Lynn teachers OK Ford extended day

LYNN – The Lynn Teachers Union voted to approve a proposed extended-learning time plan at the Ford School last week, but the vote is just the first of many hurdles the district must clear before it can officially implement longer hours at the school next year.As it has been for over two years, the state of the extended-day proposal at the Ford remains in flux as a plethora of circumstance continues to prevent principal Claire Crane from carrying out her vision of longer school days and improved academics.The effort to bring ELT to the Ford began in the early months of 2007, when the school first began working on a proposal to secure $1.2 million in grant money from the state to extend the school day.The plan was well-received by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which approved the proposal and awarded the grant money, but the city and the teachers’ union failed to come to an agreement on amending teachers’ contracts before school began in September of 2007. As a result, the district was forced to forfeit the grant money and start over with a new proposal.Now more than a year later, the school is still facing problems in getting its proposal approved, but unlike 2007, the holdup is coming from the DOE, not the teachers’ union.Even as Union President Alice Gunning informed Superintendent Catherine Latham of the group’s vote last Thursday, city and school officials remained unclear as to whether the DOE has approved the new proposal and say that even if the plan is approved, they have little hope that funding will be in the pipeline in fiscal year 2010.”The union approved our extended-day program, now the next step is the DOE,” said Crane. “We just don’t have a definitive answer yet, it is in the DOE’s backyard right now.”The problem at the state level likely involves funding more than it does the quality of proposal from the Ford School, as Gov. Deval Patrick continues to propose tax hikes and frugal spending to balance the fiscal year 2010 budget.In his initial budget proposal released late last month, Patrick proposed a slight cut in the extended learning time budget from $17.5 million in fiscal year 2009 to $17,413,750 in 2010.By essentially level funding the line item, Patrick has agreed to continue funding any programs already in operation, but left little room for new schools like the Ford to slip in unless another school in the state abandons its extended day efforts.”We know that they are getting funded for the ones that they have now,” said Crane. “But I don’t know if there will be anything for new schools.”The extended learning time initiative took off upon the election of Patrick, who announced plans to eventually convert every school in the state to extended day as a way to improve academics and comply with No Child Left Behind.By adding additional time to the school day, students are provided more classroom and study time, and are given more opportunity to participate in new school activities.The state initially funded 18 ELT proposals in eight districts and had provided funding to 28 additional districts, including Lynn, for planning grants last year.But the economic downturn has taken a toll on the effort, as both the Connery and Ingalls elementary schools were forced to abandon their ELT proposals due to budget problems last year, leaving the Ford as the only school in the city in line for funding.Latham said Tuesday that she does not know any more than Crane regarding the status of the proposal and funding at the state level, and that she hadn’t heard anything official from the DOE regarding the situation.Gunning, who is away at a conference this week, was unavailable for comment.