Mom says daughter isn't getting enough attention in class

SYRACUSE - Every child needs attention in the classroom.

With 13 of the 23 children in Deanna Sexton's daughter's middle school math class being special needs students, Sexton told the Wawasee School Board Tuesday, her daughter isn't getting enough attention in that class. She had to transfer her daughter to another class.

Sexton said her daughter's grades in that class seemed to be slipping. She asked her daughter what was wrong and her daughter said she couldn't get the help she needed in class. After checking with the math teacher, Sexton said, that is when she discovered the class of 23 had 13 special needs students in it and her daughter switched classes. With that many special needs students in a class, Sexton said, the teacher had to be overwhelmed. She asked how it's determined what class special needs students are put in.

Wawasee Superintendent Dr. Mark Stock said there are In the new class, Sexton said, her daughter is doing much better. She is fine with special needs students being in the classroom, but didn't want her daughter's education neglected because of the number of special needs students in a class.

School board member Brian Dawes told Sexton he gave her credit for approaching the matter in the right way. He encouraged the school administration to meet and pursue a resolution that not only benefited Sexton's daughter but a resolution for all students.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved the retirement of Susan Heath, North Webster Elementary kindergarten teacher; Ruth Angle, Wawasee High School guidance director; and Miriam Eberly, NWES grade one teacher.

• Approved the employment of Cheryl VanLaeken as a third-grade teacher at NWES on a temporary contract to cover the maternity leave for Diana Allen.

• Approved for the Wawasee FFA team to compete in the National FFA Soil and Land Judging Contest May 5 in Oklahoma. Members of the teams, advised by Randy Warren, include Sarah Banghart, Becky Clayton, Kelly Darr, Hollie Sharp, Jeff Angelmyer, Simon Baumgartner, Eric Kaiser and Chad Yotter.

• Approved Project Lead the Way. This is a national curriculum encouraging technology students to further their education. Stock said it will not have an effect on the general fund.

• Approved for WCEA to be the official exclusive bargaining representation for Wawasee teachers.

• Heard from assistant superintendent Russ Mikel that the school corporation received the ISTEP results for grades four through seven. Overall, he said, most grade levels improved.

Members of the Wawasee School Board are president Dallas Winchester, Brian Dawes, George Gilbert, Mary Lou Dixon and Marion Acton. They meet at 7 p.m. in the administration building on the second Tuesday of every month.