Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Scheduling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent tells RSU 26 board a single accelerated math section is shaping student cohorts and risking exclusion
Summary
At public comment, a parent said one accelerated math section at OMS has led to the same students clustering into other core classes, potentially limiting diverse ELA cohorts and disadvantaging English‑language learners.
During the public comment period, Lisa Jermer, who identified herself as a parent of students at District elementary and middle schools, urged administrators to examine how an accelerated math section at Orono Middle School is shaping student cohorts across other core classes.
"Just one accelerated class is already determining a cohort in other classes that are not supposed to be accelerated cohorts," Jermer said, recounting how her sixth‑grade child’s schedule resulted in the same group of students attending science and social studies together and warning that this could exclude English‑language learners from shared ELA experiences.
Jermer said the current sixth‑grade ELA class is an important setting for students to "communicate across divides," and asked the board to consider scheduling implications if the district expands accelerated offerings.
The board thanked her for speaking; no administrative response or commitment to a specific follow‑up was recorded during the meeting. The concern ties into later board discussion about multiple pathways and how schedule changes affect access to electives and AP options.
