Agenda - 09-20-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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(124-F County Commissioners Sept. 94 My name is Betsy Barrow and I'm a teacher at Seawell Elementary School in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. I'm here tonight to urge you to accept and fund the proposal presented by our school system to build the new elementary school as planned. Several years ago I served on the educational specifications committee which designed CH-C's new middle and elementary schools. As one who spoke to you before, I'd like to reiterate the commitment of the teachers, administrators, community, School Board members, and architects who worked very hard on this project to plan schools for the twenty-first century. As a committee we felt that this was an advanced concept to plan ahead knowing that an additional elementary /middle school would be needed in the near future. Last Fall, 1993, realizing that funds were limited, the educational specifications committee met again to rework the school design cutting back on the expenses of the proposed elementary school. Although this was a difficult task, we understood the necessity of working within guidelines and budgets in a time of scarce resources. The finished product, we believe, should provide our elementary students with a facility that meets the educational needs of our students as well as allows for further growth. In regards to the building, I'd like to reiterate that this is a school designed by educators, as well as architects and others in the community. If you look carefully and listen to the architects, nearly every design feature has a rationale behind it, and is always putting children first. The way the building is designated is driven by the curriculum. The curriculum is research based which emphasizes,of course, basic competencies but also cooperative groups, hands-on learning, and computer and other technology. As Dr. Pedersen so aptly put it in his recent letter to the editor, schools are a different place then they were 20-30 years ago-even 10 years ago. To keep pace with a changing population with changing needs, it only makes sense to look to research and architectual design to help further the educational process. In conclusion, I hope you will approve, without delay, the recommendations of our school board, administrative staff, and educational specifications committee for a school that we believe we have planned well for and that needs to be built. Thank you your time.