New Proposed English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum Presented at School Board Meeting
by Scott Jentsch
At the School Board meeting held March 28, 2022, the proposed new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum was presented for approval.
A presentation was given by administrators and staff members who have reviewed and piloted portions of the curriculum before coming to the Board with their recommendation. The presentation slides are available on the District website and the video of the presentation is available on the District's YouTube channel.
The comments from the administration and teaching staff were VERY enthusiastic, and no mention was made of any challenges or downsides. This makes me inherently skeptical, as every option being considered likely has something negative about it. It's just a matter of selecting the option with the least number of objectionable issues. It's quite possible that these items were outside the scope of this presentation and that more information is available for the asking.
With our ELA scores dropping year over year, this review couldn't come at a better time. I hope that it will be everything that it has been presented to be, but it's imperative that not only does the District select the right curriculum materials, but it must support the teachers in charge of implementing it to achieve success with any program that is adopted.
For this to be successful, the teachers must have the resources they need (time, supporting materials, etc.). I hope that the Board will view this information and ask in-depth questions before the approval vote. If it is approved, I hope that they will ask for a follow-up evaluation presentation to assess the successes and challenges of the new program in the interest of continual improvement.
The curriculum materials will be available for the public to review in the District office until April 11, when it will be voted on for approval at the School Board meeting that evening. If you are interested in reviewing them, you can contact Diana Hanson in the District office.
Last Updated: Apr 11, 2022 - Archived on Dec 31, 2022
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