Amanda Leonard, principal of Washington Elementary School representing the Winslow Unified School District leadership, took the stage at the recent school board meeting to discuss the impactful curriculum alignment week held over the summer. This initiative, centered around the theme “By Student, By Standard,” aimed to address the district’s pressing need for a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Leonard’s enthusiasm for the project was noted as she described the significant progress made during the week. The primary goals were to create curriculum maps, establish pacing guides, unpack essential standards, and develop common formative assessments.
The overarching aim was to ensure that all students, regardless of their classroom, had access to the same standards, content, and skills, thus promoting equity and consistency across the district. It is important to note that students in this district must go to five schools between kindergarten and graduating high school and this state of constant transition can get out of hand quickly if the schools are not working together closely. This curriculum map helps the different schools better understand where students will be when they walk through the door and where they’ll be when they leave.
Throughout the week, teachers worked diligently to create curriculum maps for K-8 in English language arts and math, while high school teachers reassessed their existing maps. This process included establishing a foundation for vertical alignment, which is crucial for smooth academic progression. Additionally, response to intervention plans and multi-tiered system of support were reviewed to better support struggling students. Data from student tests were analyzed to drive curriculum decisions, and special education support plans were also developed.
Looking ahead, Leonard emphasized the importance of continued collaboration to eliminate learning gaps and maintain a solid K-12 curriculum. The new curriculum maps will serve as a valuable resource for new teachers, providing clear pacing guides and materials to ensure consistent teaching standards. Quarterly reviews will be conducted to monitor progress and adherence to the curriculum maps, ensuring that the district stays on track. The maps will also be posted online, offering parents a transparent view of what their children are learning.
The implementation of these curriculum maps is expected to greatly improve communication with parents. The uniform format will make it easier for parents to understand what their children are studying, allowing them to better support their educational journey. Meetings will play a crucial role in maintaining this alignment, with coaches working closely with teacher leaders to ensure consistency.
The summer session not only allowed for focused, uninterrupted work but also fostered a sense of unity and teamwork among the teachers, according to Leonard. Leonard said that it made the different schools truly feel like a unified district. Spending all that time together in the same room helped build trust and collaboration, while setting them up for success as students transition from school to school.
There is still much work to be done Leonard noted that there still was no set curriculum for social studies or science. This gap has not gone unnoticed and they are working to fix it.
In other business, the board:
*Accepted a $1,264 Wrestling Club donation from the Winslow Junior High School wrestling parents.
* Approved the following hires: Kylee Allen, Kacey Nelson and Stephanie Westover as emergency substitutes; Cheryll Daly, district substitute; Tonette Nez-Benally, health technician; Cora Garrett, paraprofessional; Chantel Taylor, Focus Zone paraprofessional; Rudy Aragon, grounds; and Catherine Gonzalez, bus aide.
* Approved resignations from emergency substitute Grace Butler and part time speech paraprofessional Ashley Branson.
* Approved the following transfers: Gary Roland, from part time driver to full time driver; Briana Huskson, Focus Zone teacher to WES autism teacher; Riley Fallaha from Jefferson Elementary School high needs to Washington Elementary School high needs; Madison Venegas from Jefferson Elementary School high needs to Washington Elementary School high needs; and Bryan Saucedo from Winslow Junior High School High needs to Winslow High School high needs.
* Approved extra duty pay in the amount of $5,000 for an autism teacher stipend to help fill the position and a de-escalation/restraint trainer stipend of $1,000 each for two positions.
* Approved signing the Arizona Interscholastic Associations’ declaration of membership.
*Approved and had final readings for five policy updates from the Arizona School Board Association’s advisories to stay up to date with current laws, all five have to do with Title IX and sexual harassment.
* Approved the new proposition 301 money proposal, which deals with how teachers are paid for performance. There will be $2,000 in August for teachers deemed effective and highly effective, and $2,500 in December 2024. Teachers deemed ‘developing’ or ‘ineffective’ will receive 50% and 0% of that money respectively.
* Approved the 2024-2025 budget.
* Approved children being educated inside the district’s attendance zone by an online charter school to try out for sports teams at the junior high and high school.
* Approved a purchasing cooperative agreement with Equalis Group where they will procure items for the districts HVAC needs. The agreement combines the districts needs with other entities needs so purchases can be larger and cheaper for everyone in the cooperative.
The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, in the meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.
