At the start of the meeting, Hough Student Molly S. won the #BReal challenge on her report to the Board of Education.
At the start of the agenda, the board approved the lease that allowed for technology such as workstations and monitors to be given to Project Lead the Way and architecture labs at BHS. These machines will be refreshed every 5 years to make sure they are up to date as possible.
Some other reports included the Superintendent, Dr. Craig Winkelman, in which he participated in a trip to Crabtree Nature Center with ELC and was the guest speaker in the Best & Strive class last week.
Lastly, the in-depth topic discussed at the meeting was the recent phone policy of “Be Here, Be Now, and Be Engaged,” and the various student, staff, and parent reactions towards it.
Students have generally viewed the new policy as a positive, as based on a survey conducted by the district. According to the survey, at least 86% of students said that the police encouraged more student engagement and collaboration. The staff agrees as well, as they reported over 95% of improvement.
Student off-task behavior has also decreased according to the survey, with the staff reporting that around 90% of students are off task either less or about the same as last year. Overall, the policy has had a positive impact on student focus, yet some students feel that the policy can be a bit restrictive. As well as the fact that some teachers are more lenient than others, which leads to a variation in the enforcement of the policy.
In terms of the usage of resources such as YouTube, the administration encourages using alternatives such as Edpuzzle. However, there have been issues with it. The administration is planning to provide ongoing support to staff to make sure they are fully capable of using the required tools.
In regards to the removal of Quizlet and other apps, the school responded that the reason for removal was due to the owner company of Quizlet refusing to cooperate with a new law that protected student privacy. Therefore, the school had to remove the app to align with the requirements of the law.
Although not widely known by many students, there is a way to request the addition of certain apps that can be submitted to the administration. These apps are then reviewed to see if they align with the policies and values of BHS.
The board promises improvement regarding its policies, but it emphasizes a good learning and attitude towards the upcoming year.
