrictbecauseteachersarebeing
stretchedthin.
Iwouldsaythebudgetcutsthatseemtohavethemostimpactareontheclasssizes,hesaid.LastyearIhad105,then
itwentupto112,andnowImupto135.
ReallywhatitcomesdowntoisIcanteachinanauditoriumwithmorethan100students,noproblem,andstillsendout
thesameinformation.Butitsreallyhardtohelp32kidsinaclassandgivetheminstantoneononefeedbackits
becomingimpossible,nottomentionthetimespentoutsideoftheclassroomgradingpapersandtests.Withsixthgraders
theyneedfeedback,andtheyputsomuchworkintotheirwritingthatIoweittothemtogivethemthatfeedback.
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Butnow,Lauerhastoworryabouthimselfandhisfamily,asheisoneofthefacultymemberswhowillnotbereturningto
Clarenceschoolsinthefall.Marriedwithtwosmallchildren,heisunderstandablydisappointedyetoptimisticwiththe
possibilityofamaternityleavevacancyopeningupaswellaspostingsinotherdistricts.
Eitherway,Imgoingtofindawaytofeedmyfamily,hesaid.ButthereasonIwassoexcitedtocomebackisbecauseI
lovethecommunity,theschoolandtheeducationIreceivedhere.
LauraChriswellfellinlovewiththedistrict,too,afterwatchingherownchildrensprogress.Sheleftacareerinbusinessto
pursueateachingdegreeaftervolunteeringinherkidskindergartenclass.
Today,sheisa13yearveteranofthedistrictandwillteachherfourthgradeclassatLedgeviewElementaryuntiltheend
ofJunewithacloudofuncertaintyaboutwhatliesahead,havingbeeninformedthatshewillnotbereturning.
Obviously,Iamfeelingdisappointmentandangerjustabouteverythingthatsbeensaidaboutteachers,Chriswell
said.Ithinkthattheyrebeingveryunfair.Honestly,thelastreasonIwentintothiswastomakemoneyImademore
moneyinmypreviousjob.
Shesaysithasbeenhardduringthepastweekaswordofherdepartureisbeginningtospreadamongherstudents.
Somestudentsknow,Chriswellsaid.Acouplehaveasked,andIhaveletthemknow,butIhaventmadeabig
announcement.ItellthemthetruthasfarasiftheyaskifIwillbeteaching.
LikeLauer,Chriswellisnotconcernedonlyforherself,butalsoforherstudentswhowillfeeltheeffectsofthecutsintheir
education.
ImreallysadforthestudentsintheClarenceSchoolDistrict,shesaid.MyownkidshadClarenceeducationsandare
nowingreatuniversities.Iknowhowcompetitiveitcanbe.
Marriedwithtwoadultchildren,Chriswellsaidsheplanstotakesomecomputerclassesduringthesummerinordertoget
backintothebusinessfield.
WithdecliningenrollmentIdontknowifIwouldberecalledinthenextthreeyearseven,andImnotataplaceinmylife
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whereIcanjustsitaroundandwait,shesaid.
SeanMurrayisntgoingtowaitaroundeither.Heishopingtolandajobinanotherdistrictorteachatacollegeafter
findingoutthathispositionisalsobeingeliminated.
A10yearfacultymemberofthedistrict,MurrayteachesengineeringandtechnologyatClarenceMiddleSchool.Healso
coachesmodifiedwrestling.Likehiscolleagueswhohavebeenlaidoff,hewasquicktopointouthisconcernforhis
studentseducationratherthanhisownwellbeing.
SeveralcourseswithintheEngineeringandTechnologyDepartment,aswellasotherdepartments,willceasetoexist,
Murraysaid.Manystudentswhosignedupforthesecoursesfornextyearwillinsteadbeplacedinmassivestudyhalls,
likelyinthecafeteriaandauditorium.Thesizesandlocationsofthestudyhallswillnotbeconducivetolearning.District
employeeswillbepaidforsupervisinginsteadofteaching.
MurrayhasbeenaninstructorandadvocateforProjectLeadtheWay,apreengineeringcurriculumthatencourages
studentstotackleproblemswithhandson,problembasedlearning.Heworriesthatcontinuedcutswillbutcherthe
programonethatClarencewasnationallyrecognizedforin2010asbeingamodelschool.
TheProjectLeadTheWaypreengineeringcourseswillseeminglyremainintact,hesaid.However,wewillbedoingour
PLTWengineeringstudentsagreatdisservicebynotaffordingthemopportunitiestorolluptheirsleevesandacquirelab
based,handsonexperiences.Murraysaidscienceandtechnologyarewheremostoftheindemandjobsareavailable
andhehasbeendumbfoundedbythecutsinhisdepartment.
Science,technology,engineeringandmathrelatedcareersarewherealmostalloftheindemandjobsare,hesaidAnd
yetalloftheseareaswerejustsubjectedtocuts.
Headdedthathehasseenanincreaseinthenumberofstudentsapplyingtotakethecourses,despiteconflicting
numbersfromthedistrictthatoverallenrollmentisgoingdown.
OurPLTWenrollmentnumbershavebeenontheincrease,Murraysaid.Wearenotsufferingfromdecliningenrollment.
Inthepastcoupleofyearsournumberswerehighenoughtojustifyanadditionalteacheratthehighschool.
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Duetobudgetaryissues,weobviouslywerenotabletoaddanadditionalteachertoourstaff.Butthishasalreadyledto
closedoutcoursesandinterestedstudentssenttostudyhalls.
Oneofthemajorargumentsagainsttheproposed9.8percenttaxhikewasthatteachersinthedistrictmaketoomuch
money.Somecitedspecificteachersalariesinexcessof$90,000ayear.HoweverMurraywasbluntandforthcoming
abouthiscompensationinordertoquellanyassumptions.
Mysalaryafter10yearsatClarenceandwithamastersdegreewaslessthan$55,000not$90,000,hesaid.Also,I
electednottotakepartinthehealthcareplannineofmy10years.Allthingsconsidered,Iamacompletelydedicatedand
welltraineddistrictemployeeatabargainprice.
Lauer,ChriswellandMurrayrepresentaboutonetenthofthemorethan30facultymemberswhoarenowforcedto
rediscovertheirownpathsinlifeafterspendingdecadeshelpingstudentsinClarenceforgetheirown.
Andwhiletheywanttostaypositive,intheendtherealityisstilldifficulttostomach.
ImdisappointedbecausenomatterwhatelseIdoIwontbeashappy,Lauersaid.Theresnottoomanypeopleout
therethatareexcitedtogotoworkeveryday,andIcansayforthepastsixyearsIwasoneofthem.
email:sjagord@beenews.com
Returntotop

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