School board not ready to vote on controversial issues policy
The policy empowers teachers to lead discussions on ‘controversial issues’ but also requires them to inform parents about upcoming material. Other policies outline a complaint process for parents.
The Albany County School Board tabled two of three suggested policies detailing how the district handles the teaching of controversial ideas and the handling of complaints about school materials.
All three policies were up for third reading Wednesday during the Board’s regular monthly meeting — but trustees said they weren’t prepared to take a final vote and that some of the policies needed more work.
“I totally respect this conversation — I’m just also really mindful that this is third reading,” Trustee Beth Bear said. “So, I would ask us, going forward, that we have these conversations at first reading and at second reading. Honestly, I think it’s problematic to be having these at adoption. And those (conversations) need to be happening way earlier.”
Specifically, the board has been considering three policies:
Policy 3005: Teaching of Controversial Issues
Policy 3006: Handling Communications, Suggestions and Complaints from the Public and from District Personnel Regarding Instructional Material
Policy 3015: Handling Communications, Suggestions and Complaints from the Public and from District Personnel Regarding Library/Media Center Material
On Wednesday, the board passed Policy 3006, but tabled both 3005 and 3015. The trustees will likely take a second stab at a third reading for Policies 3005 and 3015 during their next regular meeting March 8.
The policies are not entirely new, but rather are revamped versions of the policies that already exist for teaching controversial issues and handling complaints about course material and library books.
This policy review comes amid a national debate about the content of school libraries and classrooms. A moral panic about the alleged indoctrination of elementary school students has mobilized parent organizations across the country. Groups such as Moms for Liberty have falsely claimed that “critical race theory” is being taught in public schools, while they and others also seek to ban classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Some of the same organizations and voices pushing the critical race theory scare are also pushing to remove books from school libraries at an unprecedented rate. The campaign has resulted in more than 2,500 book bans across the country, affecting more than 1,600 different books.
Teaching of Controversial Issues
In its current form, Policy 3005 broadly reiterates the district’s commitment to fostering respectful discourse about controversial issues.
“Life demands an ability constantly to deal with the controversial; therefore, the school must offer experiences to assist students in learning to handle issues intelligently,” the policy states. “In order that students may have an opportunity to study such issues in a class atmosphere, the topic will be studied through an academic lens. The rights of students to study significant issues identified in the district curriculum in an objective atmosphere should be protected.”
The policy specifically empowers teachers to foster this discourse.
“The teacher is the most important member of the school staff in the actual handling of controversial issues,” the policy states. “Teachers have the obligation to deal with such issues in a professional manner. The issues should grow naturally out of the regular classroom learning situations, should be appropriate to the subject taught, should align with content standards for the course/grade level, and may include topics that arise spontaneously. As many viewpoints and data as possible should be brought out in the discussion.”
But it also sets a clear expectation of parental involvement.
“Parents/Students are responsible for communicating with the teacher if an alternative assignment is needed,” the policy states. “Teachers will communicate to parents, in a timely matter, of any controversial issues that will be discussed and allow parents time to preview content.”
Trustees ultimately decided to table Policy 3005 to allow more time for working in feedback they’ve received from the community.
“Many parents wrote in with strong support, stressing that it's important that children learn to discuss these controversial issues in a thoughtful and respectful manner knowing that others may disagree,” Trustee Carrie Murthy said. “I also, though, wanted to address some of the concerns that came in.”
Murthy said some parents were concerned about opinions or agendas being forced upon children; she said avoiding that was, indeed, the purpose of this policy, which requires teachers to use an academic lens and present differing viewpoints. Murthy also said some parents wanted to protect their kids from “divisiveness” at school; she said this policy will foster critical thinking and listening, preparing students to be “antidotes” to the divisiveness in the world.
Others still had suggestions for wording changes, Murthy said, which would have to be added to the policy via amendment. Several trustees were uncomfortable, however, workshopping major language changes on the policy’s third reading.
Instead, the trustees opted to table the policy, making plans to work the policy further during a committee meeting and a work session before the trustee’s next regular meeting in March.
Handling Complaints About Instructional Material
Policy 3006 was the only policy to pass its third reading Wednesday.
Most course materials — such as the books assigned in a high school literature course — are approved directly by the School Board. But a teacher can bring in other materials to assist with or enhance their lessons.
If a parent wanted to lodge a complaint about any of this additional non-Board-approved material, Policy 3006 outlines the procedure they would need to follow. That procedure seeks to resolve the issue at “the lowest administrative level” possible.
Essentially, the policy directs a complaining parent to meet with the school principal. If that meeting fails to alleviate the parent’s concern, they can fill out a complaint form and submit it to the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and the School Board itself. At that point, a review committee is formed. The committee eventually reports its findings to the School Board for final action.
The policy received minimal discussion Wednesday.
“My understanding is that they’ve been workshopped by our staff members that they actually impact,” Trustee Nate Martin said. “So I just tend to trust the professionals with these policies.”
The policy passed unanimously.
Handling Complaints About Library Books and Media
Policy 3015 is very similar to 3006, but 3015 deals with library materials rather than classroom instructional materials.
Despite passing 3006, trustees declined to take a final vote on 3015, tabling it to allow time for further alterations before the school board’s March meeting.
Any idea what the term "workshopped" means in the following context?
"“My understanding is that they’ve been workshopped by our staff members that they actually impact...”
Young people grow up using skills learned. Let’s make sure they understand the mechanics and language necessary to run their lives successfully, the country & the international biosphere - they have to live in.