Wallingford-Swarthmore committee recommends Arts & Letters for elementary ELA but staffing questions remain

A central office administrator recommended adopting the Arts & Letters elementary English-language-arts program and the Education Affairs Committee voted to forward that recommendation to the full Wallingford-Swarthmore School District board for consideration at the May 19 meeting.

The recommendation follows a piloting and survey process in which 12 of 13 pilot teachers recommended Arts & Letters while 4 of 11 pilot teachers recommended Benchmark Advance; among 69 teachers who completed a broader survey, 77% selected Arts & Letters. The administrator told the committee that teacher training would begin June 13 with two three-hour sessions (K–2 and 3–5), continue with a six-hour day in August split into morning and afternoon sessions, and be supported by a three-year professional development rollout plan.

The committee heard detailed pilot feedback from teachers who took part in classroom trials. Multiple pilot teachers said Arts & Letters uses full-story picture books and authentic texts that foster sustained reading…