In Thursday night’s session of the Mountain Home School Board, Superintendent of Mountain Home Public Schools Dr. Jake Long says the majority of student parents are in support of Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI) which allows students to do school work during inclement weather or emergency days.
Erric Totty has this report.
The AMI status allows students to engage in learning when conditions don’t allow school to be in session. Dr. Long says he has sent out polls to parents, after the new alternative method of learning was put to the test, this week during winter weather that kept students at home. Long says over 700 parents had responded. Approximately 80 percent of those responding are in favor of the new process.
On AMI days, students are given digital and/or hard-copy content depending on the school they attend, and the district does not have to make up the day as a result. State lawmakers passed Act 862 earlier this year allowing public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to develop their plans. Students may have up to five days of paper and/or electronic lessons, along with e-mail or phone access to their teachers, to occupy a portion of their time at home.
A total of 121 traditional and charter school systems have been approved by the education department.
Dr. Long says complete results of the poll will be available when it shuts down around the end of the week. He called the district’s implementation of AMI a work in progress and intends to listen to those who have issues with it in order to make sure every student benefits.
In other board news the board was recognized by students from the Mountain Home Kindergarten who presented them signed thank you cards and Dr. Seuss hats. The cards read “Hats off to the board.”
Pinkston Middle School students presented plaques to board members they designed from a 3-D printer. The students attend a class in the morning, before school begins, to engage in technological learning.
The board was also presented a proclamation, issued by Mountain Home Mayor Joe Dillard, recognizing members for their service.
The board took action to approve recommendations for purchases including iPads to complete the classroom sets for all kindergarten through first grade.
A recommendation was also approved to appoint members to a District Curriculum Committee.
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