You have a school district meeting this week, but what do you know? The Amphitheater Unified School District talks about the math and science curriculum.
School board agendas are usually devoted to policy (changes usually forced by the Arizona legislature) and are structured to discuss mundane issues such as salaries and new fees for school facilities. So it’s good to see school boards delving deeper into educational content.
However, we must warn you. This is not a reading of Grisham. No zombies. Some parents in the school district may breathe a huge sigh of relief that Jackie Robinson wasn’t mentioned.
Amphi teachers have updated the elementary and middle school math and STEM/science curriculum. So they established a systematic approach to this left-brained curriculum.
Elementary school mathematics programs are designed to ensure that students meet standards of “benchmark” and “proficiency” throughout their time in the district. Mastery is the goal and benchmarks help teachers measure student progress.
The curriculum also includes a ‘daily check-in’ to assess your progress at the end of each lesson.
Then, each quarter, we discuss “spiral focus” to add a third dimension to student progress. Spiral Focus involves teaching students a topic that is applied to other topics and serves as a key building block for improving their understanding of the subject.
As Amphi turns to secondary math, the focus stops spiraling and aligns itself with the wisdom of the Arizona Department of Education.
The goal of the curriculum upgrade is to understand what states generally want, the themes they focus on, and how this effort ties in with requests from Phoenix.
Hmm. God. What could go wrong?
Amphi’s mathematics coordinator, Polly Kimminau, is working to maintain tutoring and will work with teachers to help some students move through the curriculum faster, according to a report to the board.
On the science front, the district also continues to work to keep up with the state’s latest developments in science education. The focus here is on his three pillars: “Science and Engineering Practices, Cross-cutting Concepts, and Core Ideas.”
The state updated its standards in 2018, and school districts changed accordingly.
District Science/STEM Coordinator Pam Vandevort wants the board to know people are on board.
They received state-of-the-art training and explained the district’s goals to students in clear language.
Note to old people: There are things called “maker spaces” that encourage collaboration around problem solving. At the time, we simply called it “sticking the desk together.”
Now it is the hyperdimensional intellectual field that enables mind fusion and eureka after adolescence. Just kidding, this makes sense because collaboration is the future of education.
The report concludes with an unmistakable warning that teachers will want more money.
According to a report to the Board, “Secondary schools will focus on continued curricular efforts to support the resources described in this statement.”
Now, let’s talk budget.
Amphi administrators are requesting the following operating budgets: $111 million for 2023-24.
The biggest change is in capital expenditure. The district will receive an additional $2 million in educational investments and an additional $800,000 in managed capital projects.
This funding will come from an increase in state K-12 funding in the budget for next fiscal year (Saturday).
The budget also calls for a $350,000 increase for Adjacent Roads, but they did so only to make me look bad in the next three years.
I have described secondary property taxes as a category of funds approved by voters and not at the discretion of elected leaders. I have tried to keep these works from dying “on the other hand”.
So basically what I wrote is true. On the other hand, there are also some exceptions. Adjacent Wages are special tax districts administered by the School Board that are used to pay for sidewalks, utility bills, and minor roadworks within quarter blocks of school grounds.
Projects tend to be very small, and school districts may choose to increase secondary fees for this very limited purpose.
surplus sales and budget proposals
The Catalina Unified School District board will hold public hearings and then vote on the adoption of the 2024 budget.
The big change is the $2.7 million salary increase.it is on $46.1 million operating budget.
After several voices devolved into rants against transgender students, I feel the need to point out that the school district has resumed its outreach to its audience.
I don’t have the budget for sexy green chocolate with a green candy coating. That doesn’t mean M&M’s won’t be bought. It’s not just an item.
The board will also vote on the sale of the Chevrolet Van, Ford Pickup and Hobart Slicer (among other temporary vehicles).
We will approve the 2023-24 fee schedule for extracurricular activities for students in grades 4-12.
The new schedule is exactly the same as the 2022-2023 schedule.
Maybe this is where inflation starts to really come down.
Apparently, COVID-19 is still circulating…is it? perhaps? Does it fit your budget?
Vail Unified School District administrators explained why the 2024 operating budget increased by $17 million.
The school district is still spending its coronavirus relief money and enrollments are growing, which together create a surplus of $9 million from the current fiscal year (through Saturday), which will be spent next year. It will be.
The district will also receive $3.8 million from the state in “outcome-based funding,” which it has not previously received.
Teachers, confidential staff, contractors, and administrators will all receive a 4% raise as part of the budget.
Vail is still in the opening “budget” stage, and the board will be asked to approve the overall spending. $152.5 million limitdriven primarily by a $130.5 million business.
The board will also vote on high schools literary textTwo of them are self-help “go get em” non-fiction books on how to be successful. Life coach Tim Glover’s “Unstoppable: From Good to Great to Unstoppable” draws from his work with the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
And “You Owe You: Ignite Your Power, Your Purpose and Your Why,” written by Eric Thomas, declares that no one is a victim.
Because…you know…a cultural Marxist indoctrination.
For the record, just as no one knows the “when,” no one knows the “why.” Duplicates “Purpose”, but includes TedTalk’s Juju, which sells Japan right now. If someone asks, “Why?” during a conversation, say “but” and walk away.
The Flowing Wells Unified School District Board of Trustees will vote to adopt three new textbooks: Temas: AP Spanish Language and Culture. and Core: An introduction to basic construction skills. All were scheduled to undergo her 60-day review, so Parents for Liberty made sure that the children weren’t…indoctrinated or groomed in the home framework story. You can check
The board will also vote on a series of new regulatory updates to comply with state requirements.the administration says The new policy clarifies existing practices that already comply with state law.
The policy includes administering medication to children, open review of textbooks, and allowing children with disabilities to attend graduation ceremonies if they meet graduation requirements.
Buy Titanic
In Sahuarita, Pima County appears to be buying the Titan Missile Museum.
The Sahuarita Town Council will vote to enter into an agreement with the county to authorize the purchase. When a county purchases property in an incorporated community, the relevant legislature must agree to the transaction.
The museum is located at Site 571-7 of the former Titan Missile Field, which was decommissioned in 1984, and is operated by the Tucson Air Museum Foundation, Arizona Aerospace Foundation. The Foundation subleases land from Pima County, which leases land from the U.S. Air Force.
It is part of an overall system commemorating Southern Arizona’s place in aviation culture at the Pima Air and Space Museum/Arizona Air Hall of Fame/Titan Missile Museum.
“Times are different now. It’s not as simple as it used to be.” Thankfully, some of us grew up facing only the eternal prospect of nuclear annihilation, then radioactive contamination, and nuclear winter. I didn’t have to deal with mean people on Twitter.
I’m curious to see how this deal goes.
The Council will also vote on its adoption. Budget $112 million For 2023-24.
Again, think about surplus when you think about your sahuarita budget. Represents $51 million of total spending. Now, part of the reason the town has a Godzilla fund balance has to do with state spending limits, which is weird.
States may significantly limit spending limits for towns and cities, depending on when the town was incorporated and how it grew. Cottonwood has a spending limit of about $70 million. Sahuarita’s is correct at about $62 million. Cottonwood is much smaller.
But while the town council has the freedom to ask voters to spend money, it doesn’t. The parliament has also indicated a policy of setting aside up to half of the budget as surplus funds. That’s almost a year’s worth of spending if the economy bottoms out.
The Rio Nuevo Board of Directors will discuss two new projects: the Indian Post Trading Company and the downtown Hilton property.
And kudos to the people of Rio Nuevo for finally printing an agenda that describes, if vaguely, the actions the Board will consider at Tuesday’s meeting. They are proceeding with a rather vague “the board will vote on what terrible actions they have decided to take on this project.”
The budget is disclosed on the website, and transparency is increasing.
The former Indian Post Trading Company is vacant and largely destroyed inside, and the Rio Nuevo Multipurpose District Board of Trustees is accepting requests for suggestions for renovation of the building. With the submission deadline approaching, the Board will decide the immediate fate of the East Congress and Scott Avenue properties.
The Hilton Hotel in Cathedral Square has been undergoing renovations since 2019. The owners of what is listed on the agenda as a “famous bakery” are in talks with the board about moving into the hotel.
Budgets are not strictly specific, but some flexibility is required to carry out a series of redevelopment projects. Because doing so completes the transaction.
It’s not like the school district has a lot to work on, at least that’s what they foresee.
The Board expects to have $12.9 million in cash at the beginning of the fiscal year and expects to spend $12 million.
Rio Nuevo’s biggest expenses are $150,000 for lobbyists and $600,000 for lawyers. The borough also plans to spend $8.9 million on bonds issued in 2019, but that doesn’t leave much money.
