Parents and teachers press Pleasant Valley board over high‑school staffing, 'Ingenuity' online courses and student impact

Several parents and educators told the Pleasant Valley School District Board of Education on Feb. 13 that teacher turnover has left some high‑school courses delivered by online course platforms and monitored by day‑to‑day substitutes rather than taught by a certified, on‑site instructor.

Speakers said that courses affected included metals/engineering, advanced robotics, biology, ecology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics and third‑year language classes such as German. Several parents said their children were placed in online sections because a certified teacher left the district and no live replacement was available.

"The online classes do not have a teacher. They have a keeper of grades. No one is actually teaching our children. They're watching videos and answering questions," Ally Mondo of Chestnut Hill Township told the board during public comment. She asked how student progress is recorded and how students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) receive required supports when courses are delivered primarily via an online platform.

Another resident said her daughter lost the chance to take a third year of German after a teacher left before the school year; she said that has implications for college preparation and honor society eligibility. A third commenter, Wendy Kresge of Ross Township, said the family was concerned about the quality and continuity of instruction and asked the district for a long‑term plan to attract and retain certified teachers.

Superintendent Dr. Conrad and district administrators responded that the staffing shortages are a real challenge and that the district has used a mix of short‑term options, including online curriculum services and day‑to‑day substitutes, to maintain instructional continuity. In public remarks the superintendent acknowledged exit interviews indicating compensation and working environment as recurring factors in recent departures: through exit interviews "money was a major factor," he said, and several departures cited higher pay elsewhere.

District staff said online platforms such as Edgenuity are being used as a stopgap to provide consistent curricular content when a certified classroom teacher is not available and that the district prefers a certified, in‑person instructor whenever possible. Officials also encouraged parents to contact administrators for individual student follow‑ups and said the district would continue recruiting and negotiating teacher contracts to address retention and compensation issues.

Why it matters: parents and students raised concerns about academic rigor, IEP compliance and college readiness when live instruction is replaced by online content or short‑term substitutes. Board members said they would take the concerns under advisement, ask administrators for additional information and encouraged parents to share documentation and contacts to help the district explore options (including local college partnerships) for restoring live instruction.

Next steps: board members asked administrators and the athletic director to follow up on specific eligibility and program questions raised by commenters, and the superintendent said district staff will continue work on recruitment, retention and contract negotiations.