Thanks to the many members who attended Thursday night’s important member meeting or provided helpful input in advance on the historic decisions to be made! The full set of minutes will be ready soon, but as these decisions will affect us all and there is important work to be done, we thought a topline summary would be in order.
Math curriculum: As
previously posted, after six years of investment
in Singapore
Math by Schmitz Park faculty, students, and parents, we are on the verge of having to adopt a different math curriculum, enVision
Math; a curriculum that many see as a step backward for our students. By unanimous vote, the members at the meeting adopted a resolution calling on the School Board to protect and support our investment
in Singapore
Math.
We also agreed to request the school board directors to consider the following alternatives:
- Reject the Math Adoption Committee’s recommendation of enVision and adopt Math in Focus as the new K-5 Math Curriculum.
- Approve a Dual-Adoption giving schools the choice to implement enVision – OR – Math in Focus
- Amend Policy No. 2020 on the Waiver of Basic Instructional Materials to allow Schmitz Park and other schools using, or desiring to use, a Singapore Math-based curriculum like Math in Focus to ensure funding will be provided from the district to support an approved alternative math curriculum.
PS as you can see, we are suggesting that SchmitzPark adopt Math in Focus, not Singapore Math. However, MiF is a Singapore based Math program, merely tweaked to the American system, aligned with Common Core Standards, and with refreshed teaching and learning materials.
Budget: The members energetically discussed the budget proposal (
posted previously here). One change was adopted to increase the contingency funding
in the event that it becomes necessary for the Schmitz Park PTA to pay the full price of the
Math in Focus curriculum (a $20,000 increase authorized). Then, after vigorous discussion, the members voted unanimously to adopt a budget of $320,000. The members further voted to develop a fundraising plan that addresses the one-time $80,000 expense that the curriculum represents.
Stay tuned for the full minutes and for specific ways you can help us meet the policy and budget goals that these decisions require.
Please join us tonight, Thursday May 28th at 6:30pm for our last PTA Meeting of the 2014-2015 school year! Tonight’s meeting is crucial as we vote in new board members for the 2015-2016 school year and vote on the budget. Free childcare for school age children is provided in the gym.