Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board Hears Curriculum Council Update; Members Raise Concerns About Funding and Parent Communication
Summary
The Curriculum Council reported on the 'portrait of a graduate' and potential new graduation pathways; board members praised student engagement but raised questions about unclear funding estimates and urged better parent communication, particularly for special education families.
Board members received an update from the Curriculum Council on the portrait-of-a-graduate process and early work related to New York State's proposed pathways to a single diploma. Council members said the work included stakeholder groups (board, parents, administrators, teachers, and students) and a range of public input, but several board members said the materials lacked concrete cost information and examples of what the new pathways would look like in practice.
Participants noted the potential benefits of multiple pathways for better student engagement, but raised repeated concerns about funding sources and whether districts would be expected to shoulder new costs. One attendee said preliminary estimates suggested a multi-million-dollar price tag (an example figure of roughly $12,000,000 was mentioned in the discussion), and participants urged the district to seek more precise funding details from the state before committing resources.
Board members also discussed strategies to improve parent communications across secondary schools, suggesting districtwide messaging platforms (SchoolMessenger or eSchoolData features) and more targeted SEPTA presentations for parents of students with special education needs. The board asked staff to explore streamlined communication tools and to consider parent-information sessions tied to committee meetings to reduce confusion and reliance on social media for updates.
No policy decisions were adopted at the meeting; board members asked for additional information and set a schedule to receive further budget and curriculum packet materials ahead of the January budget presentation.
