GILROY
– Trustees are reviewing the process for approving book lists
and excusing students from reading controversial books and
assigning homework, updating policies that are sometimes decades
old and may not be reviewed again for years to come.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Trustees are reviewing the process for approving book lists and excusing students from reading controversial books and assigning homework, updating policies that are sometimes decades old and may not be reviewed again for years to come.
Trustees began by clarifying that they have the authority to accept, reject or modify the reading list recommended by the high school each year. The list will be up for approval this spring.
The policy was one of four reviewed during a board study session last week; seven more will be discussed tonight.
“We’re trying to make sure the policies are updated and that we do what we say we’re doing,” Trustee TJ Owens said. “I’m real impressed with the way the district is going, and our policies are keeping up with us.”
Study sessions, much less formal than regular board meetings, often generate discussion between board members and the public. The roughly 10 members of the grassroots group called the Alliance for Academic Excellence in attendance frequently offered their reaction to board policies and suggestions for changes.
Two policies relating to instructional materials were hot-button issues, given the year-long controversy surrounding Gilroy High School’s core reading list. When the list was up for board approval last year, parents objected to several texts but were told the board could not change the recommended list.
“The board, because of this policy, prevented itself from affecting the list (last May),” GHS parent Sandi Zappa said.
Superintendent Edwin Diaz said the language would be revised to make it clear that “the board has the complete authority to review the core (literature) list.”
A revision of the policy will clarify the process for excluding materials from the curriculum.
“This caused a lot of confusion behind the (Reading Literature Advisory Group),” Rhoda Bress said. “The way I see that (exclusion) process starting is with the teachers, the curriculum professionals and then moving on to a stakeholders committee.”
An administrative regulation likely will be drafted to accompany the policy. Regulations specifying how board policies are carried out are generally not board approved but may be reviewed if the board chooses.
“We want to make darn sure that the policy we’re operating from is understandable and logical,” said Jacki Horejs, assistant superintendent of educational services. “We’re doing this now in the hope that when those things come up, we’ll have the words and policies in place to go by.”
School Board President Jaime Rosso suggested trustees, district staff and parents spend roughly 10 minutes discussing each of the 11 policies on the agenda at the beginning of the meeting, but after the first policy took 45 minutes, Horejs prioritized three more to talk over that night.
Alliance members also had several concerns regarding the next policy discussed – complaints concerning instructional materials.
A period of 14 working days into the school year could become the window for students to request exemptions from certain books. Parents worried that they might not realize they want an exemption until their student is reading a book, so teachers will send reading lists home during the summer.
Board members and parents said the process should begin informally with the teacher rather than through the district office.
Trustees also discussed the first draft of a new policy, regarding physical education. The policy states that trustees will approve a physical education program “that build interest and proficiency in movement skills and encourages students’ lifelong fitness through physical activity.” Although district officials have said P.E. is a priority, teachers – who are responsible for the majority of elementary students’ P.E. time – still lack a structured curriculum and GUSD students repeatedly underperform on fitness tests.
The policy also outlines which students will be exempt from P.E.
A final policy, dealing with passing and failing students, was updated to include phrasing required by law.
Trustee Tom Bundros said he spent a couple weeks researching board policies via the Internet.
“And what I discovered is they all pretty much look the same … until I came across the Palo Alto ones,” he said. “It starts off with their philosophy and goals, and you can see it threaded through all the areas of the document.”
Bundros referred to Palo Alto policy examples provided for board members many times throughout the two-hour study session. Toward the end of the evening, the board and audience chuckled each time they heard Bundros chime in with, “Well, if you take a look at Palo Alto’s example …”
He hopes the board will use Palo Alto’s policies as a model for future revisions.
“We’re going to have to personalize it for Gilroy, but … I was really impressed that everything was in one spot,” Bundros said. “I was very impressed with the philosophy.”
Alliance members have also expressed a desire for a clear district philosophy, most recently in a position paper given to trustees.
For now, Diaz said, the board will focus on the content of its policies but will consider making them more user-friendly.
“I think what’s different is that Palo Alto pulls it out and puts it in one place,” Diaz said. “One of the things that we’ll continue to discuss is, how do we take these board policies and format them in a way that better communicates to the community – and to us – what our policy is, and have a document that sort of flows more smoothly.”
Horejs will incorporate the public feedback and board recommendations into each of the policies and present them to trustees for a first reading during the Feb. 12 regular meeting. The board will again have an opportunity to discuss changes and hear public comments. The policies may be revised again before they undergo a vote of approval during the March 4 board meeting.
Today’s study session begins at 6 p.m. in the district office.
Comments or recommendations relating to board policy revisions? E-mail Jacki Horejs at ja***************@*********ca.us.
