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| Eliminating School Programs / Сокращая школьную программу |
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| Read
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The city in which you live has just passed a law reducing all property taxes by one half. As a result, the city’s high school will have its budget drastically reduced. The principal of the high school has formed a list of the programs that might be eliminated and has stated that the budget must be cut by $550,000 or the school will be forced to close. As a member of the local board of education, it is your responsibility to decide which programs to eliminate.
Consider
1. The high school at present has 2000 students and is the only high school in your city.
2. Reducing the salaries of the teachers is against the law.
3. Remember, you must eliminate entire programs; the principal believes that this is a better policy than reducing the quality of all programs through cuts.
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| Decide and Write
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1. Special Languages Program ($40,000 a year): The school maintains a special laboratory that is unlike any other high school language laboratory in the state. In it a student can gain instruction in five special languages (Latin, Arabic, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian). Instruction in French, Spanish, and German is not included in this program.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
2. Physical Education Program ($35,000 a year ): At present, each student in grades 9-12 is required to have one hour of exercise each day. During this period, the students usually participate in group exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, and jogging.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
3. Extracurricular Activity Program ($95,000 a year): This program provides facilities, equipment, and travel funds for the following sports teams: basketball, football, baseball, soccer, and swimming. Travel funds and administrative money are also provided for the band, school chorus, debate team, and the Chemistry & Mathematics Club.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
4. Reduce the basic curriculum ($85,000 a year): Specifically,
A. Require three years of English instead of four.
B. Require three years of math instead of four.
C. Eliminate all courses in journalism, economics, philosophy.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
5. School bus program ($65,000 a year): About 15% of the students live outside the city in which the high school is located. Another 10% have parents who work or do not own a car. Thus, the school operates a bus service for about 25% of its students.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
6. School lunch program ($75,000 a year): The school attempts to provide an inexpensive, nutritious hot lunch to those students desiring one. In the past approximately 1100 students were fed each day. The program was started when it was discovered that students performed better in class and were absent less frequently when they received the lunch.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
7. Reduce the number of teachers at the school ($150,000 a year): One reason for the school's apparent success has been the relatively low ratio of students to teachers, about 25 to 1. If we fire teachers, the ratio will be about 30 to 1 (70 teachers in all).
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
8. Eliminate one day from the school week ($100,000 a year): At present each student attends 35 hours of school a week. Cut the number to 28 hours a week, either by having the students attend less time each day or by not having school on Wednesday.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
9. Eliminate special aides in the classroom ($64,000 a year): The school employs 32 part-time aides who assist the teachers with students who have special difficulties. For example, there are six ESL aides who work with the students whose first language is not English.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
10. Reduce the number of administrative personnel ($150,000 a year): There are 20 administrative personnel aside from the principal. For example, there is a vice-principal for each grade. In addition, the four school counselors are considered as administrative personnel.
Decision of committee (include reasons):
______________________________
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| Extend
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1. What was the best academic class you ever had in high school? Why?
2. Which do you think is more important for high school students: music and art, or sports? Why?
3. Rank the following in order of the amount of salary you think they should receive (1 = highest): _____lawyers, _____police officers, _____teachers, _____mail deliverers, _____secretaries, _____government workers, _____pilots, _____nurses, _____soldiers, _____doctors.
4. Should high school be compulsory for all people? What about university study?
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