Tag Archives: Teacher
Hundreds Of Perkiomen Valley High School Students Protest Teacher Layoffs
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
COLLEGEVILLE, PA — Hundreds of students streamed out of the front doors of the school in a quiet wave around 8:30 a.m. More than 550 Perkiomen Valley High School students participated in a walk out to protest proposed budget cuts which could mean several teachers would lose their jobs.
Alexa Monteleone spent the morning of her last day of high school on the baseball field taking a stand to try and save her mother’s job.
“It impacted me a lot. (My mom) has been here for so long and she has been so helpful to the school for the past 13 years,” she said about how she felt when she heard her mother could lose her job.
Monteleone’s mother, Maureen, is a para-professional and wears many hats, according to her daughter.
Wilkinsburg High School Suffering Teacher Shortage
Map of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Students enrolled in chemistry class at Wilkinsburg High School are being taught by a certified art teacher.
In high school French classes, a certified health and physical education teacher is providing instruction.
Those revelations, which came in the wake of the Dec. 17 school board meeting, astonished new board President Edward J. Donovan.
“I know the way things ought to be. What I don’t know entirely is how much out of whack things are in the way we are now,” said Mr. Donovan, who is a faculty member and program director of the Chatham University‘s department of education.
Former Gov. Mifflin Swim Coach, Exeter Teacher Guilty Of Molesting 4 Female Students
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A Wyomissing man who formerly taught and coached in two Berks County school districts pleaded guilty Wednesday to molesting four female students between 2003 and 2011.
Jonathan D. Bell, 31, faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation under a plea agreement.
Bell is a suspended art teacher at Exeter Senior High School. He was fired from his position as the water polo and swim coach at Gov. Mifflin School District.
Berks County President Judge Paul M. Yatron ordered the state Sexual Offender Assessment Board to conduct an evaluation before Bell’s sentence is imposed to determine if he is a sexually violent predator.
Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20131218/NEWS/312199965/1052#.UrJo-fRDsxI
Pottstown Teacher Reinstated After Sex Charges Dropped
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
POTTSTOWN, PA — The Pottstown School Board voted unanimously Monday night to reinstate a suspended middle school teacher in the wake of last week’s announcement that the sexual abuse charges against him had been dropped.
In June, township police charged Jared Leimeister, 33, of North Coventry, with inappropriate contact with an 8-year-old girl, who spent time with Leimeister between October 2012 and February 2013.
Leimeister, an eighth grade science teacher at Pottstown Middle school, had been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old.
On Aug. 19, the school board suspended Leimeister without pay until the matter was resolved.
UPDATED: Pottstown Middle School Teacher Charged In Sexual Assault Of Girl, 8
Editor’s note: This is a bad week for role models with a local police officer charged with retail theft and a teacher charged with molesting a child. Very upsetting!
(Updated 3:15 p.m.) NORTH COVENTRY — A Pottstown Middle School teacher has been charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated indecent assault involving a child.
Jared P. Leimeister, of North Coventry, posted bail and was released from the Chester County Prison on Monday.
The 33-year-old teacher was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old after police spoke with an 8-year-old girl who spent time with Leimeister between October 2012 and February 2013.
Leimeister is listed as an eighth-grade science teacher, according to the school district’s website.
Twin Valley Trims $1 Million, Approves Tentative Budget
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After weeks of closed-door discussions, the Twin Valley School Board approved a $53.35 million tentative budget Monday, closing a $1 million shortfall with a combination of staff cuts, tax hikes and even a new revenue stream for 2013-14.
The list of staff cuts, previously undisclosed, includes furloughing a business teacher; not replacing three teachers – one full-time and two part-time – who have submitted resignation letters; not renewing two temporary teachers; and reducing a full-time art teacher to part time. Also eliminated are 14 assistant middle and high school coaching positions and four assistant high school club advisers.
“We certainly would have liked to have done it a different way,” Dr. Robert F. Pleis, superintendent, said after the meeting. “We don’t want to lose personnel. That’s not our goal.”
Stalled Owen J Roberts Contract Talks Lead To Teacher Slowdown
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
SOUTH COVENTRY — The stalled contract negotiations between the Owen J. Roberts School District and its teachers union has gone public.
The teachers have been working without a contract since June 30 and the two sides have been negotiating, quietly for the most part, for 15 months.
However the failure to reach an agreement about wages has raised the stakes and the rhetoric in the matter and the teachers union have instructed their members to work only to the specific language of the expired contract and cease all extra and voluntary activities.
School Board President Douglas K. Hughes reacted by issuing a letter to the district Tuesday, which was also 
posted on the district web site, announcing that the teachers union had decided to “work to contract,” explaining they would “work only to the contractually obligated hours” and informing residents and taxpayers the union had asked their members “not to participate in any unpaid activities.”
Carbondale Area School Board To Eliminate 11 Teaching Positions
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lackawanna County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
CARBONDALE, PA – Several Carbondale Area teachers aired concerns about the elimination of 11 teaching positions at a special work session held Saturday morning.
The school board will vote to approve the $21 million budget for 2012-13 on June 20. The budget does not contain a tax increase, but school district officials expect to save about $600,000 by not replacing 11 teachers retiring this year, according to business manager David Cerra.
But the eliminated positions could also lead to larger class sizes and fewer elective options, teachers who attended Saturday’s work session said.
Cumberland Valley School District Considers Larger Elementary Classroom Size
The Cumberland Valley School District is facing a $6.7 million budget shortfall for the 2011-2012 school year but is not considering redistricting or closing schools. However, there are 17 teachers retiring who may not be replaced and that would lead to larger elementary class sizes. Hiring nine new teachers would cost the school district $1 million and is part of a possible compromise plan to keep class sizes below a certain level.
The board does not want to increase taxes and is looking at all options to cut spending, including teacher and administrator wage freezes. If teachers took a one year wage freeze it would save the district $1 million. Teachers have not volunteered to do so at this time. Administration wage freezes would save the district $177,000. The board is also shelving a contract that would have given teachers 3.15 percent raises over the next four years. The board will begin renegotiating with the teachers unions.
The Cumberland Valley School District is located on Harrisburg’s West Shore with the principal town being Mechanicsburg. The district has about 7,800 students. There are seven elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school and some administration buildings. The district was recognized in 2007 for the number of students achieving high PSSA scores and having a relatively low per-pupil expenditure. In 2011 Cumberland Valley was ranked 23rd out of Pennsylvania’s 498 school districts.
Boyertown And Upper Perk Teachers Vote For Wage Freeze
The Boyertown and Upper Perk teachers have agreed to a wage free to help both districts plug their budget deficits. The savings realized will be in the millions of dollars!
Boyertown has a $6.5 million budget deficit and Upper Perkiomen has a $1.5 million deficit. Boyertown teachers agreed to forgo raises for this year and next year. This will save the district about $3 million each year.
Upper Perkiomen teachers approved a wage freeze for the 2012-2013 school year. This should save the Upper Perk nearly $500,000 dollars.
Pottstown administrators have agree to a wage freeze but we are still waiting to see what direction the contract negotiations will take with the teacher’s union.
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