CHS Site Council
Tuesday April 18, 2006
5:30-7:00pm
CHS Library
Members Present:
Teri Poff, Kristi Bonds, Mariel Plaeger-Brockway, Ed Thorpe, Kathleen
Burns, Valerie Lynn, Terra Hegge, Paddy O’Brien, Bob Newmann, Becca Ellen,
Cindy Berger, Laura Cannon-Robinson, Sue Anderson
The meeting was called to order at 5:33pm by Co-Chairperson Paddy O’Brien.
March meeting minutes were approved.
Board President Russ Lehman stopped by to request the CHS Site Council consider holding an informational forum for eighth-grade families, regarding 9th grade curriculum changes. Several eighth grade parents have brought to the board concerns and disapproval regarding 9th grade English Curriculum changes. Russ believes an informational meeting and a chance to express their concern to the CHS Administrators and Site Council may alleviate some of the concern with the changes.
The site council continued discussing the merits and or usefulness of holding such an informational forum. Some of the key points of the discussion were:
- Informational meetings have already occurred; would such a forum just be repeating what has already occurred?
- Would it be useful for Capital?
- Do folks disagree with the changes, or do they just not understand both the changes and the reasons for the changes?
- Examination of the process of how information is disseminated.
- The changes are really about creating a rigorous curriculum for all 9th grade students.
- As half of Capital freshman have enrolled in “pre-IB”, English teachers have already been teaching the “pre-IB” curriculum to a diverse student population.
- Students that are missing skills are not dumb. Often students, who may not be writing to grade level, can be valuable contributors via discussion.
- Teachers are currently working on curriculum and will continue during the summer.
It was decided the Site Council would contact Griffin School Board regarding attending a meeting, to describe our support of the proposed changes.
The Key Messages compiled by the facilitators from the Listening Posts Forum were accepted. Teri agreed to deliver the Key Messages to the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and discuss how the Site Council can help the school deliver the key messages.
The Site Council briefly discussed membership for the 2006-2007 school year. Teri agreed to run an announcement so application could be approved at the May meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 7:06.