The Early Childhood Education program in effect at Camino grove School since last fall has been ranked 19th out of 800 in the State. The program provides funds to expand the program from K through 3rd grade. It is the ultimate goal of California State School Superintendent Wilson Riles that all schools will be able to have ECE.
A report to the Board of Education indicates that the Elementary Childhood Education (ECE) program has not lived up to its expectations. ECE schools in Arcadia are Camino Grove, Longley Way and Holly Avenue.
Teachers and parents at Camino Grove and Holly Avenue elementary schools are in communication with the Arcadia Board of Education to restore the School Improvement Program.
For the first time Arcadia has a counselor, Eric Mordin, at the elementary level this year. At the present time he serves only Highland Oaks and Camino Grove schools.
The Arcadia Early Childhood Education (ECE) program may be at an end in Arcadia. Two schools have requested to terminate their programs and a 3rd school wished to make large changes in its program.
New principals have been named for three Arcadia elementary schools. Jim Gerhardt has been named to head Holly Avenue. Charles Jarboe requested a transfer from Highland Oaks and was assigned to Camino Grove. Mrs. Suzanne Burton will replace Mr. Jarboe at Highland Oaks.
The need for more volunteer aides is cited by District Librarian Mrs. Julie Dresdner. In the last three years, beginning at Camino Grove, library-media centers have been developed and are in operation at all nine elementary schools.
The legislative committee of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce will meet with the Board of Education to work together to bring state-wide pressure on the State Legislature to fund state-mandated programs & regulations. Support has been offered by Sen. H. L. Richardson's office should Arcadia proceed.
The State-administered Federal program which helped supplement reading and math skills for those youngsters with the lowest performances was rejected by a 3-2 vote of the School Board. Voting against were Board members May, Horstman and Clifford; voting for were Fickas and Harvey.
Arcadia High School is instituting two P. E. classes for handicapped youngsters this fall. A survey showed the need, so a program has been worked out which will be titled Adaptive P. E. and is designed to strengthen and condition those students.
The Early Childhood Education programs have been merged into the School Improvement Programs. A proposed consortium will consist of the Beverly Hills, La Canada, Arcadia, South Pasadena and Temple City districts.
The Arcadia School Improvement Program, successor to the Early Childhood Education Program, was dropped by the Arcadia School Board by a vote of 3-1, with one abstention.
Parents with children in the EMR (Educable Mentally Retarded) program in the Arcadia schools have written letters to the state, county and local school officials outlining the difficulties EMR teachers are having controlling their students without help from aides (lost due to Prop. 13).
The Early Childhood Education program, set up in 1973 for a five year span, probably will get only enough money to keep existing programs going and not enough to expand to other schools.