Stimulus to fund teacher training

South Milwaukee School District officials recommend federal stimulus money be spent on professional development for teachers, a move they feel will have an effect even after the funds run out.

"The whole purpose of what we saw the stimulus money to do was to build our institutional growth, our institutional capacity, so that when this money goes away, we're stronger," said Jennifer Sielaff, director of personnel, administrative and legal services.

The district will receive $1.04 million over two years

Sielaff, who presented the proposal to the School Board on April 22, recommended allocating $245,000 over two years to hire a writing and reading coach who would work with all grade levels. That person would work with teachers, helping them improve and modeling teaching strategies in the classroom.

At the elementary level, the coach would focus on Blakewood Elementary School, and provide some of the resources the other schools get annually through Title I grants.

Other proposals, with the cost over two years listed, include:

• $160,000 for a math teacher for Rawson and Luther elementary schools;

• $178,000 for a technology integration specialist and technology support position;

• $30,000 for an early childhood curriculum consultant to assist in better aligning the 4-year-old curriculum with the rest of the grades; and

• $40,000 for pre-Read 180 and math intervention software to assist struggling students.

The district is required to give 5 percent of the Title I-specific money, about $15,200, to parochial schools.

Of the $1.04 million the district will receive, $125,800 remains to be allocated. The board already approved spending $247,000 to fund an elementary special education position, a speech and language position and an occupational therapy position.

The board requested more detailed descriptions for each proposed position and how progress will be measured before it votes on the proposals.

Julie Ann Marra can be reached at (262) 446-6634.