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District proposes science specialists and timetable change to free 40 minutes for literacy
Summary
Stillwater Area Public Schools administrators presented a plan to realign elementary specialist time—moving science to a specialist model and embedding art/media standards in literacy—to provide the additional minutes required by new literacy curriculum and improve consistency across elementary classrooms.
District elementary leaders presented a proposal to the Stillwater Area Public Schools Board to change the elementary specialist schedule so teachers have more daily time for the new literacy curriculum. Caitlin (executive director) and building principals said the change responds to curriculum adoptions that require more literacy instructional minutes.
What the proposal would do: administrators said the district needs an additional 40 minutes of daily literacy instruction (current elementary literacy minutes reported at about 80; several presenters said new literacy expectations require 120 minutes, and next year the integrated model would require up to 150 minutes when phonics is included). The plan shifts science to a specialist schedule so classroom teachers can focus on implementing Benchmark Advance literacy materials with fidelity while art and media standards are embedded in the literacy block and other classroom work.
Staffing and roles: the plan calls for a science specialist at each school (with shared positions at smaller schools), two K–12 media coordinators at the district level, and a K–5 art coordinator to support classroom teachers. Administrators said some schools may share science specialists depending on enrollment; band and orchestra schedules would not change.
Rationale and evidence: presenters cited a measurable improvement in 5th‑grade science scores after the district adopted the new science curriculum in 2023, but said implementation varied because classroom teachers have to prepare for many subject areas. The district also told the board it has had high turnover among licensed art teachers and difficulty recruiting for part‑time shared roles.
Questions from board members focused on how art and media learning would be preserved and measured, how specialists would be staffed and shared across buildings, whether the change would be easier to staff than licensed art teachers (administrators said yes, reporting greater stability for specialist roles similar to music/PE), and what short‑ and long‑term metrics the district will use to evaluate success (FastBridge growth indicators, observational data, teacher surveys, and longer‑term MCA results were cited).
Ending: administrators said the model is not intended to reduce art or media instruction, only to deliver those standards differently. They proposed a specialists’ committee (with SCEA input) to work through implementation details and expected to show budget impacts as they finalize staffing and the 2025–26 budget.
