Cirrus Education Group
Minutes
CEG - Academic Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday September 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Location
Committee Members Present
L. Golphin (remote), L. Taylor, R. Finley (remote)
Committee Members Absent
S. Kelly, T. Olagunju
Guests Present
Arleen Samuels, B. Williams, Brenda Edwards, C. Blake, Diane Freeman, Nisah Brinson, Sonja Riley (remote), Wendy Grimes
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
C.
Approve Minutes
II. Academic
A.
Data and Assessments
B.
Culture
Brenda Edwards highlighted behavior interventions and restorative supports, including timely parent-teacher conferences and structured time-outs where appropriate. The Culture Committee previewed a slate of student clubs and activities to build belonging and engagement. Edwards reported improving discipline indicators and identified a sensory room as a priority to support students with emotional and regulation needs; members suggested pursuing donations and grants to accelerate the build-out.
C.
Curriculum Update
Nisah Brinson shared curriculum implementation status, including continued rollout of Amplify and STEMscopes with classroom walkthroughs to monitor fidelity. Additional materials are needed due to enrollment growth and vendor issues; the team plans to reallocate within existing curriculum budgets and proactively plan for 5–10 additional students per grade. Freeman will return with a grade-level needs summary tied to enrollment projections. The committee also discussed training and certification programming for staff, with implementation targeted for spring 2026.
D.
Cirrus Academy Wishlist Proposal
Chair Finley introduced the STEM wishlist submitted by a teacher; the instructional team has refined the list to align with program goals and device compatibility requirements. Staff will obtain quotes for the STEM items and sensory room needs, and provide an updated proposal with cash-flow analysis. The plan includes ensuring staff training and relevant certifications are sequenced to support the rollout of new equipment and experiences for students.
III. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
Chair Golphin provided a second to the motion to adjourn the meeting by phone at 12:20 pm.
Diane Freeman reviewed student performance trends, noting gains in math and targeted needs in reading and science. Leaders outlined ongoing MTSS implementation and aligned literacy/numeracy professional learning led by Brinson and Freeman, with continued use of curriculum-embedded assessments and progress monitoring. The team also discussed teacher certification pathways—particularly the exceptional children requirement—and agreed to prepare a phased support plan and a comparative cost analysis of certification options for board consideration.