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Public commenters raise transportation safety, curriculum engagement and teacher reassignment concerns
Summary
During the hearing of the public, speakers described a hazardous bus/walking route affecting two children, urged greater parent involvement on curriculum changes and criticized the district’s treatment of teachers reassigned under 'TAC' procedures.
At the board’s hearing of the public, several in-person and online speakers raised distinct operational concerns.
Transportation safety: Stefan Pryor and Nafree Cook spoke about two elementary-age girls who live on a steep, curving portion of Cass Street and Faraday (near Western Hill/Northern Boulevard). Pryor said bus service did not pick up at the top of the hill and that the walking route lacked sidewalks and had blind curves. Cook, an early‑childhood educator and family member, said she walked the route and described it as “absolutely impossible” and hazardous; she asked the district to intervene because the children had not attended school since the start of the year. The superintendent and operations staff indicated they would follow up to address the address/route.
Curriculum process and parental engagement: Parent and community advocate Terina Boyd (who brought her daughter) urged the board to reconsider moving ahead with a major course-of-study vote with limited parent engagement. Boyd said parents had been given only “a few online surveys” and inadequate opportunity for meaningful advisory input and asked the board to slow the vote and involve families in the decision. Board members asked the administration to clarify which curriculum changes were under consideration and offered to provide documentation to parents before further action.
Teacher reassignments / TAC process: Teacher and district mentor Sandy Bennett Petker described hardship among teachers affected by the district’s TAC reassignment process (teacher allocation and redistribution tied to enrollment). Bennett recounted cases in which teachers received late, impersonal notifications (emails from HR) of reassignment, found workplaces without adequate preparation time, or were required to pack and move classrooms with minimal lead time. She said the timing and communication under TAC harmed morale and could undermine teacher retention. The speaker asked for more timely notice, in-person principal contact and better logistical support for reassigned teachers.
Ending: The board and administration acknowledged the concerns and said staff would follow up on individual cases (transportation address/route and TAC communications) and that the administration would clarify the curriculum item referenced in public comment.
