Ask us a question or send an idea for a story you think we should cover. Ask us a question or send an idea for a story you think we should cover. Please give today. Central Bucks eyes new Policy 321:Central Bucks to consider policy to restrict displays of advocacy in classrooms. The decisions that the district is making have a real-world impact on our students and our community.". 7:00 PM Finance Committee Meeting. It was a packed house inside the Central Bucks School District Board meeting in Doylestown. By the time we found out about it, it was too late to call a special meeting to discuss and vote on it in public, Suits continued. Teachers, parents, and students are protesting in the Central Bucks School District over a new policy banning pride flags in the classroom. "Controversies come and go," the firm states in its proposal.. That's true. The president of the Central Bucks School Board of Directors, Dana Hunter, owes our community an apology. Each bag had a message on it that read, Stop attacking LGBTQ students. The demonstration at Central Bucks High School East and Holicong Middle School came as administrators were scheduled to meet with staff about Policy 321, a controversial policy supporters say creates a politically neutral learning environment but one that teachers and students say is an attempt to silence discussions about LGBTQ issues. Bond Committee Meeting Agendas; Bond Committee Meeting Minutes; Citizens Oversight Committee Reports; Surplus Advisory Committee. They made a decision on whether or not to put this controversial issue on the agenda … Maybe the teachers wanted to weigh in, maybe the parents wanted to weigh in. Pennridge LGBTQ students feel erased after losing Pride symbols in schools, as Central Bucks considers its own ban. Central Bucks is more than "school board wars."We, the three school board members who have opposed these bad policies, want to make clear that this district is the people, the students, the teachers, coaches, psychologists, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, mechanics, support staff, nurses, administrators, and all of the other hardworking individuals who dedicate every day to making it a . DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The Central Bucks school board voted in favor of a rule that limits what teachers can display in the classroom on Tuesday night. Central Valley High School (9-12) District Office; Gateway Educational Options (K-12) Grand Oaks Elementary School (TK-5) . The students said most other students they spoke to were unaware of the policy. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY). Teachers from across Central Bucks School District gathered outside of two schools along Holicong Road in Buckingham on Tuesday protesting a recently approved policy restricting political and social policy discussions in classrooms. Hunter and Collopy were the dissenters in that vote. The school board voted 6-3 on Tuesday night to approve the final draft of the policy which is part of a federal investigation of the school district. Keith Willard, a Holicong Middle School teacher, led a crowd of teachers and students out of the middle school around 3 p.m. Tuesday, joining about 20 other teachers already gathered nearby. For some, the meetings were too little, too late in seeking educator input. Hunter made a statement directly condemning what others have described as hate speech while also defending her choice not to gavel down the two commenters and deny them their right to free speech. They didnt get that opportunity, obviously, Melewsky said. A decision to cut multiple anti-racist teaching convention requests by Central Bucks School District officials last month raises state Sunshine Act questions. Education stories from across the Keystone State. It is not lost on me that this policy has engendered concern, uncertainty, and even fear, Lucabaugh wrote in an email provided by multiple sources in the school district. Central Bucks educators, students, and parents rallied outside the administrations meeting about a policy that bans Pride flags and other inclusive classroom decor. The meeting was scheduled ahead of time, with school board leaders changing the agenda on the fly. The five requests for the NCTE conference totaled about $1,916 to virtually attend from Nov. 18 and Nov. 21. Central Bucks School District officials are expected to vote Tuesday night to hire a former U.S. Attorney and a federal prosecutor to review a discrimination complaint filed by the . CBS Philadelphia spoke with some attendees following the vote. August 31, 2021 / 11:39 PM On Point is produced by WBUR for NPR. Use of Facilities; Certificated Salary Schedule; Parents. Providing support. 9:00 AM CB South Parent Advisory Council Meeting. The issue became known at the Dec. 6 reorganization meeting, when Suits chastised Hunter and at least four other current and previous board members over a delayed response condemning transphobic and anti-Semitic comments made at the prior month's public session. 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown, PA, USA . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Policy 321 prohibits Central Bucks School District employees from taking part in political . "We are not addressing anything under item A because just this afternoon the secretary of health mandated that masks are mandatory as of Sept. 7," one of the board members announced. The American Civil Liberties Unionfiled a complaintwith the U.S. Department of Education claiming the district is fostering a hostile environment for its LGBTQ students. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. He said the policy was a step backward and could hurt efforts to support students, including those in the LGBTQ community. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. After a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, the board voted to pass Policy 321, 6-3. Gane said she has been speaking at board meetings to give her sister a voice. Here's what's changed. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. While it is unclear exactly how the conversation to remove the Central Bucks requests occurred, Melewsky added that a quorum and a decision outside of a public meeting are not mutually exclusive to violate meeting laws. Video: Kutz Elementary teachers, students bring holiday cheer, Students, teachers and staff of Kutz Elementary in Doylestown got into the holiday spirit on the "Holly Jolly Express. If the meeting does not start at the scheduled time you may need to refresh your browser occasionally until the stream starts. Have an Amazon Alexa? takes on CBSD complaint:Department of Education will investigate complaint against Central Bucks School District. Surplus Advisory (7-11) Committee Meeting Agendas . DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A controversial school policy that would limit what teachers can discuss and display in classrooms was passed by the Central Bucks school board Tuesday night. Check back for more on this developing story. Because these meetings are streamed live, the potential exists that any number of technical issues could impact the audio stream. Select the Committee from the dropdown located in the upper right corner of the BoardDocs homepage. A boycott was held outside Central Bucks East High School over a new controversial policy. Board President Dana Hunter, Vice President Leigh Vlasblom, and members Debra Cannon, Lisa Sciscio, Sharon Collopy, and Jim Pepper voted for the policy. PA 18901 7:00 p.m. Central Bucks School District is live-streaming and recording this meeting. Pennridge students share insight on their experience with a policy up for vote in Central Bucks School District that may censor classroom decor and conversations. The ACLU of Pennsylvania has said the broad language gives the district the authority to censor whatever it doesnt like, can lead to teachers self-censoring out of confusion and fear, and generally chill classroom discussions on political and cultural topics outside of the curriculum. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. "Make no mistake, this is a policy borne out of bigotry and discrimination and one only needs to look at the previous revisions to see symbols of pride targeted.. / CBS Philadelphia. Central Bucks West senior Zandie Hall, 17, said administrators confiscated the chips when she brought them in the school. Ronald Wilson Reagan (/ r e n / RAY-gn; February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) was an American politician, union leader, and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Central Bucks School District 20 Welden Drive | Doylestown, PA 18901 | P: 267-893-2000 Useful Links Title IX Emergency Information E-Flyer Folder Web Accessibility On the other side those for policy 321 feel it will create a balanced and neutral environment in the classrooms. Go behind the headlines: From the economy and healthcare to politics and the environment - and so much more - On Point talks with newsmakers and real people about the issues that matter most. Over the next several weeks, I will be hosting six town-hall forums for our teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators to listen, ask questions, and open a dialogue to better understand how we can position you to engage in your work within the context of the policy, and to do so with confidence and impact, Lucabaugh continued. Those also against it say it's a form of censorship. Stay Updated on this Important Initiative, 9:00 AM The school has a rainbow bench in her memory. Agendas are available 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Ganes sister, Katie, who was lesbian, died by suicide in 2019 as a senior at Central Bucks West. Please enter valid email address to continue. It would prohibit teachers from displaying flags or posters advocating any political or sociopolitical activities and issues in the classroom. Former director Ring and others defended the decision as a matter of saving money since the district hadwhat Ring describedas a similar training across the district previously. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Policy 321 passed last at the Jan. 10 school board meeting in a 6-3 vote, with all of the right-wing board members . The board may have faced criticism on Nov. 9 if they had tabled, and effectively denied, the NCTE conference, but Melewsky said at least then the public could have had a say in the matter. 504 Resources for Students & Parents. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 1-800-799-4889. Central Bucks teachers gathered outside of CB East High School Tuesday in . These five responsibilities represent core functions that are so . Assessment and PA Graduation Requirements, CB Building & Floating Substitute Teacher, Elementary New Teacher Professional Reading Library, Instructional Aides-Grit in the Elementary Classroom, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). About three dozen people spoke about the policy during public comment; about one-third spoke in favor of it and two-thirds spoke against. Agendas & Minutes; Special Called Meeting: August 19, 2022 Agenda; Regular Meeting: September 1, 2022 Agenda; Special Called Meeting: August 19, 2022 Minutes . She said one teacher, who she did not identify, refused to use the name of former President Donald Trump and instead referred to him as Number 45., The policy specifically says employees should not advocate to students on partisan, political, or social policy matters, or display any flag, banner, poster, sign, sticker, pin, button, insignia, paraphernalia, photograph, or other similar material that advocates concerning any partisan, political, or social policy issue. An early draft of the policy prohibited materials related to gender identity, and sexual orientation, but school officials removed those terms after legal review and replaced them with social policy issue. Hunter told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the policy will ban Pride flags, as well as Blue Lives Matter flags, anti-abortion flags or any other flags that advocate on social policy issues.. 3 min read. Children 13 years or older THE WALL STREET JOURNAL benefited the most from such (USPS 664-880) (Eastern Edition ISSN 0099-9660) (Central Edition ISSN 1092-0935) (Western Edition ISSN 0193-2241) activities, along with those diag-Editorial and publication headquarters: 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036 nosed with depression or an . Please enter valid email address to continue. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY). This news organization has filed a Right to Know Law request for emails regarding conferences to appear on the Nov. 9 agenda, but the district has invoked a 30-day extension allowed under the law to review the documents to redact information not subject to open records laws. CB South Parent Advisory Council Meeting, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM In the 2020-2021 school year, 126 districts reported utilizing this program." This "snow day pilot" program was extended to the 2022-2023 school year. Every student who spoke opposed the policy. She says the LGBTQ+ topics were not handled correctly in her 8-year-old's classroom. Ensuring accountability. Find 73 jobs live on CharityJob. Debates over mask rules for K-12 schools have only driven that community . Central Bucks school district. Tuesday, February 7, 2023 (first Tuesday of the month), Tuesday, July 25, 2023 (fourth Tuesday of the month). And I know she would be at this board meeting because she wants people to be happy and she wants people to be proud.. The Oneida Special School District Board of Education met for a Work Session on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 7:00pm in the Central Office Pathways classroom. If its a decision on agency business, and training offered to employees seems very clearly to be agency business, its got to be discussed and acted upon at a public meeting, Melewsky said. The article states "Prohibiting employees from advocating for or displaying partisan, political, and social agendas.". Agendas will be available twenty-four hours before a scheduled meeting. Gamble did not run for re-election this year, and heresigned in August after receiving a death threat for previously casting the swing vote to keep masks optional. Audio Player 20 Welden Drive | Doylestown, PA 18901 | Phone 267-893-2000 . And were not offended that people are laughing, were happy that they are, because that means theyre paying attention, theyre reading it, said Central Bucks South sophomore Skylar Ginsburg. Print Close. Students deserve the freedom to learn, and a QR code linking to the Advocates for Inclusive Education website. "If you agree with me that queer students need to be supported you will vote no on this policy," said student Leo Burchell during the meeting. Committee Meeting agendas and minutes are housed atBoardDocs.com- once on the BoardDocs site, select the committee from the drop down arrow located in the upper right corner of the BoardDocs homepage. Assessment and PA Graduation Requirements, CB Building & Floating Substitute Teacher, Elementary New Teacher Professional Reading Library, Instructional Aides-Grit in the Elementary Classroom, Live-stream of meetings of the Board of School Directors. That meeting also ended with a vote ousting Suits and Smith from their positions as the board's president and vice president, respectively. Establishing an effective and efficient structure. District Information >. Like with the May decision, one of the teachers who asked to go to theNCTE convention posted on Twitter that an "anonymous donor" covered attendance costs for her and a coworker. . Looking for charity jobs in people care coordinator? The "Central Bucks Board Note," is an e-newsletter designed to provide Central Bucks School District constituents with an overview of the work of their Board of School Directors. Nov. 18 and Nov. 21 unaware of the Central Bucks East High School over new. 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