'Flexible seating' at Tallmadge school spawns concerns, questions from parents

Tallmadge Elementary School greeted the start of the new school year with a wave of concerns from parents about classroom seating — and whether there were enough chairs and desks to accommodate each student.

During an Aug. 31 informational meeting at the school, Tallmadge City Schools Superintendent Steve Wood tried to explain the concept of "flexible seating" and dispel rumors — fueled by pictures posted on social media — that students were being forced to sit on the floor of crowded classrooms.

Nick Rubino has a child in third and fourth grade at Tallmadge Elementary. He said he decided to attend the meeting after speaking with Wood earlier in the week about the range of options students now have to situate themselves in classrooms.

"Is there a seat or a desk for every student that you put in any given work area at a time, or are they forced to sit on the ground and have assigned floor seating?" Rubino asked during the meeting.

Tallmadge Elementary Principal Adam Booth says there are enough desks and seats

Principal Adam Booth responded to Rubino, saying there is a desk and seat available for each student.

"I know the 'carpet time' term used over the last couple of weeks has kind of been a hot-button term, but it is part of the flexible seating approach that we use," Booth said.

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According to Wood, flexible seating allows students to have access to chairs on wheels, wobble stools, soft seating and tall stools.

"When people see pictures of kids sitting on the ground, they want to know 'why?' and 'What options do the children have?'" Rubino said during a follow-up interview. "Parents want to make sure the tax dollars are being used properly."

Flexible seating helps students stay focused, Tallmadge superintendent says

Wood said flexible seating encourages students to find the best option for them to stay calm, focused and productive.

"If a student says, 'Hey, I don't want to sit on the carpet,' there's a desk there," Booth said. "Sometimes spots are assigned ... but there are seats available, desks available."

Flexible seating is one of the key components to the school's personalized learning plan, which includes student ownership, flexible learning environments, individual mastery and personal learning paths. It allows students to wobble, rock, bounce, lean, sit on the carpet or stand based on their preferences.

"Flexible seating promotes communication and collaboration within pairs, small groups, or whole class activities," Wood said. "This flexibility also supports a strong learning community where students can foster their higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills."

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One parent at the meeting said her daughter, who was diagnosed with ADHD and general anxiety disorder, has excelled in school since flexible seating became an option.

"She is actually learning. She is focusing on what lets her obtain information. I love (this way) of learning ...," the mother said. "This is how she is learning, rather than 'you have to sit in this desk and look forward.' It gives every child a way to learn."

Parents share concerns about overcrowding in Tallmadge schools

Parents at the meeting also shared their concerns for overcrowding in school after seeing high student-to-teacher ratios last year.

"The big thing that happened — and I take full responsibility for this — is ... pretty much all of those kids that were on Tallmadge Online came back to school for the 2021-2022 school year," Wood said.

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He said the amount of students was a surge for which the district was not prepared.

"I know there are a lot of concerns about population," Wood said. "There is a balance. This school can handle another 100, 200 kids comfortably. We need to keep high enrollment at Tallmadge City Schools."

Wood said the elementary school is built to hold around 1,200 kids, and so far there are around 1,100 in the building.

He added that he is committed to make Tallmadge schools better every day.

"Every space in the building is a learning space," he said. "This is a high-performance learning environment. This is a key thing we embrace."

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tallmadge school's flexible seating plan sparks parents' concerns