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Heads up! Our parent watchdogs have scanned the upcoming agenda for Big Walnut Local. We found 4 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Hiring School Social Workers Through Outside Agency
Under Item 5.2, the board is approving a service plan with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio that includes hiring two full-time school social workers. Social workers are often the primary implementers of ‘Social Emotional Learning’ (SEL), ‘trauma-informed,’ and ‘restorative’ practices that can lead to student counseling, interventions, and data collection without full parental knowledge or consent.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email Superintendent Ryan McLane at ryanmclane@bwls.net: ‘Regarding Item 5.2, what specific training and curriculum will the ESC-provided social workers use with our students? We demand that parents have the right to opt-out of any and all social worker services and related SEL programming.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Cost of 2 Full-Time Employees (Undisclosed Amount)
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Student Reading Software with Built-in Intervention Framework
The board is spending $50,750 on ‘Lexia’ reading software (Item 5.3), described as a ‘tier 1 and 2’ resource. This language confirms the district is using the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. MTSS is a complex intervention system that can be used to profile students and apply behavioral or academic interventions without specific parental consent for each step. ‘Adaptive’ software like this also collects massive amounts of student data.
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Email Superintendent Ryan McLane at ryanmclane@bwls.net: ‘Regarding Item 5.3, what specific student data does the Lexia software collect and who owns it? Please provide the parental opt-out form for both the software and any non-academic interventions administered under the MTSS framework.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: $50,750
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Authorizing Taxpayer-Funded Political Lobbying
The board is adopting new performance evaluation rules for the Superintendent (Item 5.11). Buried in the new rules is a provision allowing the board to set ‘Legislative advocacy’ as a formal job requirement. This creates a mechanism for your local tax dollars to be used to lobby the state government for or against bills, potentially including those that impact parental rights.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK QUESTIONS: Call board president Stephen Fujii at (740) 965-3010: ‘Regarding Item 5.11, I oppose using the Superintendent’s office and our tax dollars for political lobbying. The district should focus on education, not activism. Please remove ‘Legislative advocacy’ as a performance goal.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Future lobbying expenses (Undisclosed)
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 5) |
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Paying a Consultant to Align Curriculum with Corporate Interests
The district plans to pay ‘BridgED, LLC’ $61,513 to create a ‘District and Business Partnership Team’ and advise on career pathways (Item 5.1). This shifts the focus from core academic knowledge to workforce development, potentially allowing corporate partners to influence curriculum and student goals. The program is described with the slogan ‘Enlist, Enroll, Employ.’
Recommended Action Plan
ASK QUESTIONS: Email Superintendent Ryan McLane at ryanmclane@bwls.net: ‘Regarding Item 5.1, which specific companies will be on the Partnership Team and what influence will they have on classroom curriculum? Will this program replace or reduce time for core subjects like history, literature, and civics?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: $61,513
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