European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday january 27, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 9education Dodds honors top notch principal 1st award goes to Alconbury High s Leader by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau Raf Alconbury England a she is known to Alconbury High school students As the dragon lady but principal Kay Galloway is anything but a fire breathing administrator say her pupils and colleagues. A i thought she must be really Means to have earned a nickname like the dragon lady said 12-year-old Amy Little a seventh grader who soon Learned galloways nickname had Little to do with her personally and More to do with the schools dragon Mascot. Many of the 403 pupils at the High school have a High regard for Galloway. They talk of Ner immense support for them whether it be in writing recommendation letters serving As an advocate for their projects or making seventh graders feel just As important As graduating seniors. Her colleagues speak of her Strong leadership style that allows the schools teaching staff to a soar like  galloways attitude toward her work leaves no doubts in the minds of her staff and even the pupils that the 26-year Veteran of Dodds enjoys her Job. Those qualities helped earn Galloway the department of defense dependents schools principal of the year award. This is the first year that Dodds is recognizing principals with such an award. Galloway was selected Over principals from More than 120 schools in 20 countries worldwide. She expects to receive the award in Early february. Her Dodds career has taken her to Golos Bay Labrador Germany the Philippines and England. Although Galloway May have a reputation for firmness among the staff and pupils the dragon lady Moniker is a result of her school support and spirit. In her office she displays a commissioned sculpture she Calls a the dragon victorious a which depicts a dragon As having conquered the various mascots of the England based Dodds Atlantic schools. A a she a always there. You see her at volleyball games at football games and other school sponsored events said Bev Parke a Parent and head of the school advisory committee. But Galloway supports More than just the athletics department. A a lot of principals might stress one thing like academics or athletics. She puts an emphasis on everything a said Bethani Cole a senior and cheerleader. A she knows everyone has their own special thing a added senior Richard Green. As a result there Are 28 clubs a ranging from future homemakers of America to future teachers of America a operating at Alconbury High. Galloway who Calls herself a a social person a gets to know not Only her pupils but the parents and British and american Community leaders. Kristen Hilliard a 17-year-old choir member recalled that when Alconbury held a regional music festival in december it was Galloway who personally called the Alconbury parents to find housing for the 100-plus Young people attending. The fact that All the pupils were housed backs up Parker a statement that a a Kay a very Good at getting people to do  a she has this immense immense capacity for work a said Trudy Schramm a full time English and social studies teacher. Galloway gave Schramm the Opportunity to do her student teaching at Alconbury in 1984. Back then Dodds classrooms rarely had student teachers. Under galloways tenure Alconbury High school has racked up a number of achievements. For example it introduced the British Duke of Edinburgh award scheme similar to the congressional award in the United states to the Region and held the first Dodds Atlantic soviet american student Exchange. Galloways appreciation for a the Maverick and her management style have fostered Many of these projects. A a she a open for new ideas. She a open really really open to letting people try new things a said Schramm. A i like to be first and i like to be on the cutting Edge a said Galloway who grew up in Topsfield and Boxford mass., about 30 Miles from Boston. A i want people to be  is Amy of Lirow inn Dodds principal of the year Kay Galloway Odds layoffs worry parents teachers by Jimi Jones education writer Ellen Dawson thought her decision to be a teacher was a Good one a especially since she was marrying a military Man. A i thought this would be something that i could move around with him and always get positions a she said. A i did no to realize How difficult that was actually going to  Dawson knew when she accepted the first Grade teaching position at Frankfurt elementary school that chances were slim she would teach the full year. She is now unemployed. But losing her Job was not her major concern. What upsets Dawson is that she leaves behind 18 6-year-Olds who have depended on her for their first year of education. And she leaves behind the kind of classroom that most teachers would Call Ideal. A i have a wonderful class this year the Best in be Ever had a Dawson said. A the parents Are the most supportive. In be taught on military installations before and in be never had this kind of Parent support. Its too bad that the children Are going to have to go through these  the changes Dawson referred to Are those associated with fridays Layoff of about 85 locally hired teachers and the loss of about 170 teacher positions throughout department of defense dependents schools in Germany. The layoffs Are part of the continuing draw Down of . Forces in Europe. Student enrolment has dropped by about 20.000 a from More than 90,000 to about 71.000 a since the draw Down began after the persian Gulf War. Parents and teachers have complained that teacher cuts Midway through the school year Are not in the children a Best interest. They say that combining classes and changing teachers should occur at the end of the school year. A a it a very difficult for them especially these military children who have to move so much anyway a Dawson said. A some of the children did no to Start Here at the beginning of the year so we May be their second or third teacher already this year. Grade classes because they Are Down to 14 or 15 children a Hamilton said. A in the states that would be one class  in her school children will be placed in established classrooms where they Are More Likely to make a smooth transition she said. A the Beautiful thing about a child is that they Bounce Back so  John Stromple the school systems director last month said the economic sup its very difficult for them especially these military children who have to move so much anyway. They need consistency Ellen Dawson they need  some complain that Dodds in its Effort to save Money is neglecting the educational Well being of children and that the amount of Money saved by laying off teachers in january will not be substantial enough to warrant possible injury to children. Frankfurt elementary schools principal Ardelle Hamilton expects the schools Pupil teacher ratio to be in the 24-to-l Range she said. The Dodds Standard for elementary schools is 23 or 25-to-l. The Frankfurt school lost 6vi classroom slots and two special education slots. School enrolment is 1,056, Down from 1,349 in August and Down 23 since dec. 19. In Many schools the decline in student population has caused some classes to shrink to unusually Low numbers. A we have to absorb some of our first port for each student a will remain As High As it is. With the draw Down it could be a Little  but some parents say Dodds is not fulfilling its commitment to All children. Teresa Shafe whose son attends Wetzel elementary school in Baum older claims the school District discriminated when deciding which of the three Baum older schools would lose teachers. She said both Wetzel and the High school were scheduled to lose teachers but Smith elementary where the a vast majority of this Community a officer children attend a will lose none. A your children Are being forced into conditions that Are intolerable a Shafe said in a letter to the stars and stripes. �?o1 want my child to have the same Quality education As major Smiths child a claiming officers children get a better education. Regional spokesman Frank of Gara said sometimes a a neighbourhood schools basically serve a officer children As opposed to enlisted but its not purposely done that  of Gara said sometimes officer housing is in areas that Only they can afford and therefore their children attend classes based on where they live. Shafe attended Dodds schools in Lan Stuhl Germany and when she returned to the states and attended schools in Texas she was ahead of her Peers she said she fears her child Quot will go Back to the civilian world being behind complaints from the Community and additional information provided by the command prompted officials to readjust cuts originally set for Baum older of Gara said. No cuts were made at Smith Wetzel lost one local hire and the High school lost two slots he said. As of december Wetzel the least affected by declining enrolments was Down by 23 students since August. The High school had lost 72, and Smith had lost 88. Yvonne Leath is the Mother of a fifth grader and a sixth grader at the tiny Kalmar elementary school a Remote site near the dutch Border about 75 Miles South of its Parent base Oesterberg a Netherlands. She said parents there Are upset that the superintendent did not inform them of the loss of the teacher for the fifth and sixth grades a one of 4.5 assigned to the school. Parents have sent letters to defense Secretary Dick Cheney and others she said. Bonnie Leno principal and half time teacher at Kalmar said that enrolment has dropped from 38 to 25 and that fifth and sixth graders Are Down to eight students. A parents Are concerned but we still done to have it too bad a Leno said. A we had to Combine our kindergarten through second Grade but we did get a half time