Ramsey July 27, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Ramsey’s public school administration and the education association are working to resolve three distinct labor issues facing the district. One of those issues involves the high school administration’s recommendation to shift to longer classes with fewer class periods each day. In a recent interview, Ramsey Superintendent Dr. Roy Montesano explained that the traditional school day involves nine 40-minute instructional periods. The new recommendation would extend the class periods to 56 minutes each. There would be eight periods (plus lunch) each day, and the schedule would rotate, with one period being dropped each day. Dr. Montesano noted that the district would capture time that students and teachers would ordinarily spend passing from classroom to classroom, and by shortening the time spent in homeroom. The longer classes, he said, would have educational benefits, including the opportunity for more in-depth discussions. Ramsey Education Association President Richard Romains noted that the union has multiple concerns about the new schedule. He claimed the drop and rotate schedule was generated by a Scheduling Committee, but said the committee did not present any educational research to use that type of schedule. Romains said that, by law, teachers are entitled to a duty-free lunch period. However, under the new schedule, he said teachers would be working during lunch on duties including labs, enrichment, and SAT prep classes. School district works to resolve trio of issues He also noted that students who require individual educational plans need to work on their study skills every day. The new schedule, he added, would drop the study skills period one day a week. He asserted that students in districts that use drop and rotate schedules universally post lower Advanced Placement test scores. He pointed out that students have been able to take two AP classes in the past, but will not be able to do so under the drop and rotate scheduling plan. He also said drop and rotate is likely to hurt electives. Romains said that, after local teachers visited other districts that use drop and rotate, the educators observed that, while the class was longer, some of the additional time was wasted. For example, the class might not start when the bell rang. “The teachers never felt there was legitimate investigation of the benefits versus the costs,” Romains said of the scheduling plan. He said some students now give up their lunch period to take non-academic classes. That opportunity will now be lost, he added. “I think the kids lose in the long run. It just doesn’t fit in Ramsey.” The change calls for additional instructional time, even though the length of the school day would remain unchanged. Instructional time could increase by 7.5 minutes on the average, but could be more or less depending on the rotation of the schedule. Romains claimed the change will effectively extend instructional time by a full week each school year. Dr. Montesano noted that the new schedule is still below the limit that calls for no more than 5 hours and 15 minutes of instructional time. The superintendent noted that the proposal was studied for over a year by a committee at the high school. He said the committee members spoke with other schools that use similar schedules. The district held off for a year, but wants to implement the new recommendation in September. The district is also attempting to resolve another specific issue that involves this year’s schedule – a traditional nine period day with rotated class periods. This schedule has caused some teachers to have to teach four classes in a row. The teachers assert that this violates past practices, and the matter is now in arbitration. Briefs were filed by both sides earlier this month. A third case now pending with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Com- mission involves the transfer of Romains, who had been the Ramsey High School music teacher, to the district’s Dater School. The teachers’ association claims the transfer was made due to Romains’ activities as union president, and asserts that the board violated the teachers’ contract and state law. The school administration asserts that budget cuts led to the transfer. Commenting on the case, Romains said that, when the board moved him out of Ramsey High School on a full-time basis, three other music teachers had to be transferred to other posts, leaving four music teachers teaching grade levels and subjects they had never taught before. He said many students were affected by the change, and he claimed the change will cost the district more money as the teachers are reimbursed for travel and as the district pays for additional training for the teachers involved. This case will be heard in September.