- A former teacher shares her concerns over the new curriculum and what is being lost.
- Why changes to the curriculum being made in the first place.
- School administrators weigh in concerns and how they believe the curriculum will work.
There's a new curriculum being taught this year at schools in the Manitowoc school district and not everyone says they're on board.
The new curriculum is called Success For All.
"When your most passionate feel like they're being ignored, that is not going to benefit your organization," says former teacher Jennifer Schultz weighing in on the Success For All curriculum... otherwise called SFA.
Last year, Schultz was working with a committee to pick the new Manitowoc English Language Arts curriculum.
They were closing in on their plan, called In-To Reading, when she says school officials in a different, more expensive direction. The new direction also limits Middle School electives.
"Why Success For All over the other option that was so well researched?" said Schutlz.
Manitowoc literacy specialist, Angela Schardt who was on the same committee, says that S-F-A, addresses current literacy issues better.
"The In-To Reading, and other programs that we had looked at, just didn't provide a ton of professional development," said Schardt.
Superintendent Jim Feil says that the committee's research was heard and actually helped the school make sure SFA was the right way to go and worth the sacrifices.
"We have probably vetted SFA more than anyone has vetted a curriculum in this school district," Feil said. "So, what they did was actually really great because they raised discussion. So, I'm very thankful for what they did."
Although Schultz says she doesn't see eye to eye with the administration, the former teacher says she hopes the right solution can be found.
"It has never been us versus them, I think at times it has felt that way," Schultz said. "But, everybody is trying to do what's best for students."
One statistic that drove the change was that 70% of Manitowoc students are not reading up to their grade level. School officials say they're hopeful SFA will help change that.
