PIERCETON - Whitko Superintendent Jeff Hendrix and South Whitley Elementary Principal Barb Flory returned from a recent meeting with Congressman Mark Souder disappointed.
The two administrators talked about their recent trip to Goshen during Monday's Whitko School Board meeting.
"He compared our teaching students to his making a sofa," Flory said, about the invitation to discuss education. She said the federal No Child Left Behind Act was the focus of the discussion. She said no one took notes or seemed to care what they had to say."The English As A Second Language students are now supposed to be at grade level after one year in this country," Hendrix said. "We asked him if we made any impact on which way he would lean and he said, 'I'm waiting to hear what my party has to say.'"
Hendrix said Pierceton Elementary School didn't make adequate yearly progress or AYP "Safe Harbor" status because several speech students were left out of the special education subgroup. The speech students' grades would increase that subgroup's average score.
AYP is part of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Whitko Middle School didn't make AYP this year. AYP is based on a 10-percent growth in academic progress.
Hendrix said he joined the SWE school mentoring program and met with students for the first time this week.
Flory said there are 22 students who have met with or will meet a mentor, and 26 children on a waiting list. Adults who can devote half an hour a week with a child are welcome to apply as a mentor.
Flory said the elementary school's tutoring program now has 26 students enrolled. The children are tutored twice a week.
The board approved the purchase of amber-colored caution lights to be installed on Ind. 14 on either side of Whitko Drive. The $8,055 system will be maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation and "blink" prior to and after school hours at the high school.
Several Whitko Middle School students won awards at the 52nd Annual Northeastern Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair Saturday at IPFW.
In the chemistry division, Cassie Jones won first place; Adam Konger, second place; and Alyssa Mckee, third place. In plant sciences, Nicole Slaymaker won second place. In environmental sciences, Zach Jones won second place.
These students will go on to national competition, sponsored by the Discovery Channel.
The WMS program is coached by Todd and Rhonda Jones, Principal Jerry Klausing said.
In other business, the board:
n WMS health clerk Julie Green was presented the Silver Beaver Award March 10. The Silver Beaver is the highest award presented to volunteers by the Boy Scouts.
n Accepted the resignations of Julie Wolf, study hall monitor, Lance Hershberger as baseball coach and Randy Hart as junior varsity baseball coach, all at WHS.
n Hired Michaell Jamison as part-time special services administrative assistant; Tony Phillips and Joe Busz as WMS assistant wrestling coaches; Erik Hisner as WHS head baseball coach; Bryan Sprunger as a WHS drivers' education instructor; Betsy Weaver as a WHS homebound instructor; Brian Porter as junior varsity baseball coach; Tracy Rhodes and Cindy Hicks as seasonal groundskeepers; and James Bowman and Lora Gerard as WHS part-time custodians.
n Appointed Georgia Tenney to the Pierceton-Washington Township Park Board. Her term expires in 2010.
The April school board meeting is April 23, a change from the third Monday of the month, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pierceton Administration Office.
Whitko School Board members are Hal Trump, Mike Braddock, Dave Tranter, Deb Collier and Pete Mitchell.
