- McCoy Elementary
- McCoy Elementary Home
July Board Briefs
Board Briefs are monthly, high-level updates following regularly scheduled meetings of the GISD Board of Trustees.
Look for Board Briefs each month following the regularly scheduled meeting of the board. These updates are designed to help keep you informed on important activities and decisions in the district.
An archive of Board Briefs may be found on our website here.
2020-2021 School Year Planning Continues
The Board meeting began with Dr. Brent’s Superintendent’s Update, in which he recapped the work done so far and discussed the work still to be done in planning for the upcoming school year.
In addition to two surveys that gathered feedback directly from families and teachers, district leadership has consulted health agencies, local government leaders and employers, Region 13 superintendents, and cross-district action teams in decision-making. The results of the most recent survey, paired with community input, resulted in the decision to begin the school year on Aug. 20 with remote-only instruction for the first three weeks of school.
Those survey results were as follows:
- 13,575 Responses
- 11,632 Family
- 1,943 Staff
- Parent interest in remote learning increased from 16 to 54 percent
- Staff interest in remote learning increased from 22 to 68 percent
- View the survey results here.
Dr. Brent also spoke to the importance of delivering high-quality remote instruction, which will look very different from the crisis learning students experienced in the fall. Differences include full academic content every day, required daily engagement, more specific supports in place for students and parents, pre-planned teacher/student interactions, regular feedback from teachers, an assurance that lack of technology will not be a barrier for any student, and a return to the district’s normal grading policy.
Parents can also expect to receive extra support, with virtual information sessions slated to be held July 23, 27 and 28.
Board Receives Updates on College, Career and Military Readiness Cultural Awareness and Equity Planning
Director of College, Career and Military Readiness Cynthia Pike gave an update on the district’s plan for Cultural Awareness and Equity. This planning began in Dec. 2018 through a series of community meetings where the district sought input to determine what capacities the community believed students need to build before graduating high school.
Through that process, four key themes emerged: cultural awareness and equity, leadership through service, post-graduation awareness and preparedness, and wellness. CCMR action teams began developing plans for each of the identified areas with the intention of launching them in the 2020-21 school year.
In an initial step, the 6th-grade Personalized Learning Pathways (PLP) curriculum was revised to incorporate a Cultural Awareness unit of study that requires all students to explore cultures at home and around the world. Soon after, a 7-step framework for equity planning was developed. That work is currently in progress and includes the launch of a design team for diversity and inclusion this fall.
“It is incumbent upon us to engage deeply in designing equitable learning experiences that take into account the beautifully diverse needs of every learner as we prepare them for their future,” Pike said.
New Elementary Schools Nearing Completion, Bond Projects Continue
Executive Director of Construction and Development David Biesheuval provided an update on 2018 bond projects to the board. Final inspections are currently taking place at the new Williams and Wolf Ranch elementary schools. This week, the construction team is installing playscapes, and furniture is expected to be delivered this week and next. Other projects in progress include:
- Classroom renovations and the creation of a student collaboration area at East View High School
- Paving and canopy installation at the secure walkway at Georgetown High School
- Upgraded playscapes at three elementary schools and sunshade installation at multiple campuses.
Many other projects are in progress and nearing completion. For more information on 2018 bond projects including photos, please visit www.georgetownisd.org/2018Bond.
Board Approves Purchase of Site for Future Middle School, New SHAC Curriculum
To accommodate for future growth, the board approved the purchase of 35 acres of land in the northwest quadrant of GISD for a future middle school site. The purchase is part of a strategic, long-range land acquisition plan, and construction of the school would need to be approved and funded by a future bond election.
The board also approved the adoption of a new Human Sexuality Curriculum as recommended by the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC). Details on the new curriculum were presented to the board in May.
NEXT BOARD MEETING
Monday, August 17
7 p.m. at the Hammerlun Center for Leadership & Learning