Teachers, ELD representatives and parents urge MCPS to replace or heavily revise Amplify CKLA

Multiple teachers, ELD representatives and parents told the Montgomery County Board of Education on April 10 that the district’s recently adopted Amplify CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) curriculum is failing students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities and many primary‑grade readers. Speakers described lessons that rely heavily on long informational texts, limited phonics instruction, assessments “above students’ grade level” and a lack of usable differentiation or language supports.

Jocelyn Stewart, a special education teacher with 32 years in Montgomery County Public Schools, said the district promised a curriculum that would close literacy gaps but “after two years of waiting…80% of teachers surveyed said that CKLA does not provide differentiation in its instruction, content, or activities.” She urged the district to require ELA, ELD and special‑education offices to produce agreed guidelines and to allow teacher teams paid time to create differentiated lessons.