A major topic of discussion at the May 18 meeting of the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board was curriculum.
Currently, the district spends between $5 and $12 per student to access a curriculum map called Beyond Textbooks (BT). BT promotes itself as “a comprehensive program of curriculum development, instructional improvement, student assessment and multi-level interventions,” a tool teachers can use as resource material and guide to Arizona education standards.
The program is interactive and offers connection with other educators.
Winslow High School mathematics instructor Julie Thomas spoke alongside history teacher Kyle Scott and English teacher Charlene Gile against the district continuing a relationship with BT.
Scott explained the money would be better spent replacing antiquated textbooks, especially in the Advanced Placement Program, citing the fact that he is currently teaching from a history book that he said, “Only covers the first three years of the Bush presidency.”
Textbooks are expensive. To adopt a textbook can cost up to $100,000, a sum the district just does not have access to, especially with recent funding cuts to Arizona schools. In addition to cost, subjects like history and the sciences are ever changing, requiring evolution of teaching material, a feat books cannot perform. Another issue the teachers see with the program is the sequencing of lessons.
According to Gile, BT uses the philosophy of, “This (topic) is tested most, so teach it first,” which is counterproductive to the building of base skills, in the opinion of these teachers.
Thomas continued by saying that BT resources are often incorrect in their content and solutions to math problems, and presented evidence supporting this claim to the board.
Thomas went on to say that it would be in the best interest of the students, especially at the high school level, for teachers to be allowed to build their own curriculum while still adhering to Arizona Standards.
Board member Allen Leonard said, “When I was teaching, I never had anyone say I had to stick to BT to the letter. I used it as a living curriculum. If we have a staff that can write a curriculum that works, I say let’s do that instead of buying someone else’s, but what about when we don’t have someone who wants to do that, or can do that?
“Is the answer a hybrid of BT and a curriculum you write?” Board Clerk Joe Hartnett asked.
Thomas answered with a succinct, “No.”
She went on to explain that in her interactions with educators from the other 50-plus schools around the state that use BT in their classrooms none of the math teachers she spoke to like the program.
Superintendent Cyndi Mattox said, “This is going to require much more discussion and I have a lot of questions.”
Hartnett added, “I would like for you all to keep an open mind in collaboration between you at all grade levels.”
Thomas thanked the governing board for listening, saying, “It’s a nice surprise to be asked what we think, that hasn’t happened in a long time.”
The board’s next meeting is scheduled at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 22.
