Dear Editor,
I am the parent of two Rockingham students, as well as a public educator myself in a different district. I am writing today to voice my concern regarding the changes proposed to the physical education position at Central Elementary. My experience as an educator is that these consolidation choices are a one-way street. Once this is done, it will never go back to the way it was.
You are taking a position that is already difficult to fill, and making it less desirable. In doing so, we risk driving out a fine educator, and at the same time creating an undesirable position, which in turn opens Bellows Falls to the bottom of the barrel when it comes to job applicants. The most qualified educators will never take this position once it becomes split between two schools, and teachers are forced to have ever-larger classes. Bellows Falls will be stuck with mediocre PE teachers and high turnover rates for years to come. This is bad for students, this is bad for staffing, and this is bad for Bellows Falls.
Sincerely,
Michael Schlenoff
Bellows Falls, Vt.