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33 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, March 13, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 14, 2005 Students in Robert Young�s world studies class at South Medford High School look over graded papers handed back to them Thursday afternoon. Class size was one of the areas that Medford schools Superintendent Kathy McCollum marked as �failing." Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Warts and all Medford School District officials ‘send a message’ on budget cuts, admitting non-compliance in an annual report to the state By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune By claiming that Medford schools failed to meet state standards on class sizes and up-to-date textbooks, Superintendent Kathy McCollum hopes to make a statement about the funding of education in Oregon. So far, no other school district in the state has tried turning a required annual report to the Department of Education into a political tool. "It’s a way to send a message to the state," McCollum said. "It’s a political statement, as well as the truth." Each year, school districts must file a report with the Department of Education proving they comply with regulations in 49 areas. They must comply in order to give credit, grant diplomas and receive state money, said department spokesman Gene Evans. No Oregon school has ever presented itself as failing just to attract attention to budget difficulties, he said. Advertisement "It has happened in other states," Evans said. "It is a way to get people’s attention. Many schools are looking at ways to register their opinions with legislators." Districts that are out of compliance generally have one year to fix the problem, so using the report as a protest can be done without long-term damage to the district’s accreditation, Evans said. McCollum said the district could have said class sizes were acceptable because the state doesn’t set specific limits. Instead it calls for an adequate size to ensure effective teaching and learning. "I can see why a district would sign off on class sizes," she said, noting that dedicated teachers can adapt to big classes. "But we have a sixth-grade class with 39 kids and on a gut level, you know that’s not right." Likewise, the district has done curriculum reviews, as the state demands, but can’t afford new textbooks on a regular basis, she said. "It’s important for voters to know that if they don’t fund education, they will see a decline," said Mike Moran, school board chairman. He praised the decision to point out Medford’s problems as "risky, but morally courageous." While some people might criticize the district for failing to comply, Moran said officials should make sure people have the facts. Facing problems is a step toward finding solutions, he said. Other districts in Jackson County didn’t submit failing reports as a political ploy, but one did miss marks as a result of budget cuts. Eagle Point Superintendent Bill Feusahrens said his district failed to meet a standard relating to guidance counseling and career education and one relating to teaching kids about infectious diseases such as AIDS. Budget cuts have reduced the counseling staff and eliminated middle-school health classes. School districts in Ashland, Phoenix-Talent and Central Point reported that they met all standards. "We are meeting them at a minimum level," said Central Point Superintendent Candy Manary. Ashland Superintendent Juli Di Chiro said, "Legal compliance does not equal quality." She noted that many districts do rote reviews of curriculum and can’t afford new texts. Past misses force Ashland to remain in compliance, she said. Ashland has struggled with compliance issues related to teaching gifted students, keeping curriculum up to date, providing career- related learning and having juried assessment for students challenging state testing. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. 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