News channel down the tubes for two high schools
Hernando Today Published: August 6, 2010
For the past two decades, students nationwide have spent part of their school day watching Channel One News, an education news program geared toward helping middle and high schoolers stay caught up on current events.
At Central High School, Principal Joe Clifford said students would sit and watch Channel One News as anchors would review national and world news along with highlighting other events and topics affecting teens.
However, with the district seeking a roughly $1.5 million school improvement grant, officials are looking for ways to increase instructional time to meet the grant’s requirements.
The $1.5 million grant would be awarded each year for three years and split between the two schools.
And for low-achieving Central and Hernando high schools, that means Channel One got put on the chopping block.
“My focus has to be on what I can do to improve this school,” Clifford said. “And that 15 minutes per day is time away from the classroom and now that’s something we can’t afford.”
Ken Pritz, principal at Hernando High School, said neither students nor teachers would see much of a difference next year because the school hasn’t broadcasted the show for the past three years.
When he came to the school a few years ago, Pritz learned the school hadn’t shown the news show since the school switched to cable from analog.
Although he has informed Channel One officials about the issue, he said he didn’t want to correct it and add the 15 minute program to the school schedule if district officials were just going to cancel it.
“The show probably has some value because I can remember showing it,” Pritz said, recalling his time as an educator. “But with all the pressure we’re receiving with having to increase our minutes of teaching in the classroom, it’s just not in our best interest at this time to bring that back.”
FULL STORY at http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2010/aug/06/ha-news-channel-down-the-tubes-for-two-high-school/
