Finance+Week+4+Part+3

Our district and high school campus uses differentiated staffing when feasible. More times than not it is a specific staff member for specific needs. However, sometimes our needs can best be met by manipulating job responsibilities as such that employees with special skills are given time to fulfill specific responsibilities. Our professional staff breakdown is 195 teachers, and 28 instructional aides. The bulk of our differentiation is in these two categories. District wide, our professional staff for instruction constitutes 58% of our employment. Our high school (Huffman-Hargrave) is unique in that it is the only 3A school in Harris County (amidst all the super 5A’s in the Houston area). I personally love it but it does not come without challenges. Many times they include sharing staff members with our middle school. There is a careful balance that has to be weighed and many times each and every class slot is important. Additionally, unlike most or possibly all districts, we actually staff our DAEP. We have teachers coming and going left and right to fulfill direct instruction obligations over there. All this may initially lend itself to just the opposite of differentiation. But in a sense that is just what it is. Although it may ultimately be the same staff member, they actually take off their hats on certain days, and take on a completely different role on others. We utilize true differentiation in special education quite regularly through the use of inclusion aids and co-teach models. I am happy to say that we have neither a full time staffed content mastery, nor a full time staffed AB unit. We have the ability to staff them at the drop of a hat, but choose to serve our students in the regular classroom whenever possible. It is in this sense that we truly mainstream our students. Additionally, we differentiate through the use of part time teacher/part time counseling support. Also part time teacher/part time intervention coordinator. Both play major roles in testing and dropout prevention. Again, because of the size of our district, this type of differentiation best serves our students needs. From time to time I drive by chemical plants in our area and marvel at all the pipes, valves, gauges, flares and wonder if there is any one person out there who knows how it all works (and could operate it). I believe the answer to that is a resounding no. However, there are experts in every field, and supervisors over different areas that make all the pieces of the puzzle come together. The same is true in schools. I believe it truly is about putting all the right people in all the right seats on the bus.