The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board met last night in what seemed a marathon meeting with a weird interlude in which Board president Adelita Grijalva left the room to personally negotiate with the teacher’s union.
Shortly after 10:30, and Grijalva’s exit which infuriated Superintendent Pedicone, Board member Michael Hicks told the attendees that he was leaving and criticized the District’s current practice of poor meeting time management.
After fighting since last year against the District’s policy of social promotion, Mark Stegeman’s proposed policy change was introduced to the Board for future consideration.
Under the new policy, students would have to receive a passing grade English and math. Third-graders will also be required to be approaching or reading at grade level to be promoted to the fourth grade, as required by a state law that goes into effect next school year. A passing grade is defined as approaching a standard or better. Those who fall far below standards would not be considered to be passing.
For middle school students would have to earn a final passing grade in each of the following classes: English, math, science or social studies, along with one other course.
Promotion of high school students would remain mostly the same, based on credits earned. Students advance only when they meet the minimum requirements to be considered a sophomore, junior or senior.
The Board was also advised that the staff has already begun to require 9th grade students in three schools to take a multicultural class. Next year, all 9th grade students will be required to take the class.
Both Stegeman and Hicks questioned how the staff could already begin to require the classes when 1) the curriculum has not been approved by the Board yet, and 2) whether or not the district can require classes which are not required for graduation by the State Board of Education.