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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for Adel DeSoto Minburn Comm School District. We found 8 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Board to Vote on Six New Science Curriculum Pilots
Item 6.J asks for approval of six different science curriculum pilots, many of which are ‘primarily an online resource.’ This massive shift to screen-based learning is being pushed through without public evidence of academic effectiveness or parental review of the ideological content embedded in these programs. One vendor, STILE, requires a ‘data sharing agreement,’ raising serious student privacy concerns.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Table the vote on Item 6.J. Before piloting new science curricula, parents demand to see the independent, non-vendor-funded evidence of academic results, the full text of any data-sharing agreements, and a public review of all materials for ideological content.’
💰 Impact: Your Child’s Privacy
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required for New Discipline Policies
Items 3.I.2, 3.I.3, and 3.I.4 introduce a new set of policies and regulations on ‘Disruptive Behavior’ and student removal from the classroom. The actual text of these crucial discipline policies was not included in the agenda packet, preventing parents from seeing if they restore order or introduce ‘restorative justice’ loopholes.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the files for Items 3.I.2, 3.I.3, and 3.I.4 in the Official Agenda (linked above). The Board must not pass new discipline rules without full public transparency. Email the board and demand these items be tabled until the full text is made easily accessible.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Discipline Rules
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required for Religious Expression Policy
Item 3.I.1 introduces a new policy on ‘Religious Expression’ based on a new state law. While this could be a win for students, the actual policy text was not included in the agenda packet, preventing parental review before the first reading.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item 3.I.1 attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether this policy truly protects religious freedom or contains language that undermines it. Email the board to insist all policy documents be fully public before a vote.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Policy Text
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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District Spends $3,805 on Screen-Based Reading Software
The district is paying $3,805.70 to Lexia Voyager Sopris Inc., a company that provides screen-based reading programs. The Board has not provided evidence that this software is more effective than direct teacher instruction or what the daily screen time per student will be.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the $3,805.70 payment to Lexia in the Consent Agenda Item 3.B, please publish the independent, non-vendor-funded evidence showing this program’s academic effectiveness and the total daily screen time it adds for students before any future renewals.’
💰 Impact: Increased Screen Time
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| ALERT (LEVEL 3) |
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Payment to Vendor Known for Social-Emotional Learning
A payment of $914.90 is being made to Teaching Strategies, LLC, a curriculum vendor known for embedding Social Emotional Learning (SEL) concepts into its materials for young children. This is a small payment, but it establishes a relationship with a vendor that prioritizes SEL.
Recommended Action Plan
MONITOR: This payment in Consent Agenda Item 3.B is small, but track this vendor. Be prepared to challenge any attempt to expand its use in the district.
💰 Impact: $914.90
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| ALERT (LEVEL 3) |
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New ‘Social-Emotional’ Goals for Gifted Students
The updated GATE Handbook under item 3.H introduces a new goal to develop students’ ‘social, emotional, and school success skills in relation to their giftedness.’ This injects social-emotional learning into the gifted program and creates a new system for tagging K-2 students in the district’s data system.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK QUESTIONS: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Item 3.H, what specific curriculum will be used to teach social-emotional skills to gifted students, and how can parents review it? We want the focus for gifted students to remain on academic acceleration, not emotional programming.’
💰 Impact: SEL in Gifted Program
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| ALERT (LEVEL 2) |
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District Recommends Priorities for State-Level Lobbying
Under item 6.F, the board is approving its legislative priorities to be sent to the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB), a lobbying group. While the listed priorities are generic (funding, literacy), this confirms the district uses its position to influence state legislation.
Recommended Action Plan
MONITOR: No immediate action required, but be aware that the district is involved in state-level lobbying. Track IASB’s positions on parental rights issues, as our district’s voice is part of their collective power.
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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WIN: District to Require Civics Test for Graduation
The Board is set for a final vote on Policy 505.05, which will require students to pass a civics test based on the U.S. citizenship test to graduate. This is a significant step toward restoring academic rigor and ensuring students have a foundational knowledge of American government.
How to Lock It In
SECURE THE WIN: Show up to thank the Board for passing Item 3.J.3. Get this on the record so it can’t be quietly reversed and use it as a model for neighboring districts. Public praise makes it harder for them to backtrack.
✅ Why It Matters: Return to Academics
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