It was a packed house at the June 21 Medical Lake School Board meeting — at least for atbeginning.
During the first 20 minutes, the school board took comments from several concerned citizens and parents regarding the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction adding concepts such as self-identity, gender expression and roles to its curriculum guidelines for the K-12 Health and Physical Education Learning Standards.
Some examples of the lessons that could be taught to students include kindergartners learning ways to express gender, second-graders understanding the range of gender roles and third-graders discovering how those roles can vary in society.
OSPI had not sent out a formal press release announcing the additions to its standards.
Many citizens were concerned about Medical Lake School District possibly adding these concepts to the curriculum in the 2017-18 school year. Others were concerned that students, who are opposed to being taught the concepts, would fail their class.
Superintendent Tim Ames said the district is only required to teach three topics from these standards: HIV prevention, CPR instruction and the use of automated external defibrillators.
“We are not changing the curriculum,” Ames said. “We only have to teach these three things.”
Ames added that the district will put a team together to look at the definitions in the standards and take community input before it decided to add anything to the curriculum.
“We have a year to look at this,” he added.
In action items, the board approved the purchase of Jackson Spielvogel’s “Western Civilization” for Medical Lake High School’s advanced placement European history class.
Kim Headrick, director of teaching and learning, said advanced placement history went through a core revision and update by the College Board and AP Central. One of the requirements of a primary course textbook is it needs to be less than 10 years old. The current textbook the class is using is 12 years old. She said history teacher Ginny Luhn researched many textbooks and recommended Spielvogel’s “Western Civilization.”
“This text was approved by the College Board and AP Central,” Headrick added.
The board set the 2016-17 budget hearing date for July 26 at 5:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the regularly scheduled board meeting.
During his superintendent’s report, Ames informed the board the district refinanced a portion of its outstanding bonds and was able to come in at an 11.44 percent interest savings. He said taxpayers will save over $1.2 million over the next 13 years.
Ames said he conducted a security walkthrough at Hallett Elementary School, the middle school and high school with Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer Travis Pendell and Washington State Patrol Trooper Ryan Spangler.
“State trooper Spangler made a list of safety items,” Ames said. Examples of safety items Spangler recommended including a wall to separate Hallett’s main entrance from its multi-purpose room and additional security cameras at all three buildings.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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