PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Two response forms sparked debate at the Calvert County Board of Education (BOC) meeting on May 8.
Board member Lisa Grenis initiated a discussion on an early childhood education survey she’d created alongside Chief Academic Officer Jacquelyn (Jackie) Jacobs, at the request of an unnamed teacher. The survey’s goal was to create a space for pre-K teachers to evaluate their resources for their special education students and students with IEPs. Grenis expressed concerns about giving teachers a voice and “making sure we meet the needs of our youngest learners” who had not been included in prior teacher surveys.
Member Melissa Goshorn questioned the benefits of data that would be collected by the survey. “We need to change the culture in the school system where teachers can get in a room and collaborate with the appropriate people and feel safe saying whatever it is they need.”
Jacobs outlined the systems in place that already give teachers the opportunity to work directly with administrators and working groups, including an appointed early childhood program supervisor who works closely with the Department of Special Education and gathers and implements teacher feedback.
One successful example of teacher feedback implementation was the addition of meetings between pre-K teachers and special educators. Jacobs’ team defined specific times once a month where a special educator and a general educator would come together, along with a pre-K teacher and supervisors, to plan and get support.
Jacobs highlighted this process and others as examples of teacher feedback being heard, explaining that the process is not perfect, but they are working on “identifying what is working and what’s not and how we can best move forward to support each other.”
She also noted that teachers have the opportunity to provide feedback after training and work sessions.
The board ultimately voted to revise the survey and vote on an updated version at a later meeting.
Even more hotly debated was the Course Referral Form, which offers a space for teachers and staff members to submit new course ideas. Course ideas are reviewed by the Instructional Programming Committee.
BOE President Jana Smith-Post shared that she’d received correspondence expressing concern around the use of the term “discriminatory practices” on some of the questions, and that the language could exclude or discourage teachers from submitting math or science courses that don’t meet those standards.
Jacobs explained that those questions help ensure the course proposals are fully vetted and feasible, including financial possibility and alignment with the district’s equity policy.
One of the benefits of this question is that it allows administrators to consider the needs of all types of students — such as those attending the Career and Technology Academy. Jacobs pointed out that this question made sure a new mandatory course, Health II, gave those students alternative options to complete the course.
President Smith-Post continued on to ask if any courses had eliminated systemic discriminatory practices and if the school had identified and tracked these practices. Board member Paul Harrison also asked if the questions were implying that the district had systemic discriminatory practices, and if so, why.
Board members continued to express concern about math and science teachers feeling discouraged and suggested the discriminatory practices questions would be a barrier, even though Jacobs insisted they weren’t seeing survey data to that effect.
She offered to examine the language of the questions with the board.
“In an effort to be consistent, I would not say we change this without looking at the equity policy again to make sure all of the things are aligned,” Smith-Post said.
The board later moved to discuss the equity policy (1015) at a future meeting.
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