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This is an issue that has NOTHING to do with studies. It is an issue regarding"best practice" in education. There have been numerous studies that will attest to the fact that students do not learn as well in an environment that has a great number of students. Therefore if students from Vets are moved to Pilgrim and Tollgate respectively they will be in classrooms that contain 40+ students. Unless school will be extended to 7:00 pm, there is no way that a teacher can meet the kin esthetic, visual and auditory needs of students in their classes. Not to mention the fact that classrooms are not equipped with sufficient desks, chairs, etc. needed to provide an educational experience conducive to learning.

Obviously the members of the board and the Superintendent himself have never been in a classroom with students. They do not understand that teachers are not just teachers anymore. The job has evolved to include social worker, nurse/doctor, psychologist, therapist and mom/dad. The role of the teacher is the most important and stable relationship that some of these students have. They rely on their teachers to help and guide them through many difficult situations. If you have 40+ students in a room, how is a teacher going to create a relationship and rapport with those who need them the most? It is impossible.

Lets also take into account the fact that as tax-payers we are entitled to have our children receive the best public education possible. The school board and Superintendent are not providing the best environment for our children. If they are being shuttled by bus across the city to Tollgate, they will be tired, hungry and unprepared to learn and focus. If they are being shipped to Pilgrim then they will be "jockeying" for position in the halls, cafeteria, and classrooms. It will look like a game of "musical chairs" at the beginning of every class.

This is not what I want or expect for either of my children who are being educated in Warwick. Perhaps all the parents of students attending Vets needs to stop paying their taxes until the board does what is best for students not for their pockets. The issue is not an "emotional" one but one that asks the question whether students in Warwick will be able to compete in college with students from other parts of the state. As a teacher of 21 years, and a parent I know the answer is NO. No teacher is capable of doing their best in such a chaotic and hectic environment. No student is capable of learning in such a hectic and chaotic environment. School is about learning not budgets. The members of the school board and Superintendent seem to have forgotten the purpose of education.....to create a society that will be productive. Although I have never agreed with the mandate of "No Child Left Behind" it seems that the Warwick School Board also does not agree with it, as it proposes to leave behind the 914 students that currently are enrolled at Warwick Veteran's Memorial High School.

From: On a roll to save Vets High

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