Montebello : Teachers, Parents Protest Rotating Classroom System

Teachers and parents this week protested a recent decision by the Montebello Unified School District board to implement a roving and rotating classroom system at its seven year-round schools. They called the move “bad education.”

Students at year-round schools attend classes for nine weeks and are off for three. Under a rotating system, students will use a different classroom every nine-week period. During the three-week vacation period, some teachers will be forced to “rove” from classroom to classroom.

The board agreed in January to implement the roving and rotating system in order to receive $1.25 million in incentive money from the state. Board members admitted, though, that the state money was not guaranteed. At a packed board meeting this week, Montebello elementary school teachers told board members that roving or rotating caused disorganization, and that the lost time would be detrimental to their students.

Norman Kirschenbaum, assistant superintendent of instructional services, said the new system would affect approximately 290 teachers at Bell Gardens, Colmar, Garfield, Greenwood and Suva elementary schools, and Bell Gardens and Suva intermediate schools.

The board will make its final decision on whether to go ahead with the roving and rotating system at its meeting on Feb. 21.