Saturday, March 20, 1999
Cincinnati schools' year may get longer
Superintendent ties idea to teacher raises
BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Steven Adamowski wants school staff to work more days if they're going to earn more money.
“It seems to me that even if we are talking about inflationary increases, as we increase salaries for staff we need to increase the school year,” Mr. Adamowski told The Cincinnati Enquirer's editorial board Friday.
Ultimately, Mr. Adamowski wants to see the school year lengthened and the school calendar changed so learning is interrupted by breaks of three weeks — instead of three months — at a time.
The idea is that students forget too much during long summer vacations and wouldn't need to relearn as much if the school year were interrupted by shorter breaks.
Extending the school year is something most Cincinnati teachers would support, said Tom Mooney, president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers.
“Most teachers know that they need more time with these kids,” he said.
If teachers are going to work a longer school year, they would need to be paid more, he said. But Mr. Mooney said he doesn't think teachers would support the idea of a longer school year in exchange for a cost-of-living raise.
“Then you didn't get a raise,” he said. “Nobody's going to buy that.”
Cincinnati Public Schools has two year-round school programs. A program at Woodward High School, started this school year, offers students 220 days of instruction instead of the typical 180.
The other program, at Crest Hills Year-Round School in Roselawn, opened four years ago. There, the school year is broken up with shorter breaks, during which teachers work with students having trouble, Mr. Mooney said.
Year-round schooling can't be brought to the entire district until school buildings get central air conditioning, Mr. Adamowski noted.
But Mr. Adamowski said he views extending the school year as something that should be part of the school district's plans over the next five years.
“It's a long-term process,” he said. “But you have to have a vision so you can fit all the little pieces.”
Mason team shows what girls can be
Mason goes north, nuts
Man fatally shot by police
Suit over shooting to go forward
Downtown parking rates going up; no end in sight
Space for car to cost more
Amazon comes to aquarium
Cincinnati schools' year may get longer
Police report new evidence in '97 death of UC student
Taft firm on budget priorities
CSO warms up here for Carnegie Hall
'Sleeping Beauty' benefits from a bit of editing
Spring gets a sunny jump out of starting gate today
Early brain function stressed
Health event kicks off; women urged to cop attitudes
Jury clears man of Pleasant Ridge attack
Lucas raps both parties on budget
Marshal's honor lacks descendants
Merger worries Boone Co. police
New law on murder has judge confused
TRISTATE DIGEST
