Kings Park board hears proposals for 'Introduction to Law' and a four‑module 'Foundations for the Future' course

High‑school staff presented two new course proposals intended for upper‑grade students and to fulfill skills priorities for post‑secondary planning.

Michael Tartarmela, Esq., and high‑school faculty proposed "Introduction to Law," a one‑quarter course built around A Course in Practical Law that would cover criminal law, torts, contracts, consumer and family law, and constitutional topics; instructors suggested adding mock‑trial components to provide experiential learning. The presenters said the course could be offered to juniors and seniors and could count toward the Seal of Civic Readiness as a half‑credit course.

A separate proposal, "Foundations for the Future: Pathways to Success," outlines four modules — financial literacy; civics and leadership; AI prompting and digital literacy; and communication and professional skills — that could be delivered across ninth and tenth grades or condensed into a one‑year program. Presenters described the course as flexible: it could be required for incoming ninth graders, offered as a modular elective, or offered across grades to meet career‑readiness goals.

The presenters also asked to rename an existing course labeled "College Algebra" to "Math for College Readiness" to better reflect course content and credit expectations; no content changes were proposed, only a title change to avoid misleading college admissions offices.

Board members responded positively and asked clarifying questions about grade levels and implementation. No formal vote was taken on course adoption at the Nov. 18 meeting; curriculum approvals typically follow review and scheduling steps.