Attendees:
In Person: Ashley, Jen, Allen, Angie, Terri, Edna
Online: Elizabeth, Liana, Kathy, Laura, Hong, Nikat
Action Items:
Put together a list of things parents can ask at elementary teacher conferences for newsletter
Action Item: Amity will visit with Sara (Maywood Teacher) and Sonia on concerns with the rift between gen Ed and HiCap kids
Action Item: Amity will ask teachers to send out info (if they have it) for when screening is happening ahead of time.
Action Item: Allen to look into accessing the family iReady report and see how it works
Discussion Topic: Preparing for parent teacher conferences
Davidson Institute - Parenting Tips on Educational Advocacy
NAGC TIP sheet - Classroom Advocacy
What info can we give to parents in NSD to help them prepare for parent teacher conferences?
No conferences with math teachers, but always reach out if you have concerns and set up times outside of conference times
Ask about writing skills.
What can “we” do to help them with writing.
What have you found works in the classroom.
General Discussion
Concern - Maywood Hills math. With only 10 hicap math kids split between 2 of the 3 2nd grade classes, hicap kids are getting math from a certified teacher only half time and are being taught by someone else the other 3 days (recess teacher/cert staff)
During math time, the 10 math kids get together in a single class.
This teacher has to split her time between the hicap and gen ed parents
Gen ed parents are complaining because their students don't get a full teacher the whole time. So concerns they're blaming the hicap kids
Background Information
Maywood lost a 0.5 instructor during the start of the school year. A recess teacher was used instead. Teacher teaches content, recess teacher supervises kids during practice while teacher teaches the other group.
Principal blaming HiCap program for the issues too (i.e. quoted as saying if there were concerns, then to ask the district to not offer HiCap services at Maywood)
Why are there so few math HiCap students in Maywood?
Less HiCap students at Maywood compared to previous years due to the new math test (previous IOWA test was easy to memorize answers and prep)
Action Item: Amity will visit with Sara (Maywood Teacher) and Sonia on concerns with the rift between gen Ed and HiCap kids
Parent feedback - can 1st and 5th grader teachers be asked to give parents a heads up on their class’s screener date?
Can always ask teachers to do that.
Action Item: Amity will ask teachers to send info
Parent feedback - this is the first year that 4th grade (with more compacted math curriculum) is doing walk-to math. We are hearing that students are struggling, maybe more than before, esp with the loss of a few minutes of math time as they transition.
Not the first year for all schools. A couple of elementary schools started 4th grade walk to math last year.
Struggling depends on a lot of factors including allotted math time, transition times, etc.
Question - what happens to kids who qualify in math in 5, 6, or 7th grade? Are they placed in a more accelerated class due to qualification? Or not since that would mean missing curriculum?
It's always parent/student decision
Qualifying in 5th grade going into 6th = have the option skip PreAlgebra 1, but not skip PreAlgebra 2
Can also offer a summer school if they want to
Qualifying in 6th or 7th grade = get the designation but cannot skip PreAlgebra 2
Qualifying in 5th grade is the last year to accelerate math
Question - lots of chatter in person and on social media about different math methods (building thinking classrooms, edgenuity, “new” curriculum, learning online). Review different math methods?
Savaas (new Algebra 1 curriculum). District hoping to purchase Geometry + Algebra 2/Trig this year
It is a far more challenging curriculum compared to the previous curriculum
Previous curriculum is very old
Needs to be shifts for students prior to Algebra 1. Will affect any new K-5 curriculum builds towards the new baseline.
Edgenuity: Not a good option for all students
Building Thinking Classrooms: depends on how it's implemented. Can work for some but not everyone.
Question - BSD is switching to full time walk-to Edgenuity for 5th grade. Are we concerned that NSD may go this route esp with budget concerns?
No. This will not happen.
Council Business
Budget Updates
$2248.75 is our balance
Have a surplus now so consider putting on more talks
Committee plans - Nov newsletter
Tips for parents on preparing for conferences
Including instructions for accessing IReady reports if parents want to beforehand
Action Item: Allen to look into accessing the families iReady report and see if it works
ELA guidance? (note to NSD- many parents wish they could have a conference with their kid’s math teacher too).
This is logistically difficult and a bargaining decision due to the extra time teachers would have to allocate for conferences.
Committee plans - brainstorm events for the school year
Check in on prep for Jan parent ed evening with Emily Kircher Morris
Talk by council members like we did at McMenamin’s last year?
Parent ed talk by Austina?
The reluctant writer talk by Austina (Elizabeth sent over email). Recording available for $25
Presentation about the transition to middle school and Q&A
Every school is different
Maybe facilitate a Q&A for 5th graders and 8th graders transitioning to middle schools specific for HiCap kids
Possibly after the middle school / high school open houses
Social event for kids/teens?
Committee plans - discuss possible points of advocacy
**What Matters Most evening with Dr. Irish? Ashley has reached out to try to schedule an evening event. Waiting to hear back.
More days and locations to take SATs?
Our next meeting is December 2 from 10:00-12:00.
