Pembroke School Committee ratifies teacher MOAs and approves three new high-school courses

The Pembroke School Committee approved several labor and curriculum items with roll-call votes during its meeting.

Memoranda of agreement: The committee approved MOAs covering PTA Unit A (teachers and school nurses), Unit B, Unit C (network administrators and administrative assistants), Unit D and Unit E, and a district-wide language addition to the collective bargaining agreement. Each MOA was presented as a memorandum of changes to the existing collective bargaining agreement and taken individually; the committee recorded roll-call approvals, each reported as 5–0 in favor.

Program of studies and new courses: Administrators presented a redlined Program of Studies and asked the committee to approve three proposed new high-school courses: AP Digital Photography (to augment the digital arts pathway), a Project Lead The Way capstone course (an applied capstone for engineering and biomedical pathways), and 'Connecting Place and Page' (a literature-and-place immersion course). The committee voted to approve the new course proposals and the program of studies; the vote was recorded as 5–0.

Chair and administrators noted that course offerings will depend on enrollment and that some low-enrollment or duplicative courses (including some MCAS enrichment offerings and one honors anatomy/physiology course) will be archived. Administrators also clarified that Project Lead The Way offerings can count as a third year of science and that guidance/advisement adjustments will reflect middle-school language progress for placement at the high school.

What's next: The MOAs take effect per the agreements negotiated with the Pembroke Teachers Association; course offerings will be scheduled subject to sufficient enrollment and required teacher training/affirmation noted by administrators.