TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — Students at Tahlequah High School, and their parents, may be pleased to learn the honors science curricula for the 2008-’09 school year won’t be dramatically scaled back, as some have feared.

The Daily Press has received several complaints that cutbacks had been planned for the program, and that among those on the chopping block was the popular forensic chemistry class. Several parents understood honors classes were being specifically targeted by the administration.

Tahlequah I-35 School Superintendent Paul Hurst indicated one THS science teacher is retiring, but the curricula will continue intact – for the most part,

“I’m having [THS Principal] Dr. Nick Migliorino look at some consolidation,” said Hurst. “We’ve lost one section of astronomy and one section of geology, as it stands now. The other offerings are pretty wide in range.”

At this point, elective offerings for the 2008-’09 year include: Honors chemistry A and B, honors organic chemistry, forensics 1 and 2, AP anatomy, AP physiology, an additional section of honors chemistry A, chemistry, physics, higher invertebrate zoology, lower invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, meteorology and astronomy.

“For a school our size, that is a very, very aggressive elective offering,” Hurst said.

As many are already aware, budgeting woes plague not only Tahlequah schools, but districts across the state. Hurst indicated operating costs were a factor when determining electives.

“We are trying to reduce full-time teaching staff by four or five positions this year,” he said. “We are facing a stand-still budget, and we’ve had no new operating costs increase in over a decade. It’s all about economics and legislative action.”

Hurst said he visited with peers in the Tulsa Public School system this week, and they are looking at reducing full-time teaching staff by 200 to 300.

“I’m looking at four, without affecting services that much,” he said. “It’s a necessary action when 86 percent of your budget is tied up in salaries. We have to do something, which is the impetus for looking at consolidation.”

While budget is a consideration, Hurst said nothing is written in stone just yet.

“If we have to bring in a half-time teacher to accommodate demand for science classes, we will,” he said. “Science is just one area that may be affected. Our intent is to be everything to everybody, but the cold, hard facts are, we can’t – at least not until the state Legislature takes on the school budgeting crisis.”

Migliorino confirmed Hurst’s statements, saying he’s been working with the science department teachers to best serve the students – but a commitment from the students to persevere is key.

“We’re absolutely going to offer many, if not all, of the honors science classes next year,” said Migliorino. “It takes a solid 12 students to make a class. The problem we’ve had in the past is that we may have 12 enrolled, then half drop out and change classes mid-semester. This year, we’re requiring students enrolling in these classes to sign a form saying they will stay in the class, period. They can take something different at the end of the semester. Right now, I’ve got a couple of science classes with only five students in them, and that’s a waste of resources.”

Migliorino said he’s had inquiries from parents about the science program, and is curious about where they’d been getting their information.

“We will continue to provide electives the students want, to the best of our ability,” he said. “I know of few schools that even offer forensic chemistry. It a pure elective, as it’s not needed to graduate or even excel. It’s a ‘passion’ class, but one that’s popular, so we’ll continue to offer it.”

Several parents and former THS students indicated it would be a grave error to scale back on the curricula, especially in the honors or science arena.

“Little John [Fite] said [cutting honors science] would be a huge mistake,” said Renee Fite, his mother.

John Fite was one of seven students who graduated from THS in 2007 as a Student of Distinction. He has been attending the University of Oklahoma.

“He said one of his friends was teaching himself quantum physics and was bored in his other classes and not even passing some last year,” said Renee Fite.

She added that because her son had participated in honors classes, he did well during his first semester at OU, where he’s in the pre-medicine program. According to his mother, he’ll be job-shadowing at Hastings Indian Medical Center next week.

“We need to seek ways to encourage and motivate students, and offer higher standards and expectations, not settle,” said Fite. “Kids live up to or down to what you expect of them. They also see the examples of their parents and other adults, and don’t always see a need to do their best or not party. They may not even see a need for education.”

Fite believes kids are often made to feel entrapped by teachers who take the joy out of learning.

“Unhappy people make every profession not seem appealing,” said Fite. “But teachers are entrusted with our children’s minds and bodies to mold them into the best and brightest they can be, and should be accountable, along with parents, for succeeding.”

Cherry Scott, mother of one THS graduate and a THS sophomore, believes the honors classes have a tremendous impact on her children’s’ academic pursuits.

“It would be short-sighted if these classes we no longer offered,” she said. “I like the idea of my child being in a classroom with other students who are there to learn. General education classes clearly do not have the same learning environment. All it takes is one or two students who are not committed to learning to gravely undermine the educational climate for all.”

Scott believes curriculum is a question or priorities, and that patrons should ask themselves what the primary mission of a school should be.

“What are the relative contributions of each school program to that mission?” she asked. “More specifically, a range of issues should be examined: Should athletic programs be given higher funding priority in relation to academic programs? Should school funding provide free perks to administrators, such as free use of a vehicle? How many administrative positions have been created on the basis of interpersonal patronage as opposed to legitimate need? Ultimately, these will be political questions, and concerned parents need to be engaged in the process and hold key decision-makers accountable.”

Several parents indicated they believe the problem stems from the new trimester approach at the high school. One parent, who is on the TPS payroll, said the system sacrifices quality for quantity, and that core work has been compromised because staff is now required to teach additional subjects.

This parent indicated some might think the students are gaining more through electives, but in some cases more has turned into less, because core classes are being compromised.

Another parent who responded to polling said the trimester system left seniors with nothing to do during senior year, as credits had been accumulated by the end of the junior year. One advantage is it allows seniors to enroll concurrently at NSU for one or two classes, but that still leaves a lot of time that could be spent concentrating on core classes.

Hurst is leaving for a new job in Putnam City in July, and a search is being conducted for a new superintendent. Many would agree the new administrator will have plenty of questions to answer about the current high school curriculum.