Chappaqua BOE Mulls Adding 3rd 'Strategic Question'

Chappaqua's school board is thinking about adding a third topic to its strategic questions list, which help direct and shape district policy.

At their meeting Tuesday, board members discussed whether or not the well being of students, including social, emotional and physical health, should be enshrined at a higher level.

There are already precedents for focusing on student well being. Aside from the district's mission statement mentioning social and emotional health for students, there are several character development initiatives taught at the elementary school level, board members explained.

“So it isn’t as if we aren’t working on social and emotional and physical, but we haven’t looked at it in a systemic way,” said Superintendent Lyn McKay.

Starting off the talk, McKay asked should there be another strategic question, and if so, how will information be gathered to craft it. She noted that the district's existing strategic question that guides teaching and learning policies has done well in helping shape local student assessments.

Currently, the district has two strategic questions: the one for teaching and learning, and one that covers fiscal and budgetary issues. Both were adopted in 2009.

Talk turned to whether or not well being could potentially turn into an infringement on parental values.

Board member Karen Visser, explaining her gut feeling at the start of the talk, said that areas of values should be the responsibility of parents rather than the school district.

“So do I really want to put the responsibility on the school district or a teacher who has not the same values as I do?” she asked.

Touching on that topic, fellow board member Randall Katchis said what they should be working on “is the environment with which we’re chartered to control, which is here.” Within that school enviroment, he explained, the district can help students by dealing with obstacles that it can control.

Whether or not ethics should be dealt with more was also raised. For example, Board Vice President Jeffrey Mester felt that ethical situations such as cheating are not focused on enough.

Talked turned to whether or not student well being could merely be added into the district's existing question that covers teaching and learning.

“For me it’s not a question of whether we teach kids to have these other skills – emotional skills, or personal skills – but how do we do it?” said board member Victoria Tipp in assessing which way to move on the situation.

Responding, McKay acknowledged that lengthening the teaching strategic question could be an alternative.

Mindy Berkower, who is president of the Chappaqua PTA, suggested that the issue could be approached from the angle of students in relation to the community.

“It’s really about teaching kids to be good collaborators in a group, to work within a community," she said. "And I think if you, if it’s approached from that angle, you avoid the sort of hot button issues that have also been pointed out.”

Berkower explained that when a person is judged on working in a group, the other issues about them come out. She also pointed out that character development programs tend to fall away by the time students reach the middle school level.

Lea Barth, who has helped the League of Women Voters of New Castle, encouraged the board to continue the discussion.

“I applaud the conversation. I think it’s great," she said.

Barth said that she was skeptical when the first two strategic questions were added, but now feels that it has elevated people's conversation.