A recent report shows that the choice of instructional materials matters more or as much as than teacher quality. So why did the district continued the failed legacy of Everyday Math by selecting the GoMath! and Big Ideas math textbook materials?
We think it boils down to this…
- Choices are made to make the job of the teachers easier above what is best academically
- The processes are driven by the textbook publishers
- Little to no input from the parents, community, outside experts, or schools that are successful.
But the true blames lies with the governing board. By not standing up and demanding a transparent and thorough selection process and making sure that the textbooks selected are the best for our students, the governing board is failing our community.
Like our motto says, ‘It’s the curriculum, stupid”. The governing board can spend all day long trying to say district jobs and keeping class sizes low, but it will never move the needle until it demands excellence in the instructional materials that the district selects.
Ever look into the qualifications of your district curriculum director?
ReplyDelete