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Schools

Plan calls for tech help at middle schools

Specialists would oversee computers in the office and classroom and manage data.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT
Published May 5, 2005

INVERNESS - Citrus County's four middle schools are about to get some extra technology help under a plan that superintendent Sandra "Sam" Himmel will bring to the School Board on Tuesday. Himmel will recommend that the board fine tune the job description of instructional technology specialist, and that one specialist be stationed at each middle school.

These experts, who will cost the district $164,000 including benefits, will play a variety of roles, from providing technical support for the school's computer systems to helping teachers use technology in the classrooms. Each worker will analyze data for the schools - an increasingly important role as schools adjust lessons to meet the needs of students.

"We've met with the middle school principals and they are in need of technology specialists in their schools," Himmel said. "We already have them in the high schools."

These specialists will take on part of the role that had been played by a district-level teacher on special assignment. That position will not be filled this year as Himmel adjusts various job responsibilities at the district office.

The new specialists will help teachers use the much-debated Abacus computer program, help schools implement a new overall operating system that meshes with Abacus, and will help examine student scores generated by a locally administered test designed to predict how students will fare on the FCAT.

That analysis allows teachers to adjust their focus to be sure students are learning what they need.

Since computers are such an integral part of classroom instruction, the specialists are needed to keep those key systems up, operating and used, Himmel said.

In unrelated personnel action, Himmel said she will grant two requests from the Academy of Environmental Science: She will allow Marine Science supervisor Hugh Adkins to oversee the academy through the end of this school year and she will appoint Ben Stofchek as a teacher at the school for next year.

Stofchek has been a teacher on special assignment at the district office for several years, but Himmel has decided to not fill that slot next year as she reorganizes positions and responsibilities.

Himmel said Wednesday that school district officials have not yet formally decided to have Adkins remain as director for the academy next year. The academy's board has expressed interest in having Adkins stay on to oversee the program.

The academy decided last month to remove Lisa Merritt as director and teacher at the school. Because she is tenured, the district will find her a new slot. Himmel said that she will likely take on a long-term substitute job through the end of the school year and another spot would be found for her in August.

Barbara Behrendt can be reached at 564-3621 or behrendt@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 5, 2005, 01:26:13]