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This policy is a series of additions and revisions to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). The goal of this policy is to ensure that public schools provide students, teachers, and staff the tools and resources needed to be successful and achieve their goals within the Montessori framework.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)
Section 2103 (D) of Title II of the ESEA states, “reducing class size to a level that is evidence- based, to the extent the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines that such evidence is reasonably available, to improve student achievement through the recruiting and hiring of additional effective teachers”. This will be revised to state “reducing class size to no more than 18 students per classroom, with States (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) being able to reduce class sizes to improve student achievement through the recruitment and hiring of additional effective teachers”.
Teaching licenses and certificates shall be federally required instead of done through the State. Teachers will be able to qualify for their licenses or certificates in a multitude of ways including, but not limited to, hourly requirements, volunteering at schools, and exams. States will have the right to determine what is required to take the exams. Exams will be offered free of charge and any costs associated with the exams will be covered by the Federal Government.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
All students will have an IEP that follows them to all schools in all states that they attend and are reassessed every year at some point during the year at the discretion of the State. At the beginning of the year all teachers will have to review or assess all of their students' IEP plans. During the yearly IEP meeting, Goals will be discussed and planned with the students, families, and teachers.
The ESSA will be modified to require all public schools K-12 to modify their testing to become assessments that the students take every quarter. The students will take an assessment at the beginning of the year to see where they are at in each subject. The teacher will then be able to modify, create, or use existing assignments to help their students reach their learning goals. States will be able to determine how the assessments are to be administered, with regards to the teachers, staff, and students needs.
States have the discretion to set up evidence-based minimum goal requirements. If requirements are not met, the school district will have a third party investigator to discover why the goal requirement wasn’t met. If the majority of students are not reaching the goal requirement and the third party investigator discovers that it is the teacher that is not helping the students reach their goals then the teacher will be required to attend additional training. If it is a continuous issue with the teacher not helping students achieve their goals, the state or district has the right to choose consequences up to termination. If the investigator discovers that the child is not reaching their requirements due to the child’s actions and decisions, the investigator will work with the therapist to come up with a plan to help the student that they will present to the school. This can include parent-teacher-therapist conferences, changing classes, and additional therapy sessions.
Sexuality Education
Grade appropriate comprehensive sexuality education will be required in grades K-12 in all public schools. States will have the choice of how they want to teach these subjects. Parents will be advised about the classes before they start and given pamphlets to not only understand what the children are learning and why it is important but to be able to answer any questions that may come up at home. The minimum requirements for what should be covered in these classes are as follows:
Preschool and Kindergarten:
- Correct names for body parts
- Curiosity is normal and understandable
- Basic understanding of:
- Gender
- Sexuality
- Same sex parents
- Different family structures - i.e poly, divorced, single, etc.
- Different races, cultures, colors, genes, languages, etc.
- Don’t touch others private body parts and don’t let others touch yours
- Helping students to develop a positive self image
- Firearms education
Early Elementary (1st-3rd):
- Basics of plant and animal reproduction
- Help students to develop a positive self image
- Male and female anatomy
- Interpersonal relationships
- Healthy boundaries
- Set and respect
- Benefits of boundaries
Upper Elementary (4th-5th):
- Puberty (growth and development)
- Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Interpersonal relationships
- I.e. positive perception of others, interpersonal communication skills, collaborative conflict management skills, among others
Lower Secondary (6th-8th)
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Sexual myths and stereotypes
- Birthing
- Vaginal
- Hospital
- Home
- Water
- C-Section
- Emergency vs scheduled
- Premie & incubator
Upper Secondary (9th-12th):
- Relationship issues
- I.e. violence, abuse, bodily autonomy, informed consent, among others
- Reproductive decision making
- What must be covered: both male and female birth control options, multiple options for pregnancy, reproductive health
Mental Health
Section 2103 (I) (iii) of Title II of the ESEA will be changed to say that school-based mental health programs will be developed by partnering with public or private mental health organizations, and required of all students, teachers, and staff to regularly attend. A third party therapist will be located at each public school to conduct the mandatory meetings with students and teachers.
Therapy for Teachers and Staff
All teachers and staff will be required to go to a monthly counseling session provided to them by the state and/or school district. Before a teacher or staff member is hired they will have to complete a set number of hours to be determined by the state or district, with a minimum of 2 hours with a third party therapist. The therapist is able to require more sessions and/or provide recommendations on hiring.
Therapy for Students
All students will be required to go to a therapy session bi-monthly that is provided by the state and/or school district. The therapist will make recommendations, if warranted, and teachers and staff need to make accommodations to better meet the needs of the student.
Emotional and Social Skills
The RULER program will be implemented in all public schools. The RULER program is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating. All public schools will be required to send one principal and two educators or mental health professionals to participate in the RULER training institute. They will then be given the tools and assistance to implement this program at their school. Refresher programs will be given at the beginning of each school year to ensure teachers and staff are up to date on the program as well as teach new teachers.
Emotional and social development skills will be taught in all public schools grades K-12. In grades 4-12 these skills will be taught in congruence with life skill courses. States and school districts can choose if they want to combine emotional/social skills with life skills in grades K-3. These courses will be taught and only graded on a pass/fail basis with consideration of developmental and mental differences. Examples of life skill that must be included, but not limited to, are:
- The difference between consent, coercion, and abuse
- Healthy boundaries
- Sharing
- Personal vs communal
- Respecting and setting
- Understanding body queues
- Healthy emotional expression
Life Skills
Life skills will be taught in grades 4-12 in all public schools. The minimum requirement for life skills classes are as follows:
Grades 4 and 5:
- Nutrition
- Different for every body
- Developing a healthy relationship with food
- Over eating
- Under eating
- Emotional expression and identification
- Good hygiene
- Organizational skills
Grades 6 thru 8:
- Emotional expression and identification
- Nutrition
- Maintaining a healthy relationship with food
- Over eating
- Under eating
- Good hygiene
- Organizational skills
Grades 9-10:
- Emotional expression and identification
- Nutrition
- Maintaining a healthy relationship with food
- Over eating
- Under eating
- How to cook delicious and healthy foods
- Good hygiene
- How to do laundry
- How to do dishes
- Organizational skills
Grade 11:
- Emotional expression and identification
- Nutrition
- Maintaining a healthy relationship with food
- Over eating
- Under eating
- Grocery shopping
- How to cook delicious and healthy food
- Home maintenance
- Vehicle maintenance
- How to change a tire
- How to check and change the oil
- Good hygiene
Grade 12:
- Taxes
- Financial management
- Home ownership
- Talking points and signs of a good doctor
Testimonials from staff, strangers, and students (with parental and student permission)
-Have different disabilities and body sizes in the testimonials
- Roommate politics
Language Arts
All schools need to be Spanish Immersion schools and American Sign Language will also be mandatory.
Preschool and Kindergarten:
- English
- American Sign Language
- Spanish
- Common Terms (Yes, No, Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank you, etc.)
- Numbers and Letters (Handwriting, Recognition, Recall)
- Common Requests (Water, Bathroom, Hunger, etc.)
Early Elementary (1st-3rd):
- English
- American Sign Language
- Spanish
- Basic Vocabulary + Spelling
- Basic Reading
- Basic Sentence Structure
- Basic Conversations
Upper Elementary (4th-5th):
- English
- American Sign Language
- Spanish
- Continued Vocabulary + Spelling
- Reading and Comprehension
- Basic Writing
- Continued Communications
- First Elective Language
- Optional Second Elective Language
- Common Terms (Yes, No, Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank you, etc.)
- Numbers and Letters (Handwriting, Recognition, Recall)
- Common Requests (Water, Bathroom, Hunger, etc.)
Early Secondary (6th-8th):
- English
- American Sign Language
- Spanish
- Continued Reading and Comprehension
- Advanced Writing
- Introduction to Literature
- Interpersonal Communications
- First Elective Language
- Optional Second Elective Language
- Basic Vocabulary + Spelling
- Basic Reading
- Basic Sentence Structure
- Basic Conversations
Upper Secondary (9th-12th):
- English
- American Sign Language
- Spanish
- Advanced Writing
- Literature
- Technical Reading & Writing
- First Elective Language
- Optional Second Elective Language
- Continued Vocabulary + Spelling
- Reading and Comprehension
- Basic Writing
- Continued Communications
Homeschooling
All school curriculum will be made available by the state and be required for all parents/guardians to use for homeschooling. The same assessments that are required in public schools will also be required in home schools. Students and parents will also have mandatory meetings every nine weeks with the third party therapist working with the school district. They will also be able to have access to the therapist if schooling issues pop up between the mandatory meetings.
Public schools will also be required to allow homeschooled students to participate in all sports and afterschool programs. Parents will have to take exams and training programs in order to be able to homeschool their children. This will help to ensure that their childrens receive a quality education and reach their improvement and learning goals.
Students with Disabilities
All schools will be required to follow all ADA requirements. Students with a 504 plan will be required to have reviews of their plan at the beginning and middle of the school year.
Disciplinary Guidelines
When an issue comes up that warrants disciplinary action, all persons involved in the incident (student, faculty, staff) must meet with the on campus third party therapist. The therapist will make a recommendation for appropriate disciplinary action. The school must take this recommendation into consideration when giving discipline and the therapist is also allowed to go to the school board if they feel that the disciplinary action was overly harsh, without consequence. All disciplinary action must be considered consequences and have the goal of changing behavior not punishment. Out of school suspension is the second to last resort with expulsion being the last.
Budget minimum?
Algorithms that will allow us to do a state by state budget minimum?
Parental Involvement Leave Act
- Act for school hours giving the parents mandated time off work for school functions like IEP/Therapy/Meet the teacher/Parent teacher conference
- Parental summer involvement
... FAQ ...
Will teachers receive "tenure" for years of service?
No. A lot of colleges currently offer this; however, most educators do not receive it.
How do dorms work with Landback/guaranteed housing? Does having a dorm room replace being eligible for a house? If so, are dorm rooms only for associated college students?
There will be specialized housing for students, which will allow people who attend college to live in that housing. People who don't attend college will not be able to select this housing. People who work for the school, will be able to select this housing as well. Resident Advisors (RA) will be available for the students' needs. We recognize some students need help learning how to live alone for the first time and this need will be met.
Will the college meal plan be free?
Most colleges contract outside restaurants to cater in their food. It would be hard to have a college meal plan, because of the contract with those companies. Under the Sherman Administration, it will be easier for students to go to the store and buy food and use their basic skills of cooking. We want to encourage the students to consume a healthier diet and remove the reliance on fast-food/cafeteria options. Also, will have the culinary students cooking for schools. Edible mistakes and extra food will be provided to the free community food or pet food. No bleach will be used and will not be harmful.
Food Quality Improvements in all grade levels at all educational institutions must be healthy but must taste good, too. Revamping the menus with input from a talented local chefs will significantly increase students’ consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Will the college have a safe use center?
Yes, and we will expect the colleges to support and not stigmatize any student who uses drugs. Colleges will not be allowed to expel student for drug use.
How will credits be transferred once college is free?
Going forward, accredited colleges & universities will be required to accept credits from other institutions, if the student was enrolled in the last 10 years. If a student changes their degree plans during their college years, the credits for the class may not fit into that degree plan. The credits that don't meet the criteria for the new degree/plan, they would count as a free elective. Under the Sherman Administration, higher-education is free and students can take as many classes as they want; as long as they complete the degree program required courses.
Will there be placement exams? Are Montessori schools accredited?
Going forward, the Montessori Curriculum will be accredited. There will be different formats of example, such as written, verbal or skill based exams. Letting students choose between the 3 formats will ensure they are able to take the exam in the way that this best for them. This also allows adults, or non traditional student to skip a course(s), or class, if passed.
Can student review their professor?
There will be an equitable survey available for the student to complete every semester. Ex: Student gets a report card, teacher gets a report card.
Will educational materials be free?
All books should be one price, which is affordable. If a teacher uses a book that required a book with an access code, students should be able to sell, or recycle the book and the access code should cost no more than $20.00 for the website. Teachers publishing books for their own classes, and updating them yearly for profit will not be allowed.We are stopping teachers from stealing students' works using them in their own books to make money.
Will a student advisor be involved with an IEP?
Colleges will have an advisor, who is not a teacher. Their only job will be to advise and the department of disabilities would review the IEPs because they work with the student to make sure they have what they need in classes. This will ensure accessibility needs are met.
Will therapy be available in school?
Therapy will be required for all students, faculty, and staff. This will be provided weekly for students and bi-weekly for faculty and staff.
What is the classroom maximum?
Class maximums may vary, but should not exceed 18 students. For preK to 12, there will be no more than 20 students when a student teacher is present.