BOE Hears Complaint on 2011-2012 Cuts

After last month’s approval of reduction in force plans, the listened to a complaint during its meeting Thursday night.

Ed Siemion said that he was speaking on behalf of students regarding reducing to half time the Agriculture Science teaching position at Cedar Shoals High School.

He said that without a fulltime Ag-science teacher, students lose their FFA (Future Farmers of America) advisor, which would lead to CSHS losing its FFA chapter.

“It isn’t just about farming,” Siemion said. “It’s about contributing to society.”

He added that the job cut was due to lack of student involvement.

“One of the issues I personally have with this is that (the teacher) has not been given the exact number of students she needs (to continue the program),” he said.

The BOE members made no comment after Siemion spoke.

Alexandria Brantley also spoke during the allotted time at the meeting regarding the Parent Curriculum Guide and the learning goals. In particular, how music education, visual arts and physical education are excluded.

“By exclusion, you devalue that as an area of academics,” Brantley said. “It’s a very strong area of academia in your curriculum.”

She asked that the board take another look at the standards and revise them so they more accurately reflect the goals of the district.

2011 Vision

During the superintendent’s report, the district’s vision/mission revision for 2011 was presented. The goal is to have all students graduate as “life-long learners with the knowledge, skills and character to succeed in the community and the global society.”

Jack Parish made the presentation and made a point to mention that the district will look at the individuality of each student.

“We’re not trying to prepare each child in the school district to come out the same way,” he said.

Voting Items

Up for approval, but tabled, was a policy revision to in-school suspension. The BOEt will revisit the issue next month. However, four other policies were approved, including revisions to the student alcohol policy and administrative regulation rules.

Other items approved included revisions to dress codes at Winterville Elementary School, Clarke Middle School, Timothy Road Elementary School, Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School, Whit Davis Elementary School and Whitehead Road Elementary School.

“The dress uniforms, I think, are more aligned to one another (now),” Superintendent Philip Lanoue said.

All were passed unanimously except the changes to CMS. Board member Allison Wright opposed the change due to lack of parent feedback, and she also opposed Whit Davis changes, saying staff didn't support the revisions.