MARY ELLEN MEASURES COMPUTER CHAOS AT FORD SCHOOL

• The room with 40 computers has been disassembled and removed from the room. The computer based program called Imagine Learning has been shut down until the new lab is online. This program serves forty ELL/SPED students who are struggling with English. They will move the computer lab to a small room. A new smaller lab (only can fit 20 computers) will force the school to have four Imagine Learning sessions per day rather than two.
• Permanent loss of a computer lab that could serve a complete class (all classes are approx. 30 students – none just 20 students!) Smaller lab will not allow a class size of 30 to access it together.
• There are 3 first grade classes - 2 have over 30 and one in the smaller room fits 23 students - the computer room will be for the smaller class and distribute the 3 classes evenly. Otherwise they will need to hire teacher aides for classes over 30 students and Dr. Latham is against the hiring. Problem: Disrupting student’s education in November by taking students from existing first grades to add to the "new" class. Students will have to start anew with an unfamiliar teacher and as most of the students in the smaller class of 21 have ELL or learning issues they need consistency and he small class size.
• $1,100.00 worth of computer-based microscopes recently purchased to be used in conjunction with the new science program Know Atom, science and the Ford Garden will not be able to be used for one class as planned when they had ordered the 40 microscopes.