Clayton Board of Education Welcomes New and Returning Members, Talks Science and Health

The Clayton Board of Education welcomed its newest member, reappointed officers and discussed science curriculum at its Wednesday meeting.

New member Kristin Redington succeeds Steve Singer, who declined to run for another term in favor of campaigning for the open Ward 3 seat on the city's Board of Aldermen. Singer lost the race to Mark Winings. on the Board of Education. Sonny Buttar and Omri Praiss also ran unopposed and received new terms.

Redington has a history of involvement with the district. Her efforts have included campaigning for the passage of Proposition S, a $51 million bond issue that voters approved in April 2009.

In addition to welcoming Redington, the board elected officers for the 2011-12 school year. The board voted to retain Sonny Buttar as its president;  Jane Klamer as its vice president; Susan Bradley Buse as its treasurer; and Lily Raymond as its secretary.

The board heard an update on the School District of Clayton's elementary science curriculum. Three years, ago, the board approved a plan to change the way science is taught on the elementary level by employing full-time science teachers and providing permanent labs. Results indicate a renewed interest in science among students as a result of the specialty instructors' work.

“If you ask the kids what they think, the response is 100 percent great job,” Nathan Pecker, the district’s science coordinator, told the board.

The Full Option Science System (FOSS) curriculum emphasizes student involvement in a lab-based setting. The program has been so successful that some teachers have approached him about the possibility of revamping the middle school curriculum to compensate for kids' increased appetite for science, Pecker said.

Buse asked how the new curriculum compares to the old one. Because Clayton teachers used to design their own curricula and tests along basic guidelines, it's difficult to make comparisons. Buttar said she wants to make sure that changes so the FOSS curriculum can be evaluated in the future.

Board members said they hope to use the changes in the science curriculum as a model for improving other curriculum, such as math, in the coming school year.

“I have loved the presentation and am so excited about your vision and where you want to take science in this district,” Raymond said.

Also on Wednesday, district coordinating nurse Dede Coughlin made a presentation about health and wellness in the district. The issue of body mass index (BMI) screenings in school has been one of concern for district nurses. The screenings are already provided at schools, but Coughlin said that while the school can work within its own health model to promote an active and nutritional lifestyle, it is ultimately up to children’s families and pediatricians to effect change based on data provided in those screenings.

“We don’t want to be the food police, but we’re put in that role a lot,” Coughlin said of parents and teachers who plan classroom parties. She said they come to the nurses to ask what they should and shouldn’t serve out of concerns over the nutritional value of the food. While there is no set regulation on snacks during these parties, Coughlin said, the comments show the concern they share over childen's nutrition.

Communications director Chris Tennill gave the board a legislative review of activity in Jefferson City, most notably regarding the expansion of charter schools. Nothing is on the docket that would greatly affect the district, he said.

The board also approved three consent items. The approved a slate of bid awards for the new Wydown Middle School, the Bracken Building lease extension and a new teacher salary agreement. Board member Brad Bernstein was the only "no" vote on the teacher-salary agreement. He said he wanted to have a deeper dialogue given the economic downturn before reaching an agreement.

The board ended the night in closed session.