Editorials

The Berkeley Unified School District, in a cost-cutting move, is planning a major overhaul of its Independent Study program next year — shrinking year-long courses to a semester and cutting teacher-student time up to 50 percent. 

School officials and several Independent Study teachers say the proposal marks a thoughtful way to erase a roughly $200,000 program deficit while retaining the overall quality of the program, which serves about 170 students, most of them high school age. 

But opponents, including an outspoken teacher and a handful of parents and students, say the program will not be able to maintain its integrity in the face of cuts. 

“That’s just a bunch of hogwash,” said Independent Study math teacher Pam Drew. “You don’t cut instructional time in half and still maintain a sound program.” 

Students in the 11-year-old program receive several hours of one-on-one instruction from certified teachers every week, but do much of their course work at home.  

Independent Study draws a range of upper-level athletes and musicians who want free time for practice, children with emotional or learning difficulties and students who simply want to escape the anonymity of Berkeley High School. 

The district is proposing the cost-cutting moves in the context of a 2003-2004 budget shortfall of at least $3.8 million. The Board of Education already has issued pink slips to over 200 of the district’s teachers and scaled back its library and music programs.  

The board has not yet made a decision on the Independent Study restructuring, but at least one school board director said the changes make sense. 

“Every program in the district is under a microscope because of our budget problems,” said Director Terry Doran. “That program ... has not been living within its budget.” 

Doran said he is confident that the new configuration will work. But critics say the proposed cuts will gut the program. 

“It’s a pretty cynical proposal,” said Michael Burr, parent of a high school senior in the program. “I wonder if they’re going to be able to provide anything substantive if they go to this system.” 

Sara McMickle, program coordinator for Independent Study, said the proposal represents a great compromise between district officials, who need to cut costs, and teachers, who want to maintain the integrity of the program.  

McMickle suggested that the changes will actually inspire some positive, innovative changes in the program. 

“It’s kind of exciting,” she said.  

Next year, McMickle said, the program will probably offer less one-on-one instruction and move to more small seminars.  

Through meeting with several students at once, teachers will be able to minimize the cuts in teacher-student face time required under the new plan. 

Michael Denker, a French teacher, said meeting with two students at once is actually preferable when it comes to language instruction. 

“They can have someone besides the teacher to hear and bounce stuff off of,” he said. 

Art teacher Regina Woodard added that the financial solvency offered by the plan will create a greater sense of security for Independent Study staff and students. 

Students had mixed reactions to the planned shake-up. 

Shamiya Henesley, a senior, responded well to the proposed shift from a semester to a quarter system — with students taking fewer classes at once, but finishing them in half the time. Still, she was concerned about the reduction in one-on-one instruction time. 

“I like it one-on-one,” she said. 

Senior John Burr was more pointed. 

“They’re going to destroy” Independent Study, he said.  

“It seems like it’s going to move [away] from providing a decent alternative to the high school.”