Happy Back to School!

Written By C.B. Quoyle

We hope this finds you refreshed and ready for this school year. In the event you took the summer off (as we did 😊), we prepared a summary of some CB educational issues below. For those who stayed connected this summer, thank you for your continued dedication!

But first, we want to wish everyone a great start to this new school year. One of the most wonderful things about the school years is that every September, it’s a brand new beginning. For teachers, for kids, for families, the start of the school year is like a New Year’s celebration of its own, maybe more important than the new calendar year. New backpacks, new notebooks and pencils, new hopes and resolutions, it’s all so hopeful and fresh. We come back to the school year routine with the conviction that this will be the best year ever.

So, let’s make it so, CB. Let’s make this the best school year we’ve ever seen, with a new superintendent, a school board that supports teachers and kids, that stands for freedom of thought, freedom to read, and freedom to learn. And let’s work together to ensure our schools are more inclusive, just, and equitable for each and every child. Representation matters. Belonging matters. ALL kids need to see themselves reflected in the books they read, the classrooms they learn in, and the school curriculum they study.

Summer CB school board summary:

  • Dr.Yanni began as our new Superintendent. Dr. Yanni shared that he is “committed to creating and cultivating inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive… In such a large and diverse community, differing points of view are not only inevitable but encouraged. As a district, in line with our mission and values, we invite and respect these divergent opinions and viewpoints. This capacity for robust dialogue and discourse is essential for us to realize another intrinsic quality of our vast community: its limitless potential.” And that’s music to our AFIE ears. We wish Dr. Yanni a warm welcome.

  • The Board announced they will publish a “Board Meeting Brief” after each meeting to share with the community via email. We will in turn share that with our readers.

  • New Administrative Regulations (AR) that govern communication on electronic devices and social media at CBSD were discussed over the summer. The purpose of these regulations is to outline appropriate use of social media in the educational environment. The AR will accompany Policies 816, 816.1, 122, and 824.

  • The Board is discussing possible changes to Policy 903, “Public Comment in Board Meetings” including splitting public comment period into two groups: comments about agenda items at the beginning of the meeting and comments on general issues at the end.

  • Several CB students have asked CB to create a water polo team!

  • The equal pay lawsuit went to trial. The Jury was divided, 6 in favor of the teachers and 2 opposed, according to one juror who was eager to explain the reason for the mistrial. Then the judge decertified the Collective Action Suit. This means that each of the teachers who believe they have been discriminated against are free to bring their own individual lawsuit against the district, potentially multiplying legal expenses for CB. Meanwhile, the two original plaintiffs are continuing in their suit as it heads to a retrial.

  • The Board accepted Dr. Mahmud’s resignation because she moved out of the region she represented (Region V). There will be a special Board meeting on September 10 at 6 pm to interview applicants and appoint a new Board member. We wish to thank Dr. Mahmud for being a champion for the freedom to read, LGBTQ+ rights, and Covid safety measures.

  • The Board announced it is seeking new proposals for legal services.

  • You can get caught up on Policy here. Curriculum here. Business and operations here.

September Board meetings:

Special Meeting: Vacant board seat (Region V) interviews and appointment
Sep. 10
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Monthly School Board Meeting
Sep. 10
7:00 PM

Curriculum Committee Meeting
Sep. 24
6:00 PM

Policy Committee Meeting
Sep. 25
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Business & Operational Support Services Committee Meeting
Sep. 25
7:00 PM

Coming up

While we are grateful for our school board which recognizes every child’s right to dignity and safety and an opportunity to learn, the battle has merely shifted ground. Now we must take the fight for public education state- and nation-wide. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security. While here in CB, our own district is safe from book-banners and anti-intellectual idealogues, our state is not safe, our nation is not safe, and every public school is in danger from these proposed policies.

We’ll be back next week with a detailed look at Project 2025’s agenda to dismantle public education, roll back protections for our most vulnerable children, and put at risk the American promise of ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.

Until then, hooray for our teachers, our kids, our schools, our families, and high hopes for a terrific school year!

C.B. Quoyle

In 1993, Annie Proulx’s novel The Shipping News was published and won the Pulitzer Prize. It tells the story of a newly widowed man who has never known any luck or much love, who moves to Newfoundland with his aunt and two young children. There he finds a home. He writes for the local newspaper and because he’s a good listener and sensitive writer, he is awarded his own column: “The Shipping News.”

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