Valley Board OKs $132K for Tablets
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
At a 1-to-1 school, all students have their own tablets for classroom and home use. Tablets may replace some or all textbooks.
The school board Monday night approved the leasing of 750 Acer tablets for $132,772 per year for four years. After the four years, the school corporation could choose to purchase the tablets.
Parents will pay $100 in rental fees each school year. Parents also will be offered a choice of insurance for the tablets.
TVHS Principal Kirk Doehrmann told the board that about three years ago, Valley formed a committee to look at improving instruction. Out of that came the 1 to 1 project.
He said they wanted to put student engagement at the forefront and have students take ownership of their own learning. They also got “on board” with Project Based Learning. He said they’ve been trying to change instruction and the way they do things.
After looking at devices for the 1 to 1, Doehrmann said they settled on the Acer device. Teachers will receive training on them.
Every nine weeks, Doehrmann said teachers will be asked to do Project Based Learning for one of their classes. “We’re not going to hold teachers back if they want to do more than that,” he said.
After discussing different leasing options, the board decided to go with the four-year plan.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dan Kramer noted that approximately 50 percent of TVHS students are eligible for textbook assistance, so Valley can’t expect all 650 students to pay $100.
Kayla Rassi, technology director, noted that to buy the tablets outright, they are $675 each. She also said students would not be able to bring their own device in to school, they have to use the Acer.
Another topic the school board has been discussing for a while is bus driver salaries and benefits.
Superintendent Brett Boggs said the school corporation is experiencing a lack of substitute bus drivers, as well as Class B bus drivers. For these reasons, Valley needs to revise its salaries and benefits to get and keep good bus drivers.
Currently, Valley has two classifications of bus drivers. Drivers hired before June 1, 2001, are Class A drivers; those hired after that date are Class B.
Class A can have health insurance benefits the same as teachers. Class B has to pay double premiums. Over the years, insurance has changed and Valley lost some good Class B bus drivers because of the double premium, Boggs explained.
Under the plan approved last night by the board, a new classification, Class C, begins June 1 this year. They will receive no insurance benefits at any cost, but will get $20 more per day (total of $76). Bus drivers work three to four hours a day.
The new plan also allows Class A bus drivers to choose to become Class C, but can never revert back to Class A. Class B goes away.
The board was not unanimous in its decision. Board member Mark Wise wanted to amend the original motion, but that was defeated 3-2. Wise and Rod Eaton were the only two who voted in favor of Wise’s amendment.
Wise and Eaton also voted against the new classification system, but Bryan Murphy, Dave O’Brien and Tom Craft voted in favor of it.
The board also recognized three retiring teachers, including Dianne Pearson, kindergarten teacher, Akron Elementary School; Terri Klotz, English teacher, TVHS; and Jon Parker, math teacher, TVHS.
Klotz has been a teacher for 32 years, all with Tippecanoe Valley. Parker has been in education for 38 years, all at Valley. Pearson has been in education for 29 years, all at Valley.
During the meeting, the board also recognized students at Mentone Elementary School; heard a presentation on the TVHS American Studies class’s Pioneer Day; and heard that TVHS received the IHSAA Sportsmanship Award for the 2011-12 athletic season. Free videos of the recognitions are available on the Times-Union website at www.timesuniononline.com[[In-content Ad]]
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At a 1-to-1 school, all students have their own tablets for classroom and home use. Tablets may replace some or all textbooks.
The school board Monday night approved the leasing of 750 Acer tablets for $132,772 per year for four years. After the four years, the school corporation could choose to purchase the tablets.
Parents will pay $100 in rental fees each school year. Parents also will be offered a choice of insurance for the tablets.
TVHS Principal Kirk Doehrmann told the board that about three years ago, Valley formed a committee to look at improving instruction. Out of that came the 1 to 1 project.
He said they wanted to put student engagement at the forefront and have students take ownership of their own learning. They also got “on board” with Project Based Learning. He said they’ve been trying to change instruction and the way they do things.
After looking at devices for the 1 to 1, Doehrmann said they settled on the Acer device. Teachers will receive training on them.
Every nine weeks, Doehrmann said teachers will be asked to do Project Based Learning for one of their classes. “We’re not going to hold teachers back if they want to do more than that,” he said.
After discussing different leasing options, the board decided to go with the four-year plan.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dan Kramer noted that approximately 50 percent of TVHS students are eligible for textbook assistance, so Valley can’t expect all 650 students to pay $100.
Kayla Rassi, technology director, noted that to buy the tablets outright, they are $675 each. She also said students would not be able to bring their own device in to school, they have to use the Acer.
Another topic the school board has been discussing for a while is bus driver salaries and benefits.
Superintendent Brett Boggs said the school corporation is experiencing a lack of substitute bus drivers, as well as Class B bus drivers. For these reasons, Valley needs to revise its salaries and benefits to get and keep good bus drivers.
Currently, Valley has two classifications of bus drivers. Drivers hired before June 1, 2001, are Class A drivers; those hired after that date are Class B.
Class A can have health insurance benefits the same as teachers. Class B has to pay double premiums. Over the years, insurance has changed and Valley lost some good Class B bus drivers because of the double premium, Boggs explained.
Under the plan approved last night by the board, a new classification, Class C, begins June 1 this year. They will receive no insurance benefits at any cost, but will get $20 more per day (total of $76). Bus drivers work three to four hours a day.
The new plan also allows Class A bus drivers to choose to become Class C, but can never revert back to Class A. Class B goes away.
The board was not unanimous in its decision. Board member Mark Wise wanted to amend the original motion, but that was defeated 3-2. Wise and Rod Eaton were the only two who voted in favor of Wise’s amendment.
Wise and Eaton also voted against the new classification system, but Bryan Murphy, Dave O’Brien and Tom Craft voted in favor of it.
The board also recognized three retiring teachers, including Dianne Pearson, kindergarten teacher, Akron Elementary School; Terri Klotz, English teacher, TVHS; and Jon Parker, math teacher, TVHS.
Klotz has been a teacher for 32 years, all with Tippecanoe Valley. Parker has been in education for 38 years, all at Valley. Pearson has been in education for 29 years, all at Valley.
During the meeting, the board also recognized students at Mentone Elementary School; heard a presentation on the TVHS American Studies class’s Pioneer Day; and heard that TVHS received the IHSAA Sportsmanship Award for the 2011-12 athletic season. Free videos of the recognitions are available on the Times-Union website at www.timesuniononline.com[[In-content Ad]]
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