Teachers and students press board over proposed 50‑point floor and persistent tech shortages

Several public commentators asked the board to revisit policy choices and address operational shortfalls.

Mike Palucci, vice president of the Collingswood Education Association, urged the board to reconsider a proposed grading‑scale change that would set a 50 floor for marking periods districtwide. Palucci said the policy risks reducing academic rigor for some students and recommended alternative approaches: time‑limited floors, only applying a floor to the lowest marking period, or formal meetings (student, counselor, teacher, MTSS) to support struggling students. He said the district should incorporate teacher and support‑staff input before codifying the change.

Students and staff described technology and facilities shortfalls that they said are interfering with instruction and extracurricular opportunities. Seventh‑grade student Eliana Oster said multiple Chromebooks have missing keys or nonworking trackpads, several classrooms have recurring water leaks and visible mold has been painted over rather than repaired. PAW TV director Miles said the TV studio had 23 open tech tickets, multiple inoperable iMacs and MacBooks, and that as a result the program missed submitting to the Garden State Film Festival for the first time in five years; he also said the midyear equipment budget had been frozen, forcing students to consider fundraising or out‑of‑pocket purchases.

An English teacher, Mrs. Tannier, said more than 100 donated Chromebooks promised for student use are unaccounted for and asked what parents must do to secure device access for out‑of‑school research projects; she asked for a written timeline so teachers can plan projects that require after‑school work.

Why it matters: the grading‑policy proposal would alter transcript and course outcome calculations; technology and equipment shortages affect equity, extracurricular access and college/career opportunities for students. Board members acknowledged concerns and discussed monitoring and revisiting the grading item during program‑of‑study reviews.

What's next: board members and district staff said they will continue to monitor the grading change during implementation and will follow up on technology, device distribution and TV‑studio equipment availability.