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Putnam board approves eDynamics HOPE variation after public objections and sets teacher review process
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Summary
The Putnam County School Board voted to adopt the district instructional materials plan that includes the eDynamics HOPE physical education 1a/1b variation after public testimony raised concerns about imagery and optional assignments; the district said teachers can hide optional activities and will form a YAG to set pacing and local selections.
The Putnam County School Board on April 28 approved the district's instructional materials plan, including the eDynamics HOPE (physical education) 1a/1b variation, after more than an hour of public comment and board discussion about state approval and local controls.
The vote concluded a debate that centered on two issues: whether certain images and assignments in the eDynamics materials implicitly promote particular lifestyles, and how much the district can tailor or hide optional assignments at the teacher level. Reverend Carl Metzger told the board he was "here this evening to ask you to reject the e dynamics hope variation curriculum," saying the curriculum's mental-health illustrations (a rainbow-colored “healthy mind”) and related lessons were ideological rather than purely educational. "This is ideological formation," Metzger said. Marsha Metzger, who described herself as a child and parent advocate, urged the board to "Reject eDynamics, protect the hearts, minds, and innocence of Putnam County's children," and described assignments she said required students to create podcasts and report biometric data.
District staff relayed written responses from the curriculum vendor and emphasized compliance with state benchmarks. The district presenter explained the CPALMS-aligned course description (course code 1506320) and cited Florida statutes governing instructional materials, including Florida Statutes 1003.46 and 1003.42. The presenter read the vendor's reply: "These courses do not promote specific theories or perspectives beyond what is required to meet state standards. Instead, this course focuses on helping students understand health concepts to make informed decisions." The presenter also confirmed that, within the vendor platform, teachers can hide optional assignments and that the district will convene a YAG (district pacing/review group) of teachers to agree on which activities to enable or disable.
Board members described the choice as constrained by the state-approved list: several members said FDOE has limited options for this course and that removing eDynamics from the local adoption could delay having a state-approved curriculum in place. Some board members said they were reassured by the ability to have teachers mutually agree on what optional activities to activate and that the district will facilitate a uniform YAG process across schools so individual campuses do not implement diverging versions.
The board carried the motion to approve the instructional materials plan, including the eDynamics HOPE variation, by unanimous voice vote. District staff said they would follow up with details on the YAG schedule and clarify how teacher-level settings will be managed across schools.
The item now moves to implementation steps the district described: (1) convene teachers across schools to create a shared pacing guide and agree which optional assignments will be hidden; (2) confirm public access to vendor materials where publishers permit; and (3) continue to monitor any state-level changes to approved lists or statutory guidance.
