Despite the uncertainties with shifting to a new curriculum, there’s an air of enthusiasm inside the century-old Liberty Memorial Central Middle School building, two teachers say.
LMCMS will begin as a STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — school in about two weeks.
Josh Spradlin, who’s taught at LMCMS going on 15 years, beginning in 2009 and spending 2022-23 in the Blue Valley district before returning in fall 2023, said it was time for a fresh approach.
“Everyone that works in that building, they have a positive intent, and we’re going to try and do the best that we can,” Spradlin said.
“When the idea of STEAM came along, it was like, you know, this looks like a chance to actually do some change. Not just put words behind it, but actually do something.”
Teachers have been collaborating across the building to prepare. One idea in the works relates to advocacy for people with physical disabilities, according to LMCMS teacher Colby Cormack.
Cormack says the STEAM school’s goal is to teach students that all disciplines work together, and to prioritize their creativity. Students could research the history of the American Disabilities Act, visit city buildings, calculate angles and slopes of accessible ramps, learn about the role of gravity in ramps, and write their reflections.
“I have never worked with a better group of teachers and support staff,” Cormack said via email.
“They truly have an energy here that is unique. Speaking just for my eighth grade team, I always feel they have my back, but will also keep me focused on improving every day; to try and find new ways of improving or adding to my lessons and my techniques. I have no interest in going anywhere else.”
In 2022, both Spradlin and Cormack volunteered on the Futures Planning Committee, which consisted of teachers, staff, administrators and community members. The group was charged with creating a recommendation for approximately $9 million worth of budget cuts for the 2022-23 year.
LMCMS originally faced the chopping block — along with Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementary schools, which were ultimately closed as part of the final cuts. But during the Futures Planning Committee’s process, administrators suggested “restructuring or repurposing” LMCMS as a themed or magnet school.
That became official when the school board in December voted unanimously to implement a STEAM focus at LMCMS this fall.
Some students within the district transferred in and out of LMCMS for the 2024-25 year, but it’s unclear how many of their decisions may have been influenced by the new STEAM model, according to district spokesperson Julie Boyle.
Boyle said so far, 15 students are transferring from other middle schools to attend the STEAM school, while 50 students are transferring out. That’s compared to seven incoming and 107 outgoing for the 2023-24 year.
No students from outside of the district are enrolled in STEAM this fall, compared to one nonresident transfer last year.
Boyle said the district expects data to show progress before the school year begins on Aug. 14.
‘It’s a multiyear process’
A small eighth grade group compared to the other two grades this year has shifted some teachers around.
Spradlin normally teaches eighth grade science but is preparing to add sixth grade science this fall to fill his day, he says. Cormack will be taking on seventh grade geography/Kansas history in addition to his regular eighth grade history classes.
The incoming eighth grade class entered LMCMS as a small sixth grade class, according to Spradlin, and grade sizes generally can vary.
Enrollment data for this coming year will not be available until the district takes its annual headcount on Sept. 20. The district recorded 395 students attending LMCMS during the 2023-24 enrollment count.
To account for the “inquiry block,” which is time at the end of the day for projects or activity clubs, LMCMS will dismiss at 3:15 p.m. every day except for Wednesdays. That’s 15 minutes later than the other middle schools. The extension allows for 1 p.m. Wednesday early releases – 35 minutes earlier than the other middle schools.
Schedule adjustments also leave more time for teachers to continue their professional development in STEAM. Implementation is not “a quick fix,” Boyle said, but a gradual process.
“It’s a multiyear process, and patience is going to be needed to kind of see, hopefully, some of the results that we want,” Spradlin said.
Teacher hiring, training
Currently on the district’s employment website are 10 certified and classified openings at LMCMS for a science teacher, head cheer coach, food service assistant and more. The other three middle schools also have several vacancies, some more than at LMCMS, which Boyle said is normal for the middle schools.
STEAM has not presented any hiring challenges; rather, the district has seen improvements in hiring open positions, Boyle said. STEAM wasn’t specified as a reason for any of the few teachers who left the school this year.
Thus far, LMCMS teachers have taken online modules and training through PBL Works and Project Lead the Way. Last week, Cormack had completed 51 additional professional development hours.
Nearly 20 teachers, including Cormack and Spradlin, recently met with local design agency Multistudio about inquiry-based learning ideas. Last year, some LMCMS kids visited Multistudio’s STEAM studio in Kansas City, and teachers were able to practice introducing STEAM concepts to their students.
“I’m sure there will be issues of logistics along the way, but I’m excited that we already have some practice under our belt from last year’s eighth grade so we can move forward with a better picture this year,” Cormack said via email.
Although no major physical changes are planned for the old building, teachers are looking to maximize its small classroom sizes to have enough space for projects. And Cormack said some teachers hope to work on grant applications for, potentially, additional technology and equipment.
Boyle said the district plans to keep STEAM families, and the greater community, updated on the school’s progress this year.
Read previous articles about the STEAM school at this link.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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