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| Paola USD 368 needs to hang on to talented staff |
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| Opinion | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Wednesday, 23 September 2009 07:00 | |||
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There are a lot of things that draw families to the Paola community, and the reputation of the local school district should be near the top of the list. Local residents have shown their support for Paola USD 368 in the past, including voting for a $6.3 million bond issue that ensured students and teachers started the 2006-07 school year with some of the latest technology. The district has responded by featuring some of the best teachers in the state year in and year out. That was proved once again on Sunday, when Cottonwood Elementary School reading teacher Beth Slawson was named Region 2’s elementary-school finalist for Kansas Teacher of the Year. Slawson found out about the honor during a ceremony in Topeka. The success is nothing new for Cottonwood, as its own Julie Miller was a finalist for Kansas Teacher of the Year last year, and Cottonwood teacher Erin Capettini was a state finalist the year before. Bonnie Dumpert, who teaches sixth-grade at Paola Middle School, also was recognized Sunday as one of Region 2’s three secondary-school semifinalists. Paola should be proud of the achievements of USD 368 teachers, and district officials need to do everything they can to keep talented teachers within the district. The budget cuts that have trickled down from the state level to school districts across Kansas have hit Paola hard, and USD 368 staff members, including teachers, are in the midst of a salary freeze. While district officials have worked to minimize the cuts to staffing, decisions likely will be even harder next year if the funding doesn’t turn around. Even when times are tough, finding ways to maintain talented staff members needs to be a priority. Hopefully, the positive reputation being built around Paola USD 368 is one that will continue for many years into the future.
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