Latest news with #ToddMartin
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Four-day school week 'went fantastic' says Saydel Superintendent
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Saydel Community School District started looking into the possibility of a four-day school week three years ago, and this Wednesday marked the end of the school year with the first time applying that theory. There are 18 school districts in the state that have converted to a four-day school week. For Saydel, the two major goals were mental well-being and retention of quality staff. As a smaller school district surrounded by giants in the metro, something needed to change to appeal to potential teachers. 'We want to make sure that we retain our people and keep them here for longer to make a larger impact. And then obviously, you know, if we can't attract top talent, that becomes a problem as well,' said Todd Martin, Superintendent of Saydel Community School District. 'At the beginning of the summer in 2024, there were 25 full-time positions needing to be filled. Fast forward to this year, there are only 13 positions needing to be filled. For Martin, that indicates the four-day week is working.' DMPS selling student-run radio station KDPS 88.1 FM 'And in the past before that, years ago, it was nothing to have, you know, 30 new staff members. So you can see 13 is a dramatic decrease in new people to our district, which means we can spend more time on further developing people that are currently here,' said Martin. Martin added that there are 15-20 people applying for each position and people are cold calling about those jobs. That has not happened during his tenure as superintendent. The district plans on doing the four-day weeks for the next two years, with Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off. More data will be collected about attendance, staff retention, and impact on academics. The district did a district-wide survey in the fall and the spring to see what students, staff, and parents/guardians had to say. On the academic side, Martin said that the results show in just one year on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress tests. There was an increase in scores which means, to the administration, something is working. '…10% increase is fantastic across the board as a district. Our elementary saw the greatest gains, which was really awesome,' said Martin. 'Matter of fact, we look for them to really show great improvements on the report card this year. As for our middle school and high school we did wee quite a few pockets of excellence beginning to grow, which is very promising. The way I explain this to anybody that asks is all the arrows are pointing in the right direction, and now it's just about maintaining that consistently over time to continue to move towards comprehensive improvement as a district.' Martin said schools have reached out inquiring about the four-day weeks, asking what works and what doesn't. He expects there to be even more school districts next year adopting this calendar. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Spanish Teacher and Husband Arrested in Crack Bust
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A Spanish teacher from St. Nicks/St. Mary's in Wilkes-Barre along with her husband were arrested and another is wanted for their alleged roles in a crack purchase in the city of Scranton on March 27. Lackawanna County Detectives utilized a Confidential Informant (C.I.) to set up a purchase of crack cocaine between the C.I. and 53-year-old Plains resident William Smiley The complaint states that Smiley directed the C.I. to the corner of Adams Ave and Linden St in downtown Scranton around 5:45 p.m. where the C.I. was picked up by 43-year-old Mountain Top resident Rosemary Martin, and her husband 46-year-old Todd Martin. The C.I. was outfitted with covert listening devices so detectives could listen in on the purchase. Officials say as Todd Martin drove around the block while Rosemary and the C.I. conducted the purchase, detectives overheard Rosemary call Smiley saying 'The money is light'. Todd Martin was also heard discussing the purchase with the C.I. Rosemary allegedly proceeded to sell the crack cocaine to the C.I. and dropped the C.I. off where they met with detectives who then proceeded to immediately arrest Rosemary and Todd Martin, according to the complaint. William Smiley has not yet been taken into custody. The Superintendent for the Diocese of Scranton put out a statement to student's parents that reads: 'Dear Saint Nicholas / Saint Mary School Families, Today, Friday, March 28, 2025, the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System was notified of criminal charges being filed against one of our educators. Lackawanna County detectives arrested rosemary Martin last evening on charges of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. While the allegations have no direct connection to our school, we believe it is important to inform you of this information to maintain transparency with our school community. Mrs. Martin has only been in the classroom one day since February 28. As a result of the charges, she has now been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. Because this is a law enforcement matter, we cannot provide any other information at this time. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.' Rosemary Martin is being charged with Unlawful Delivery, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and was unable to post bail. She is due in court next on April 10th. Todd Martin is being charged with Criminal Conspiracy to Deliver and Possess a Controlled Substance. He was unable to post bail and is due in court next on April 10th. William Smiley is being charged with Criminal Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance as well as Criminal Use Of A Communications Facility. He has not been arrested for his alleged role in this crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
