Santa Cruz City Schools hire consultant to help teachers explain math to English learners

By SHANNA MCCORD
Posted: 08/26/2010 01:30:27 AM PDT


SANTA CRUZ -- The hiring of a consulting firm charging $2,000 a day to help a couple dozen Santa Cruz City Schools teachers better explain math to English learners raised the hackles of some school board members Wednesday.

"At a time when schools are cutting teachers' salaries, this seems to me these consulting firms need to be a little more sensitive to the economic situation," Trustee Don Maxwell said during Wednesday's school board meeting. "This overhead just seems outrageous."

The San Francisco-based educational firm WestEd has an agreement with City Schools to conduct four workshops for middle and high school teachers to offer advice and skills to teach mathematical reasoning and conceptual development to non-English speakers.

Two workshops are planned for Sept. 28 and Nov. 3; the other two days have not been announced. The total cost is $8,000.

"I think it'll be worthwhile," City Schools Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Kris Munro said. "The teachers are excited about it. They asked for this."

Other school board members questioned the high cost, but felt the need to close the achievement gap with English learners outweighed the price.

The board voted 5-1 to approve the consulting contract with WestEd. Maxwell dissented.

"Math professional development is important," board President Rachel Dewey Thorsett said in support of the contract. "There's been a push to get these students reclassified.

The workshops will be paid for with federal funds known as Title 2 funds that are required to be spent only on professional development, not teachers salaries or classroom supplies.

The days the teachers take off for the workshops will be paid with Title 3 English learners funding.