The Board of Education (BoE) meetings in late January and February were a time of reflection upon successes in the district over the past year, as well as a shift into preparation for the upcoming budget and capital funds project votes in May. In both respects, the Board finds itself in a unique position—the effects of policy and administrative decisions made last year are finally beginning to have tangible effects, and February is the calm before the storm of trying to finalize plans to present to voters on election day.
The January 29 meeting had a celebratory mood, largely due to the content of a presentation given by Enfield Principal Keith Harrington and Associate Principal Kristin Herman. Last March, a BoE meeting was the platform for a heated discussion about frequent disciplinary violations at the school, many of which were violent and directed at teachers in addition to students. The Board made the decision to implement a new leadership team at Enfield to tackle this problem, and the successes of this effort were documented in Harrington and Herman’s presentation.
They began their presentation by stating their guiding philosophy—that expressing emotions verbally and teaching strategies for self-regulation would be the cornerstones of a turnaround. One of the most powerful ways in which these strategies are taught is in a newly allocated time slot for a morning meeting in every classroom. These meetings include physical exercise, discussions about how to express feelings, and group activities in which students take turns complementing one another to set the tone for the day going forward. Harrington noted that the efficacy of this meeting comes from its ability to teach students an emotional vocabulary with which students can avoid and de-escalate confrontations. He also mentioned that although the meeting cuts into learning time, it ultimately enhances the quality of learning that takes place because students are engaged and ready to participate.
Although Enfield has often lagged behind other elementary schools in terms of enriching educational or extracurricular opportunities—not having as close a connection to Cornell University, Ithaca College, or programs like the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC)—the current leadership team has sought to change that. They have focused on creating authentic experiences for students, consulting with specialists to create case studies, a farm-to-table nutrition program that students are involved in, and a weekly STEM Friday. One such case study came from a student question to a teacher about the environmental impact of plastic cups in the school. This led to a greater investigation about the effects of plastic, bringing in a science perspective, as well as involving math skills when students estimated the districtwide spending and environmental impact of the policy.
The theme of progress continued at the next meeting, held on February 26 due to a snow day. In this meeting, seniors from LACS presented alongside South Hill Elementary fourth graders about a case study they conducted that examined how cultural biases could play a role in the ICSD academic calendar. The LACS students began the project to meet a graduation requirement, which is to find a source of bias in their lives and try to eliminate it. They examined this question by sending a questionnaire to all ICSD students from grades 3-12 to see if students felt that their religious beliefs were accommodated by the district.
Over 600 ICSD students responded to the questionnaire, giving thoughtful responses to its many free response questions. Some of the results were worrisome—70 percent of students who responded that they had missed school due to religious observances said that they were expected to turn in assignments assigned during their absence, despite district policy clearly stating the policy for religious exemptions. Concluding their study, the students proposed having school closed on 3 or more days of non-Christian religious observance, as well as having clearer policy, and especially clearer implementation, on work assigned during religious holidays. The level of engagement from students involved, and the positive response from the Board, signalled that change could be on the way.
Both meetings included brief presentations on the ongoing steps in the district’s capital funds project. At the first meeting, a fiscal report about the stages of the project was presented, while at the second, a clearer outline of specific changes at IHS, as well as finalized plans for the new York Lecture Hall space, were presented.
With positive changes being made around the district, both thanks to the engagement of students and the success of decisions made by the BoE, district officials and voters look to the future to see what the student experience will look like down the road. The Board will continue its meetings with the public about the capital funds project, and will soon have public budget meetings at local schools. They encourage everyone, especially students, to attend; specific dates and times will available on the district website in coming weeks.