Hazeltine on ’88 List : All-Year School Evokes Mixed Teacher Reaction

Lunchtime discussion among Hazeltine Elementary School faculty Tuesday centered on one topic: the Los Angeles Board of Education’s decision to place the Van Nuys school on a year-round schedule.

Hazeltine, with an enrollment of 1,040, is one of 14 severely crowded Los Angeles Unified School District schools that the board on Monday voted to place on a 12-month schedule beginning in July, 1988. Seven of the schools are in the San Fernando Valley. All schools in the Los Angeles district will go to a year-round schedule in 1989.

Resigned to the inevitable change, Hazeltine faculty members held a spirited noontime discussion on the merits of year-round education. Some faculty members staunchly support the 12-month system, whereas others are dead-set against it.

“Personally, I’m all for year-round. I’ve been praying for this day,” said Esty La Hive, the school’s curriculum coordinator.

“That’s because she has adult children and isn’t in the classroom,” interjected a teacher, whose comment drew laughter from other teachers at the table.

“We’re all mothers here. What will we do if we’re on one schedule and our children are on another?” asked Sue Elmore. “I’ll have to quit teaching if I can’t be on the same schedule as my teen-agers. I don’t believe in leaving teen-agers at home by themselves.”

Ballots to Be Mailed

Under a multi-track system, students are divided into several groups, with at least one group on vacation at any time. This enables the school to increase the number of students it can instruct.

Parents of students at schools designated for year-round operation in 1988 will have the final say on whether to convert that year. The district will mail ballots to parents asking if they want to change to a year-round system next year or continue with the September-through-June calendar, close enrollment at the school and bus all new students to less-crowded campuses.

Although parents of children in those schools may vote against changing the schedule in 1988, their school would still convert to the year-round system in 1989 when the entire district is scheduled to change to a 12-month calendar.

Teachers at Hazeltine do not expect parents, many of whom are newly arrived immigrants from Latin America and Southeast Asia, to vote against changing to the multi-track system. “Our parents don’t understand what’s going on. They’re too busy trying to survive,” said teacher Molly Weinsheink.

Although many veteran teachers seemed to be against the year-round schedule, a group of younger teachers was enthusiastic about the change.

“I’m all for working for a few months and then having a few weeks off,” said Theresa Pro. “It will reduce teacher burnout.”

“What I like is 13 paychecks spread out over the entire year,” added Marlene Hernandez. “We won’t have to go for long periods of time without getting paid like we do now.”

Elaine Norman, a United Teacher-Los Angeles union representative, quoted research showing that, with shorter vacations, students do not forget as much as when they resume school after a three-month vacation.

Her contention was disputed by a chorus of groans at Hazeltine.

“Year-round, educationally, injures the child,” countered teacher Loretta Toggenburger. “There’s a big difference between a child leaving kindergarten in June and the same child entering first grade in September. On year-round, they aren’t going to have those three months to grow.”

The faculty was in agreement about the need for air conditioning in the summer. The school’s 37 classrooms are not air-conditioned.

Board members have said they cannot assure that all schools will be air-conditioned before they are changed to year-round schedules.