Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Benton Harbor board previews $1.33 million 21st Century Ed STEM proposal; vote deferred
Summary
District leaders previewed a three-year, $1,333,188 purchase of a 21st Century Ed STEM and AI instructional platform that vendors said would deliver district-owned curriculum libraries and teacher certification; trustees requested more detail on implementation, data metrics and technology supports before a December vote.
The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education on Tuesday heard a wide-ranging presentation from 21st Century Ed on a proposed three-year, $1,333,188 contract for a districtwide STEM and AI-driven instructional system, but the board did not vote on the purchase.
Dr. Sydney Jordan, vice president of strategic partnerships at 21st Century Ed, told trustees the platform is designed to build “STEM literacy” across grades by combining personalized learning modules, assessments and teacher professional development. CEO Marlon Lindsay said the system can generate standards-aligned units, rubrics and assessments and supports translation into more than 70 languages.
“We define STEM literacy as the four C’s plus the 2Ps,” Dr. Jordan said, referring to creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, problem finding and problem solving. Marlon Lindsay added the vendor’s tool can produce turnkey lessons and embed multimedia and assessments that teachers can adapt.
Trustees focused questions on implementation, teacher training and ownership of the materials. Trustee Gavin, a former classroom teacher who said she was impressed by the quick lesson creation demo, pressed for assurances that the district would have the technology staffing to implement the platform with fidelity. “It is worth the investment as long as we do what we are supposed to do on our end,” Gavin said.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Buts said the item will appear in staff report T1 at the board’s December meeting after the district receives benchmark results and that the presentation was intended to inform trustees before any action. Board members asked for documentation showing teacher and principal participation in curriculum development and for a clearer plan linking the platform to existing district initiatives, including literacy investments and CTE programs.
The presenters told the board the district would own the course library created during the contract period and described a certification pathway for teachers through a university partner. Trustees requested a timeline for the proposed eight intensive professional-development workshops, details on required local technology staffing and a demonstration of how the platform would affect attendance and student-growth measures.
Next steps: staff said the purchase recommendation will return for formal action at the district’s December meeting, along with additional documentation and answers to trustees’ questions.
