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Spilyay Tymoo
Page 4 February 12,1982
Alternative school offers choice in education
by Julie Mitchell
The Alternative Education
program has been one of the
best kept secrets in the Warm
S prings com m unity. The
program, which is housed in
the old b o y ’s dorm , is
considered an extension of
Madras High School. And as
the name implies, the program
offers practical alternative to
tr a d itio n a l h igh sc h o o l
te a c h in g m e th o d s a n d
atmosphere, but the curricu
lum remains the same.
Primary funding comes from
Johnson O’Malley, with Title
IV and 509-J School District
contributing partial funding
for staff and materials. The
JOM committee plays a role in
the section of staff for the
program and before final staff
selections are made, interviews
are held with the committee
and district administrators.
During the first semester, the
two-teacher staff offered 31
subjects to 55 students. During
the second semester, there are
two full-time and one half-time
teachers and a community
liaison on staff. The teachers
are Rob Hastings, Elizabeth
Hayes and Julie Mitchell, with
Ned H u rta d o being the
community liaison.
Students can either attend
the Alternative School full-day
or attend the Alternative
School half-day and Madras
High School half-day. Half-
day students take four classes,
while a full-day schedule
consists of six or seven classes.
Currently 28 students are
attending the A lternative
School. The n um ber is
expected to increase as the
semester enters its fourth week.
C lasses are scheduled
according to a stu d en t’s
academic requirements and
needed electives, ultimately
leading to a diploma. Weekly
contracts are individually
discussed and signed between
the student and teacher,
indicating work agreed to be
done in each subject by a
certain time the following
week. If course work is
completed before the given
day, the student is encouraged
to begin a new contract. Within
a nine-week period, a minimum
of six contracts must be
completed to earn a passing
grade and credit.
Students are not required to
follow a defined time schedule,
rather, they complete work at
their own pace during a time of
day agreed to in their contract,
contract requirements also
include keeping a daily journal,
mastery of subject skills and a
behavior agreement.
The A lternative school
attendance policy is based on
consecutive days absent
without contact from the
student. Five days non-
attendance requires a referral
to the justice system. Ten
unexcused absences results in
dropping the sutdent from the
program.
The Alternative School’s
le a rn in g a tm o sp h e re is
informal and unintimidating.
There are no tardy bells and no
hall passes. Students talk freely
among themselves and with
teachers while com pleting
weekly course work.
The two classrooms have
desks, tables and chairs and a
radio. Textbooks, paperbacks,
d ic tio n a rie s and v ario u s
brochures and pamphlets are
plentiful and readily available.
Teachers are accessible in both
classrooms to guide learning
and to answer questions.
The primary objective of the
Alternative School is to avoid
severing a student’s educa
tional chain and to provide a
program that inhances every
learning process available.
Increased staff and student
fam iliarity will hopefully
contribute a great deal to this
unique program.
Good working relations and
understanding am ong the
com m unity, M adras High
School and the Alternative
Education program are all
demanded. Understanding of
and involvement in alternative
teaching and learning methods
is a pre-requisite to keeping
local high school students in a
learning atmosphere.
The A lternative School
certainly should not be a “well-
kept” secret any longer. Staff
and students would like to
share their secret by welcoming
visitors to observe alternative
education in action.
Alternative education teacher Karen Leep (right) instructs new
teacher Elisabeth Hayes on student contracts. Hayes replaces
Leep at the center. Other teachers at the Alternative Education
Center are R ob Hastings and Julie Mitchell.
Spilyay Tymoo photo by Shewcsyk
Letter to the editor—
Japanese students return visit Police standards not set by personnel dept.
Attention students who went
to Japan last summer!!
Ten Japanese students will
be staying in Siletz, Oregon as
part of the same exchange.
Pat Darcy, who chaperoned
the Warm Springs students
would like to arrange a get-
together. Any students who
would be interested are asxea
to call Mike or Pat Darcy in
Siletz at 444-1070 or 444-2523.
The Japanese students will
be arriving March 14 and will
be leaving April 4. A meeting
can be arranged for anytime
within those dates.
U K
a training program for a
job description.
If the job description is to be members to become fnvolved in
I would like to clarify the revised, then it must go through becoming properly trained for
stateent made by Richard L. the same procedures if any those positions.
There is a definite need for a
Burton, JSA, in the February major changes are to be made.
2, 1982, issue of Spilyay Tymoo
I believe that Mr. Burton was policy to cover the training of
which is carried on page 11 referrin g to P e rso n n e l’s local people to fill the police
under the heading: “Police enforcing the approved job positions nd other positions in
position sta n d ard s.” Mr. description. The Personnel our o rg an iz atio n . T rib al
Burton’s statement was in Department only attempts to members can then be hired with
response to a question as enforce the standards set by the a training program established
department. In this instance we to eventually become qualified.
follows:
I wanted to clarify this as
“Standards advertized for were enforcing the standards
police officers are too high for set by the Police Department. several Tribal members have
our people,” one concerned If the Police Department questioned me about this
citizen commented. “With wishes to change those statement.
people wanting to deal with standards, then that is up to
other community members by them and not the Personnel
serving as police officers these Department.
As Personnel Manager I
standards are preventing local
Lloyd G. Smith, Sr.
citizens from even applying for believe that if the standards are
Personnel Manager
jobs in the police department.” high for the Police Depart
Burton replied that the ment, the tribes need to develop
standards were set by the
personnel department.
As the Tribal Personnel
Manager I would like to state
that the requirements for a job
that are put into a job February 16 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
description are set by the
1. 10:00 a.m. Hydro Chrono/Sale of Mill Power—
s u p e r v is o r o r m a n a g e r
E.F. Dibble/Dennis Karnopp
resposible for that particular
Enrollments—Dennis Karnopp
jo b , Personnel does not February 17/18 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
establish those requirements;
1. 10:00 a.m. Committee Reports—Detailed Agenda
h o w ev e r, o n ce th e jo b
to follow
description has been submitted February 22 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
through the proper channels
1. 10:00 a.m. 509-J Report
for the organization and has
2. 2:00 p.m. Realty
th e r e s p e c t i v e b r a n c h February 23 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 a.m. Management Report
manager’s approval, it does go
Housing Numbering Ordinance/Report
to the Personnel Department
to be evaluated by the Job February 24 Tour of water plant and Hydro Project by Tribal
Evaluation Committee. Once a Council
job description has received a Housing/Credit Referendum—Community Center
preliminary evaluation and February 25 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1.10:00 a.m. Report of Prineville site (Susan Crowley)
subsequently a final evaluation
by th e J o b E v a lu a tio n
MOIHS Report
Housing/Credit Referendum—Community Center
Committee, the job description
and job (salary) group are final. February 26 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
On the basis of that approved
1. 10:00 a.m. Referendum Results
job description, Personnel
Comp Plan Review
holds the department to that
To the editor,
Tribal Council Agenda
February 14 you can either say “Happy Valentine s Day or
opy Birthday Oregon.” District Representative Bitt Bellamy
erf Madras Elementary School’s second grade students and
nasho students as they celebrated both. The children noticed
Bellamy wore both a belt buckle and tie clasp with the Oregon
imprinted on t h « n . ^
y