Hazelwood School Board Discusses Curriculum Changes

Some 51 courses within the  have been revamped and updated. Dr. Mary Piper, assistant superintendent of curriculum will retire at the end of this school year and realized the urgency of completing the realized the urgency of completing the task before she left, she said at the May 3 HSD Board of Education meeting.

"One of the things that happens as you are finishing up your tenure in a job is you realize all the things you haven't finished,” she said. "I really need to thank all those (teachers) that helped to get this done."

An advisory board of 57 teachers and department heads from throughout the district met throughout the school year and updated the district’s high school curriculum options, removing some course choices, adding other courses and updating some courses that were more than 10 years old.

Among the changes, an ACT prep course was added as a class elective. Graphic design, multimedia and web design courses were also added to the curriculum. Industrial technology was updated to encompass basic electronics including home repairs and maintenance. New software, including Adobe Creative Suite, Davis Art Series and Rosetta Stone was also purchases for various courses.

First reading of all the revised district curriculum was read at the meeting with the board set to vote on second and final reading today. 

The Hazelwood School District Board of Education also heard an update on the district’s supplier diversity programs for the third quarter of the fiscal year. The primary purpose of supplier diversity program is to support the district’s mission and vision that includes providing opportunities for the meaningful participation of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) in purchases the district makes, and bids it awards. The reports shows stats for the dates July 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011.

Dwight Lindhorst, assistant superintendent of facility services said that, as it pertains to using minority-owned businesses, the district is above its goals bidding services, supplies  and construction work to minorities. As it pertains to women-owned businesses, the district has not quite met its goal for services and supplies awarded.

"Exactly what is your plan to increase in the areas in which we are low?" board member Desiree Whitlock asked Lindhorst, to which he answered that outreach is key.

“We try to meet and seek out other business that are (MBE/WBE) certified," Lindhorst said. "Some problems lately have been that with the economic times businesses have closed and this includes MBE and WBE businesses. We are trying to use different communication tools to seek out WBE and MBE businesses."

Board member Charles "Chuck" Woods asked about what could be an issue with the WBE and MBE businesses winning bids on supplies and service. He specifically asked if the issues with giving these busineses work was because they are not as able to compete with prices.

"We look for MBEs and WBEs to do business with, but we also have look at the prices that we can get supplies and purchase services from," Lindhorst said. "Cost is the No. 1 item, but if it's close, especially if it's an MBE that is local, we try to buy at least some (goods or services) from them to help increase their business so they can increase their volume and get better discounts. Hopefully bringing  their cost down over time to what we can get from other suppliers, making them more competitive."

The next Hazelwood School District Board of Education meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.