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Teacher representatives urge clarity after first reading of instructional policy updates
Summary
At the March 10 Westminster Public Schools board meeting, a WEA representative questioned whether proposed instructional policy revisions — including IFA-R (course development procedure) — remove teacher voting and introduce ambiguous timelines; the board received the first reading and set a second reading for April 14, 2026.
Melissa Duran, speaking for the Westminster Education Association’s building representatives and board of directors, told the School Board on March 10 that teachers may not have had adequate opportunity to review the district’s proposed instructional policy revisions.
"The new policy makes me wonder if the district is trying to silence educators voices," Duran said, pointing specifically to IFA-R, the district’s proposed course development procedure, and to changes in an ‘‘innovation and education’’ procedure she said would remove fixed timelines and replace them with timelines ‘‘established annually by the district.’’ Duran noted the statewide Teaching and Learning Conditions survey closed yesterday and said district participation was 67 percent, up from 42 percent in 2024; she said Panorama will release the data in April.
Dr. Brian Cassena, who introduced the board’s Exhibit A of instructional-policy revisions, described tonight’s item as a first reading for board review and stated the updates were compiled to align board policy with current instructional systems and curriculum practices. Cassena said the draft policies were shared with the teacher leadership cabinet and with principals for distribution to staff.
Board members did not take action on the policies tonight. A motion to "receive the first reading revisions to the policies listed in Exhibit A and for the second reading and adoption at the next regular business meeting on April 14th, 2026" passed after voice votes.
Supporters of the review process argued the compilation makes it easier to see proposed language changes, while Duran and others urged clearer documentation of which teachers or teacher groups reviewed each policy and asked where any newly delegated timelines would be posted. Duran also asked what "evidence of support" would mean under the revised language and whether it referred to state law processes for voting.
The board’s next step is the scheduled second reading and potential adoption on April 14, 2026, giving teachers and the public an additional opportunity to review the exhibit and submit comments.
