Notes from Board Work Session, 10/22/18

The Board of Education work session on Monday, October 22 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs .

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Call to order – 6 p.m. - 

Overview of Grading Policy - Amy Hollstein

Town Hall on Grading Policy

• Peter Ullman - Teacher.  Against policy and giving students for nothing.  Students could fail all 4 quarters with a 59.5 and still pass the class.  Texas actually enacted a law to prevent policies like this.
• Sean Heyl - Teacher and parent.  Against policy.  Already offer summer school, grade recovery, and offered re-take.  Colleges do not endorse this type of policy.Students will have atrophy.
• Ryan Newsted - Teacher.  Against policy.  We need to stop lowering the bar. Adjusting the scale to just make the numbers look good.  Students have to WORK for it.  Kids need to experience failure.  It's part of success.
• Linda Mclaughin - Teacher.  EACC.  Was on the committee.  People are against it because they dont understand the recommendation.  Students need motivation.  students should not be punished by grades.  Equal is not equitable.  
• James Hojnowski (sp) - Teacher.  Against Policy.  Are we preparing them for college and career ready?  Are we preparing them for the workforce.  Extenuating circumstances should be allowed individual professional courtesy.
• Susan Peterson - Graduate of CCPS.  Business Owner. Against Policy.  Grade recovery.  Professional discretion for individual students.  College and Career ready, this is not.  This policy will make it harder for students to transition into real world situations.

Work Session on Grading Policy - Report

• Kelly - read speech.  Thanks committee. staff could not get her the data she requested.  Against policy
• Abell - Thanked committee.  Against policy

Motion by Abell - All middle and high schools use the grading scale as follows, and no minimum grades be assigned.  This is to be effective immediately.  

A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=0-59

Second by Kelly

• Crawford - questioned whether notes that board members had are public
• McGraw - respect work of committee; equity in schools; advocate for children; cannot support policy as proposed.
• Lukas - thanks to committee;  who are these kids.  Didn't get information he asked for.
• Palko - struggled with this decision for weeks.

McGraw motioned to amend the motion making it effective for the 19-20 school year.

Second by Palko

• McGraw - asked Dr. Hill a timeline for adequate implementation.
• Lukas - we don't have a policy
• Abell - could implement it at beginning of next quarter.

Vote on Amendment

Yes=Palko, McGraw

No=Abell, Crawford, Lukas

Lukas motioned an amendment commencement to begin the second semester of the 2018/19

Second by Marshall

Vote on Amendment

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly , Lukas, Marshall, Palko

No=McGraw

Vote on original motion

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko