Make Sure Our Children Succeed And Our Community Will Succeed
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By Lynnette Ward We, as parents, must push forward and demand that our children get the quality curriculum that they are legally entitled to. I have spent countless hours trying to find out why our standardized testing scores are 40% below standards. The answer lies within the curriculum, which some of the staff and school board members still insist on keeping in our schools. Countless sources of evidence prove that if the curriculum doesn't make the grade, neither will the children.
We should not have to be fighting with the school board to have this curriculum removed. Evidence proves that it shouldn't have ever been accepted and then used in our schools. This curriculum breaks laws and multiple school board policies. 1. Wit and Wisdom is not on the list of Colorado State Standards approved CORE curriculum. Therefore we, as taxpayers and parents, are demanding that they seek out and obtain the proper curriculum for our children immediately. 2. Wit and Wisdom is loaded with CRT. CRT is an ideology not a curriculum. However SEL is a curriculum that pushes this ideology. We, parents and other concerned community members, have provided proof that there are mountains of grim, dark, and hateful content in this curriculum. This, with our school board's new resolution opposing CRT, should in fact call for it's removal. 3. Wit and Wisdom is, in fact, not in compliance with the READ ACT. According to law, the curriculum MUST be on the approval list for compliance with the act. Wit and Wisdom is NOT on the list of Core approved curriculum; in fact it only appears on the supplementary list for 1 grade. However, it is the school board adopted main core curriculum for grades K-8. Being in violation of a state legislated act with 100% bipartisan approval, again proves that it should be immediately terminated and replaced. 4. READ ACT violation. The READ ACT clearly states specifically that it requires the inclusion of 5 foundational skills for early elementary reading instruction. Wit and Wisdom fails to meet these requirements; in fact, it struggles to meet 2 of the needed foundational skills. 5. Wit and Wisdom violates many of our school district policies. Currently, this curriculum is still in the experimental stage of approval. This has been demonstrated and proven by the out numbered voices of the curriculum committee parents and members. Wit and wisdom is not a quality, or acceptable core reading curriculum for our children. We cannot expect our children to flourish and succeed if we adults do not provide them with the proper curriculum to succeed.
Being a school board ( which is a locally governed entity,) is not a reason to keep this curriculum either. Our school district still has federal laws and guidelines that it has to follow. COVID also is not an acceptable excuse in order to cheat our children. They can access quality curriculum from home just as well. Staff shortage is no longer a valid excuse. With proper management, this problem could also be rectified, even on a temporary basis. However, in my opinion if they managed that, then there wouldn't be anything to play on our emotions thus avoiding the real crisis. If you want to change a community, start by building a strong foundation. Make sure our children succeed and our community will succeed. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-199 https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/advisorylistofinstructionalprogramming2020 Also print outs provided to the parents by RE-1 School District Curriculum Director Parr. First 5 images Board policy obtained from board members to public last 2 images.
