School board says planning is major goal
The Board of Education has identified planning — both long- and short-term — as a major goal for the academic year.
At a meeting Tuesday evening, trustees said they want to evaluate the needs of the three district schools in light of both state mandates and declining enrollment.
“That (enrollment) should be at the forefront of getting something done this year so we’re not reacting last minute for next school year,” Trustee Steven Jenkins said. “That needs to be addressed as these kids are aging up.”
Among issues with enrollments will be the types of certifications needed for teachers and the needs that students have for instruction.
“If a plan is going to be useful, it needs to be useful the first year,” Jenkins said.
Rhinebeck school district Superintendent Joseph Phelan said there have been administrative discussions about how to advance programs based on changing needs among students and requirements from the state.
“We talked about revisiting that with each of our building principals and have them identify what’s mandated and what’s not,” he said.
Other goals being considered for the coming year include updating previous goals to stay current with the use of technology, including an evaluation of whether the district should address how social media plays a role in communications with parents and the public.
“What is the potential inherent in our use of technology in this district?” Trustee Deirdre d’Albertis said. “There are ways that technology can support particular types of educational projects, and we need to think through what those are and whether they fit with our community.”
The review of technology would be a continuation of the 2016-17 goal, which was to determine whether there are gaps that need to be addressed for classroom use. Trustee Laura Shulkind noted it’s been six years since the board audited its overall use of instructional technology.
“I think it laid out a pretty good working plan for developing a school district that actually uses technology as a tool and not just as a piece of curriculum,” she said.