Patchogue-Medford Superintendent Michael Hynes released a 10-minute video to district staffers, parents, students and taxpayers yesterday.
In the message, Dr. Hynes shared some “significant” proposals he said sharply contrast what’s being pushed from Albany regarding what he called the “over-testing of our students and, certainly, the curriculum that’s attached to that.”
“What we want to do here in Patchogue-Medford is to truly focus on swinging that pendulum back from an over-testing nation back to a nation of what is best for kids, as far as looking at the whole child.”
He said he’s proposing “significant shifts” for the 2016-17 school year.
Here are a few highlights:
• Increase structured and unstructured play for all K-8 students.
• Introduce yoga and meditation for all K-8 students.
• Boost professional development opportunities for all staff members, as far as training for stages of child development.
• Integrate ELA and social studies with math and science at all grade levels.
• Increase student participation in co-curricular activities by 10 percent at the high school level, while boosting drug-prevention assemblies, activities and community forums.
• Require dissertation projects for seniors to be presented in front of a panel of professionals.
Related: Pat-Med looking to transform education
Watch the video below for details on each proposal and learn about others.
