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Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District trustees Wednesday were asked to reconsider independent study policies, in the wake of a scabies outbreak this spring that prompted many parents to pull their children from class. Tenaya Elementary School teacher Joanne Beaudreau told trustees at their regular meeting that the recent scabies scare prompted many parents to pull their children out of class, causing them to fall behind.
The students have been studying independently, which Beaudreau said is creating more work for her and other teachers. “It was a nightmare to get this together for the students,” Beaudreau said as she held up thick stacks of worksheets that she sent home. As of mid-March, about 20 cases of scabies had been identified and more than 60 people treated in Tuolumne County. Treatment extends to all people who live in the same household as scabies patients, said Tuolumne County Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp. Scabies is caused by mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs. The primary symptoms are itching and rashes. Scabies transfers from person to person through physical contact like cuddling and dancing, Stolp said. Transmission generally takes more than a hug or handshake. The only surefire method of prevention is avoiding contact with infected people. Beaudreau said one parent took their child out of class because they worried about them “catching that STD going around Tenaya.” According to Superintendent Jim Frost, Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified usually has had one or two students studying independently on a short-term basis at this time of year. At the height of the scabies scare, which Frost said was in February and March, about 20 students were studying at home. The district doesn’t collect reports about the number of students affected by scabies, according to Frost. According to Big Oak Flat-Groveland’s board policy, the maximum amount of time for any given independent study assignment is one week. However, the superintendent or his designee may grant more time, depending on individual circumstances. Beaudreau said that only one of her six independent study students turned in all of their work. She added that since California’s STAR standardized tests are coming this month, the school has even more to lose if students miss class instruction. “This was the worst possible time for students to be out for a month,” Beaudreau said, noting that recent scores on English and math benchmark tests were low. “These kids were lost.” Under No Child Left Behind, Tenaya Elementary entered “Program Improvement” status this year as the result of low math scores. Data from the California Department of Education shows that about 52 percent of Tenaya students tested as proficient or above in math. Math is especially challenging for many parents to teach when a student is studying at home, according to Beaudreau. She asked the board to consider stricter policies for approving short-term independent study, which might help prevent students from falling behind in the future. Frost is forming a committee to examine independent study policies, according to district secretary Jennifer Shimer. The committee will most likely examine all aspects of independent study, from the type of homework assigned to the number of hours required of students. Also during the public comment portion of the meeting, Tenaya parent Ken Lawrence complained about Big Oak Flat-Groveland’s handling of his requests for information. Lawrence’s son is among the students who missed school because of the scabies outbreak. He said he was referred to different phone numbers every time he called the district for information about the scabies outbreak. “That was just really condescending, to find out that each bit of information I was getting was different,” Lawrence said. “We couldn’t get an answer at any point on the way.” Lawrence later added that he agreed independent study was a losing situation for his son. “I just wanted to let you guys know how the parents feel,” Lawrence said. “Our students are taking a beating over this. Maybe we can do a better job next time.” According to Frost, the district has taken direction on the scabies issue from the Tuolumne County Public Health Department. He said doesn’t plan to recommend policy changes as a result of the situation. |