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Show Davis School Board Grapples With Policy On Education w FARMINGTON -- The Davis Board of Education's policy statement became a lot more than a piece of paper, last week. THE BOARD met in a special session to start preparing revisions in that document, much of which has been in place for nearly 20 years, as it relates to the role of the board vs. the administration and what the aims should be in providing students with an education. edu-cation. Board Pres. Sheryl Allen recalled statements state-ments by former Stae Supt. of Schools Walter Wal-ter Talbot and said "we have a high caliber of student in many families with high expectations. expec-tations. I've been asking how that came about," ab-out," she said, emphasizing she would like to see strengthening in college entrance requirements. re-quirements. "I'd like to see a statement that says we realize the quality of the student to strive for a higher degree of excellence." THE BOARD pondered its statement of the philosophy of education that says: "We in Davis County, subscribe to the philosophy philoso-phy that education is a means of individual and social improvement, that every individual indi-vidual should be provided educational opportunities, and that enlightened self-government self-government is dependent on education of the masses." That's broken down into the primary purpose pur-pose of schools that reads: "To serve the individual; therefore, the schools should provide for each child and youth the kind and amount of education which will assist him-her to achieve maximum adequacy in all phases of living." THE BOARD also discussed a section that relates the school's part in the community, com-munity, sharing with the home and church, with Board Member Robert Mcintosh emphasizing the school's role should be aligned with that of the home. In conjunction with that, Board Member Ray Briscoe questioned teaching of English sonnets that students may find hard to relate to their daily lives. "My thinking is that we will succeed when the things kids talk about in the hall will become a part of the classroom." clas-sroom." HE EMPHASIZED youngsters are often having to deal "with dads who might punch their lights out if they find out they're dealing deal-ing with drugs" for example, or when some students are having to choose husbands or wives. "If kids can't come out to English literature and see how it relates to them, it isn't education." Speaking of the need to prepare students adequately for college or other post-high school pursuits, Mr. Mcintosh went on, "What do we want our students to have accomplished after graduation of 1 2 years in our educational system? On a college level, frankly, I'm amazed they can't read. I'm wondering if as a board of education we don't have a responsibility to spell out more directly the responsibility when they graduate." gra-duate." HE SPOKE OF a junior high school that tests its students every year. If they're not at pre-established levels of competence, night classes are required with students paying that fee. "When I read that 40 percent of the students stu-dents at the University of Utah are in remedial reme-dial classes and 60 percent of high school students aren't taking science or math in the last two years-those are things I'm concerned con-cerned with," Board Member Bruce Parry said. "I think there are a number of areas we can improve in.'" FOLLOWING that same line was Mr. Briscoe. "In my judgement, we're doing a lot better job training our medical doctors, nurses and engineers than husbands and wives. I think if we did a better job with wisdom, we would be a better society instead in-stead of society first then the individual. I would like teachers and principals to be role models." The board also grappled with its role vs. the administration, with Mr. Parry indicating indicat-ing "we should be saying what and administration adminis-tration should be saying how. We ought to be identifying what boards should be doing, not dealing in administrative areas. Do we want to be a board, administration, or a combination?" NOTING THE general pattern of the board approving decisions followed by implementation im-plementation from the administration and later review again by the board, Supt. Lawrence Lawr-ence Welling talked of value through varied input in developing programs. "If the people peo-ple in the field have input on how to achieve goals, they will be more inclined to try to follow them. We can present that to you for evaluation, then you can say how, when it's to be done, etc. "One of the most difficult things we have to deal with is that very issue" of what is the board's domain and where is administration to fit in, he continued. "We're giving out mixed signals if we could somehow clear that." MR. PARRY and Mcintosh will begin a review and seek input for creation of a revised re-vised policy manual with implementation hoped for by the beginning of the coming school year, tb |
