The most important responsibility of the Board of Education is to work alongside educators in setting curriculum for our students. If elected to the Board of Education, my goal is to bring more transparency to the process and to make all decisions in an organized manner.
I’m aware that this is easier said than done.
On the one hand, I believe that all curriculum decisions must be driven by our teachers and administrators. As an alumnus of WW-P, I can speak to the phenomenal efforts our educators show on a daily basis. One of the main factors in our success as a school district is the ability to attract and retain some of the best teachers in New Jersey.
On the other hand, the district has the obligation to consider feedback from parents. The administration also has the responsibility to ensure that every student gets the same education no matter which school he or she attends and the district meets state curriculum standards.
While there may be a natural tension between stakeholders, it doesn’t mean that the curriculum process can’t be collaborative, open, and intelligent. We should look no further than our own schools for past experiences.
One great example of a well-implemented curriculum decision is in the pilot program that brought Chrome netbooks to fifth grade classrooms at Millstone River and Village schools. The program was successful because it was limited in scope and communicated clearly to parents. Netbooks were provided to only a few classrooms, which provided flexibility for teachers to learn and adapt. Parents were also notified of the curriculum change, which allowed concerns to be addressed early on. Experiences were positive — both in and out of the classroom — and this pilot program served as a blueprint for the larger rollout of netbooks to nine classrooms
On the flip side, a less well executed program could be seen in the hands-on curriculum implemented in biology classes at High School North. While the philosophy behind the curriculum was valuable (and endorsed by the NJ Board of Education), nonetheless many parents complained about a lack of communication. Since the program affected most ninth grade biology classes, many students were also challenged to learn in the new environment. Simply put, the changes were too much, too fast. As a result, without open communication and a limited scope, the program raised tensions within the community and did not have the flexibility to improve and succeed.
A few lessons learned for major curriculum changes:
1. Smaller Pilots: Smaller pilots are desirable so that educators can more easily adapt to any unforeseen challenges. Smaller pilots also allow educators to better assess the impact of the program by comparing to classrooms that did not adopt the pilot.
2. Steering Committee: A committee with teachers, parents, and administrators should be created to monitor new programs. They would be responsible for monitoring the pilot, checking for success against its initial goals, and recommending improvements to the program before any wider rollout is made.
3. Opt-out Alternative: Parents and students should always be given the opportunity to opt-out of a pilot prior to its commencement. All students learn differently, and no student should be placed in a situation where they are unable to succeed.
These best practices, if standardized for all major curriculum decisions, will greatly improve the curriculum process. I ask for your support in implementing these standards on November 4, by voting Isaac Cheng for Board of Education.
Isaac Cheng
