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Board pauses math curriculum adoption; teacher review and March 17 PD planned
Summary
The district postponed a final decision on a new K–12 math curriculum after board members and staff raised concerns and requested more teacher review; staff outlined a March 17 professional-development session and described procurement implications tied to the prior RFP selection process.
Washington County School District staff told the board March 3 that the district would slow the math curriculum adoption process to allow teachers more time to review the finalist materials and to provide feedback before a final board decision.
Staff said the adoption committee had evaluated submissions under a published rubric and that Illustrative Mathematics (published via Kiddom) ranked highest in that process. The district also reviewed i-Ready (Curriculum Associates) during the procurement process, but staff said that because the RFP evaluation had produced a recommended winner, any decision to delay or select an alternative would require restarting procurement or extending the district’s existing contract for another year.
To gather more input, staff scheduled a March 17 professional-development day session at Coral Cliffs so teachers could review curriculum materials directly and complete rubrics to provide structured feedback. Staff said an April board meeting would be the deadline if the board wanted a decision in time for training and rollout next school year; if the board defers adoption beyond this spring, the district would need to extend its current “My Math” materials contract for one additional year and restart the adoption timeline later.
Staff emphasized professional development and teacher training as critical to any adoption decision, and board members raised concerns that implementing a new math program would require significant teacher training and time for principals and teachers to adjust. The superintendent said the district could postpone adoption for another year if feedback suggested timing was not right.
Why it matters: curriculum adoption affects classroom instruction, professional development plans and purchasing commitments. The board’s decision window affects whether the district can implement new curriculum with adequate teacher training for the next school year.
Additional details: Illustrative Mathematics (Kiddom) was the committee’s selection; staff will present materials to teachers on March 17 and expects to return to the board in April if a decision is to be made for next-year rollout. Procurement guidance cited in the discussion indicates a need to follow the district’s RFP process if the board chooses to change the committee’s recommendation.
