Northern Lehigh School Board on Monday fielded concerns about the quality of education being offered to the “higher performing segment of the student body.”

Monika DeSousa told the school board on Monday she was there on behalf of the “higher performing segment of the student body and their families.”

“I feel as well as the other parents in the district that this portion of the class often gets overlooked because they’re able to achieve decent grades and rarely cause trouble,” DeSousa said. “As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but these wheels don’t squeak so they get neglected.

“These students are good students who achieve what’s required, but nothing more is asked of them. This doesn’t prepare them or help them grow and develop their critical thinking skills, time management skills, study skills which is needed for the future in high school, college and in the work force.”

DeSousa added “I don’t live in a bubble; I know COVID has impacted the education system drastically, but there are huge gaps in the district that need to be fulfilled,” she said.”

DeSousa said that in speaking with other parents in the elementary, middle school and some high school, she said there were three main issues.

She said the first was the higher level kids were not being developed to their higher educational needs, and added there is no papers, projects, rarely any homework given, no summer reading requirements for the middle schoolers.

DeSousa said there is huge knowledge gaps in writing, chemical and physical sciences, and elementary health education. She said health education has not even been addressed in the elementary school in Slatington for the past two years.

She said the third is a lack of access to curriculum.

“We can’t even help our children learn what they’re supposed to learn because we don’t have access to any of the curriculum guides that are supposed to be out there,” DeSousa said.

She asked that the district look at all the students.

“It’s not just the ones that do well, but everybody. The better performing students are not in need of a full flex period in the middle school,” she said.

“I understand that kids do need remediation, but the top performers in their class don’t need that extra time; they don’t need to catch up because their work has already been done. I feel like more attention needs to be placed on the kids that want to do more work and learn more and not be afraid when they’re challenged and there are many children in the grades that are out there that are just not being pushed to their full potential.”

DeSousa said that she respects the teachers.

“I understand that this is a small and under-resourced school district, but emphasis I feel has to be placed more on the quality of education versus anything else,” she said.

Superintendent Matthew J. Link encouraged DeSousa “to become part of the solution with us.”

Link said the district has its education committees, curriculum council and recently just wrapped up its comprehensive planning.

“I sincerely hope I get to see you at some of those meetings as well,” Link said. “And we can continue the conversation.”

Parent Amanda Schall said her daughter wants to be a meteorologist, which will most likely mean she will have to go to Penn State University, but that given the test scores in math that she’s seen, she has “strong concerns.”

“I echo (DeSousa’s) sentiments, and I would be glad to participate in any programs and things that you guys have that we can help to make it better.”