With an increasing number of students and their families opting into the Independent Home Study program, the Saugus Union School District is looking to increase the educational resources available to students who are studying outside the classroom.
The Saugus board of trustees is looking to provide new educational opportunities for students in its district by approving a resolution that will provide a new job description for the Independent Home Study Teacher on Special Assignment.
“In recent years, there has been an increase in enrollment in the Independent Home Study Program,” board president Christopher Trunkey said. “Up until this point in time, the position was a part-time position but earlier this year, we looked at the position and the possibility of extending it out into a full-time job.”
Similar to enrollment in the district, enrollment in the IHS ebbs and flows depending on who is entering the district, Trunkey added. “Right now, we have people who feel that home study is the most appropriate action for their child, and we respect that.”
As a result, the board of trustees is expected to approve a resolution Tuesday that would double the salary and outline the roles and responsibilities of the new full-time position, which was formerly part-time.
Under the supervision of the Assistant Superintendent of Education Services, the Independent Home Study TOSA will provide instruction for students enrolled in the district’s Independent Home Study Program. According to the agenda, the new position will be responsible for providing parent-teacher training and advisement, instructional guidance and developing grade level instructional plans for all grade levels K-6 which ensure adherence to the California Content Standards.
Trunkey said the change should have no effect on students, since the district had the position in the past.
“It’s a simple change,” Trunkey said. “We always look to make changes that will better serve our students and this appears to be one of them.”
