By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

 Parents and students in Regional School Unit 23 say the district should focus on teaching students basic skills and use technology to prepare them for a changing world.

More than 200 parents, students and staff gathered March 24 at Saco Middle School for a forum to plan the future of the district, which includes Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach.

Gary Curtis, a school board member from Old Orchard Beach, said the district is working on the long-term planning process to determine the kind of education students will receive as they prepare for college and careers.

The “Ensuring Excellence: Designing Our Schools for the Future” forum was designed to give residents an opportunity to weigh in on the best ways to provide the best possible education for the 21^st century student, Curtis said.

“This exercise is meant to be a gathering of wisdom from all of us who care about the direction our schools should take. This ‘collective wisdom’ will become a vital part of the considerations of the strategic planning committee and the (school) board as the five-year plan develops,” Curtis said.

David Galli, chairman of the school board, said the board is working with the Great Schools Partnership in the planning process. Ideas collected at the forum will be compiled by Great Schools Partnership for the board to use as it develops the plan.

Participants at the forum met in small, facilitated groups to discuss the district’s mission, core values and other issues. Galli led a group of seven community members, including parents, bus drivers and a high school student.

Parents in the group said they want to ensure their children are learning basic skills and have appropriate access to technology.

Michelle Roche of Saco said students need to be taught how to use technology for learning, not just social networking. She also suggested basic skills are important,  including making change and how to use proper grammar in e-mails.

 “There’s nothing more important than a thank-you note,” she said.

Deanne Hallett, who has two daughters in Saco schools, agreed education needs to include basic skills.

“I think computers are a great aid for helping to teach,” she said. “I really think we need to focus on keeping the basics, like math skills.”

Hallett said she has concerns about math curriculum used in schools. Parents often are unfamiliar with methods now taught in school and the curriculum lacks instruction on skills such as making change, she said.

The group also suggested the school do more to strengthen communication between parents and teachers, especially as students use technology that is unfamiliar to parents. Parents also said they want to ensure all students are being challenged, regardless of their learning level.

Susan Croteau of Old Orchard Beach said she is surprised how much technology her son uses in his elementary school class. She said her son responds well to and enjoys using technology in the classroom.

“The way to keep kids’ attention has changed. The only way to keep their attention is to make it current and fun,” she said.

“Some of the skills employers are looking for are not the skills our children are learning in school,” said Cathy Dexter of Saco.

Dexter and other group participants agreed students need to learn conflict resolution, communication skills and interpersonal skills.

“Kids are addicted to being connected by technology. They’ve done it so much they lose those interpersonal skills,” Hallett said. 

Galli said it is difficult for school boards to buy needed technology in a time when town councils are “screaming there should be no tax increase.”

“We don’t have the money we would like to have to put into technology,” he said.

Denise Smith, a Dayton resident who drives a school bus for the district, said administrators should consult bus drivers for ideas on how to save money on transportation costs.

After meeting in small groups for about an hour, participants gathered in a large group to review highlights from the discussions. Groups decided it is important to engage students to prevent dropouts, involve the community and business owners in schools, encourage students to be lifelong learners, provide more resources for teachers, teach children how to use technology as a learning tool and create an environment where students want to learn.

Galli said ideas compiled from the forum will guide the board’s planning process. He encourages parents and students to continue to be involved in the process and attend public meetings. Anyone who did not attend the forum is invited to fill out a survey on the district website, www.rsu23.org. 

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.