tronanews.com

BOARD AGENDA: http://www.blackturtle.us/TTA/BMJUNE19.pdf
The board meeting started at 6:16 and lasted about an hour or so. Other than the school board, mostly staff members were present. Major items as follows:

1) Two items pulled from agenda. One had to do with "Elementary coverage compensation" and the other involved a proposed "District Safety Plan".

2) CLOSED SESSION REPORT: A recently retired teacher who had worked for the district for over thirty years was given a retirement incentive.

3) COMMUNITY CLEAN UP: June 22 from 7 AM to 11 AM. Meet at the Shell Station.

4) Superintendent's Report: Stated that he was busy making plans for next year. Mentioned a few items, but did not go into much detail.

5) HS Principal: Gave a presentation on high school clubs which include the following clubs: art/photo, hiking, Spanish, auto shop, and Dungeons and Dragons.

6) Technology Update: Info about upcoming projects and needs. It will cost $75K to install disaster recovery and backup system. Info provided about difficulties of dealing with different types of computers used by the school (Windows, Macintosh, and Chrome). Keeping up with upgrades a challenge. Plans to implement improved method to keep up with upgrades. High number of repairs needed at high school. During discussion it was mentioned that $50K is allocated each year by LCAP funds for repair and replacement of 1-to-1 devices.

7) Campus Monitor Job Description: Approved. See agenda for details.

8) K-6 Coordinator Job Description: Approved. See agenda for details.

9) OUT OF STATE CONFERENCES: One teacher will attend an AVID conference in Texas (to learn new teaching strategies for math) and another an ALICE conference in Ohio (regarding active shooter preparedness). Both trips approved.

10) SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: Installation of cameras and two large monitors will cost a total of $80K for the elementary and high school.

11) CAMP KEEP: Sixth grade science camp agreement approved.

NEXT MEETING: July 11th, 2019

blackturtle.us wrote:5) HS Principal: Gave a presentation on high school clubs which include the following clubs: art/photo, hiking, Spanish, auto shop, and Dungeons and Dragons.

Dungeons and Dragons? Won't that trigger a few religious fundamentalists? The fundies are well known for disapproving of that demonic game!

The Never-Ending Game of Dungeons & Dragons
I remember back in the 1980s and 1990s many fundamentalist groups claimed that D&D was inspired by Satan himself. Nowadays I don't think anyone is pushing that notion. As for the reality of the game, here's a video showing just how much creativity can be inspired by the game.

John Hickenlooper Pitches His ‘Big Idea’ For Skills Training
Let's face it, lots of people aren't exactly college material, but most tech jobs don't require academic excellence, just someone who has close to average intelligence. So, why go to college, when there's an easier and more direct path to a career?

Student kicked out of class for saying ‘there are only 2 genders’
I can't believe that most teachers would react this way. Most people I know who are teachers would agree that there are only two genders. Apparently in Scotland things are run by SJWs and people are afraid to disagree with SJW BS.

ergot: I know in Canada they have a law about gender pronouns, but so far here in California we haven't gotten into that. That's at least to my knowledge. I recall hearing about Jordan Peterson having an issue in Canada. He's an out-spoken psychology professor from the University of Toronto. He publicly objected to the gender pronoun law and at first he got into some trouble and then he became really famous and now he's a best-selling author. So, standing up for what is right often pays off since at least some of the time the public understands the difference between right and wrong.

Trona High School celebrates its graduates
Nice collection of images from the graduation ceremony. Nothing surprising. Just a bunch of pictures with minimal captions.
https://www.ridgecrestca.com/photogallery/CA/20190612/PHOTOGALLERY/612009996/PH/1

SHOULD HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE AN ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT?
Yes, of course they should! Students should not receive a diploma unless they pass all classes and pass a rigorous test demonstrating their knowledge of the curriculum!

Back when I went to grade school in Illinois you not only had to pass all your classes, you had to pass a test on the constitution of the United States, in order to graduate. It's hard to fathom people graduating any class without having learned to read. Many students back then were held back or went to summer school. I remember a kid who was held back 4 grades. He was huge and had an unfair advantage in sports; and you thought transgender was bad...

A high school diploma doesn't mean much anymore. There should be stringent requirements which make a high school diploma a guarantee that the student can read, write, and perform more than just basic arithmetic. For that matter, a driver's license should not be available to anyone who hasn't passed a basic proficiency test equivalent to completing the tenth grade. Our educational system rubber stamps a bunch of incompetent kids rather than holding them accountable. We put all the pressure on teachers as if teachers can teach students who aren't held accountable. Put the accountability where it belongs (ON THE STUDENTS) and the whole system will actually start working the way it should!