New Reed Schedule Is

‘Moving Right Along’

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Board of Education was updated during its last meeting on September 4 by Reed Intermediate School Interim Principal Jay Smith on how the new schedule at the school is working.

Adjustments in the schedule, as Dr Smith elaborated this week, included aligning common planning time for cluster teachers, longer blocks of uninterrupted teaching time in the clusters, and moving to a house model, which Dr Smith described as organizing the roughly 800 students into groups of approximately 200.

“I think it is working fine,” said Dr Smith, adding the schedule is running smoothly and effectively.

The house model, he said, is beneficial to both the fifth and sixth grade students. For each grade level it allows for a smoother transition either from elementary school or to middle school.

Last week Dr Smith also told the school board a number of teachers changed clusters over the summer.

Overall, Dr Smith told the school board, the schedule and the students are “moving right along.”

The new schedule was presented to Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda in August after it was worked on by a board subcommittee, which included BOE Vice Chair Laura Roche.

At the school board’s September 4 meeting, Ms Roche thanked Dr Smith for attending the meeting and asked Dr Robinson what the procedure will be for finding a long-term principal.

“Fortunately for us,” Dr Robinson said, “[Dr Smith] is willing to stay for the school year.”

Dr Robinson said the search for a new principal for Reed will probably begin at the start of January, with someone possibly hired before the school year is concluded to begin the transition.

“It would be very helpful in have your input too in finding new leadership,” BOE Chair Debbie Leidlein told Dr Smith at the meeting, after asking for future updates to be brought to the school board.