Proposed changes to physical education programs for students with special needs in District 51 are still drawing concern.
Last week, School District 51 sent a memo to parents and staff that its adaptive PE program would see changes at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, including staffing cuts.
In a follow-up on the issue included in Superintendent Diana Sirkoâs weekly report, Sirko explained the in-person adaptive PE program would transition to one âfocused on integrating children into physical education classes with their peers as much as possible.â
The move will trim the adaptive PE teaching staff from four specialists to two during a transition period. Eventually, there would be one specialist tasked with training other teachers in the district to handle adaptive PE and other special education-based duties.
Sirko addresses COVID-19 in superintendent letter
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Superintendent weighs in on District 51 staff shakeups
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Masks will be required in School District 51 buildings for the rest of the school year, and staff sizes will be trimmed for next year.
Those are the two biggest takeaways from Superintendent Diana Sirkoâs weekly letter to the District 51 community.
âOver the past three years, we have reduced positions across our entire system, starting with central administration, then support positions, instructional coaching, curriculum, student services, and professional development,â Sirko wrote. âThis year, overstaffing will be addressed at the school level.â
In a separate letter to district staff about the cuts, Sirko wrote that the decision is to make salaries more competitive. Sirko added that the starting salaries for teachers in District 51 are about 7-10% below the state average.