Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum And Equity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Candidates differ on curriculum oversight and parental role; Rivers flags staff diversity gap
Summary
Dr. Michelle Rivers said she would press the superintendent on curriculum diversity and hiring practices, saying district administrators do not reflect the student population; Timothy Sasson said state curriculum already includes diverse perspectives but supported parent input while emphasizing the need for academic rigor.
At the Suffolk Region PTA forum, Dr. Michelle Rivers said she would press the superintendent to address gaps she sees in the curriculum and in staff diversity. "In my review of the curriculum, it's pretty much a monolithic curriculum. There's not much diversity," she said, adding that students should see a workforce that reflects their future employers and that hiring should be more intentional.
Timothy Sasson said his experience teaching social studies in New York State shows curricula include a wide range of ethnic and cultural perspectives and said parental input is valuable but should be weighed against academic standards. "We have to question everything always. That's our job as educators," he said, adding that parents’ viewpoints should be heard and balanced with counterpoints.
On parental involvement, Rivers said parents should have a voice when curriculum fails to reflect their children, offering as an example a perceived lack of persons of color in some music theory courses. Sasson said parents’ input should be considered and balanced by educators. The forum did not change district curriculum policy; it provided voter insight into how each candidate would approach curriculum review and community engagement.
