EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Conroe ISD & Lone Star College System
COMPILED BY PEYTON MACKENZIE
QUOTE OF NOTE
Conroe ISD considers changes to book review process CONROE ISD The Conroe ISD board of trustees discussed its policy for reviewing books challenged by parents in the school libraries during its May 17 and June 21 regular meetings, with plans to review policy changes in July. change recommendation because he believed there was room in the current policy for interpretation.
EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS CONROE ISD The Grand Oaks feeder elementary school, set to open in August 2023, will be named after Deputy Superintendent Christopher J. Hines, according to a decision by the Conroe ISD board of trustees June 21. LONE STAR COLLEGE Two redistricting maps were presented June 8 to Lone Star College System prior to final adoption June 29. Redistricting is needed because of changes in district population, officials have said. “WHAT IF A PARENT DECIDES THAT ALL OF THESE [HYPOTHETICAL] BOOKS ... NEED TO GO THROUGH RECONSIDERATION? ... DURING THIS PROCESS, I GOT A HALF-EMPTY LIBRARY.” DATREN WILLIAM, CONROE ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Conroe ISD board of trustees will meet at 6 p.m. July 19 at 3205 W. Davis St., Conroe. 936-709-7752. www.conroeisd.net The Magnolia ISD board of trustees will meet at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 and 22 at 11659 FM 1488, Magnolia. 281-356-3571. www.magnoliaisd.org The Tomball ISD board of trustees will meet at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at 310 S. Cherry St., Tomball. 281-357-3100. www.tomballisd.net MEETINGS WE COVER
Under the current policy, the formal reconsideration process begins when a written request is submitted to review whether material is appropriate to have in the library. Williams said without clear parameters for parents to flag books as inappropriate, it could lead to a “slippery slope” of excessive numbers of library books being pulled. “My challenge is essentially this: ... What if a parent decides that all of these [hypothetical] books ... need to go through reconsideration?” Williams said. “During this process, I got a half-empty library.” Trustee Dale Inman discussed how the policy recom- mendation for the reconsideration process is supposed to be narrowly tailored to the Texas Penal Code. Williams and Inman agreed a partial rewriting of the policy recommendation would be more acceptable wherein only a book that is challenged on the basis of the Texas Penal Code would be evaluated. At the June 21 meeting, officials said they expected the vendor for the district library management system to give parents real-time access to books checked out by children and input restrictions on certain books for students at a parent’s request.
CISD Deputy Superintendent Chris Hines on May 17 discussed a policy recommendation wherein books being reconsidered during a formal process would only be available with parental consent. Hines said a policy change could come before the board July 19. Trustee Datren Williams said he opposed the policy CHALLENGES TO BOOKS Under Conroe ISD policy, library books challenged by parents must meet several requirements to be withdrawn.
Current policy:
Changes considered:
• A board of trustee member could participate in book review • Evaluate avenues through which materials are reaching students SOURCE: CONROE ISD, TEXAS PENAL CODE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
• Reconsideration of materials begins with written request for review • Objections must fall within Texas Penal Code for obscenity • Obscene materials are “patently offensive to the prevailing standards of the adult community”
Virtual schooling option planned in Conroe ISD for 2022-23 school year CONROE ISD A virtual campus for fifth to eighth grades will be available to Conroe ISD students in the 2022-23 academic year, according to a June 6 news release. The Conroe ISD Virtual School will be taught by dedicated full-time teachers, according to the release. The passing of Senate Bill 15 by the
VIRTUAL FUTURE
Texas Legislature in 2021 opened the option for Texas school districts to create one year of a virtual or hybrid school in 2022-23. After Sept. 1, 2023, new legislation would be required to continue virtual education, but the Virtual School could be grandfathered into future programs, according to the district. Software for the programs will be available in both English and Spanish. Parents can view and access videos as well as instructional expectations on the Virtual School website, according to the district.
• Full-time teachers • Enabled through Senate Bill 15 in 2021 • Operational through Sept. 1, 2023 • New legislation required to continue for 2023-24 • Classes in English and Spanish The 2022-23 school year will see the introduction of a virtual hybrid school in Conroe ISD. SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • JULY 2022
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