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.
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.
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.
Volunteer aides make the Early Childhood Education program work. the State mandated and funded program aims at giving youngsters from pre-school through the 3rd grade better learning experiences. Camino Grove is the only school in the district with the pilot program.
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.
Approximately 147 students who have attended Hugo Reid will be transferred to Holly Avenue next year if the proposal is passed by the school board. The transfer and boundary change are designed to alleviate over-crowding at Hugo Reid.
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.
The School Board reversed an earlier decision to order construction of two modular buildings at Holly Avenue School to permit the transfer there of 150 students from Hugo Reid, thus emptying one classroom there for future growth. It may not be possible at this late date to get the necessary work done by September 15.
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 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.
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 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.
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).