Oslo Principal Greg Pearsaul couldn t afford to use the three teachers assigned to the program for such a small number, he said. The decision to move the students to a general education setting was a site-based decision, one that was made by the school principal, he said. Pearsaul said a new middle school team of five teachers was created with the eight students and 92 general education students. Three of the five teachers on the team taught drop out prevention last year, he said. In the drop out prevention program, class sizes are kept small, with no more than 21 in a class.
Students stay in the same classroom all day with one teacher.
The program has been geared toward students who are struggling and considered to be at risk of leaving school without graduating. Pearsaul said parents were reluctant to give permission for their children to be in the program because they were concerned having their children being stigmatized with a label. Board Chairman Herb Bailey said the new team allows students to have classes with a small student-teacher ratio, without labeling them. Board members said they took exception to a letter McGarvey wrote to Dearing asking that the program be reinstated. Board member Steve Mohler also said he didn t like the tone of the letter.