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Board debates ‘Flocabulary’ video content but approves district digital resources list
Summary
Board members debated removing the supplemental product Flocabulary from the district’s 2025–26 approved digital resources after a trustee raised concerns about promotional content. The board voted down the amendment to remove Flocabulary and then approved the full digital resources list by 3–2.
The Chandler Unified School District governing board considered, then rejected, a proposal to remove Flocabulary (a Renaissance company product) from the district’s approved 2025–26 digital resources list after a board member raised concerns about promotional material that he said included contested language.
Board member Matt Heap asked that the board remove Flocabulary from the list, citing a promotional clip that he said included lyrics or phrasing he found objectionable and that he believed crossed a line between academic content and social messaging. “...if it’s in a promo video, it’s likely there,” Heap said, arguing that the district should focus on “resources that are teaching skills” rather than material that could be perceived as endorsing political or cultural positions.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jessica Edgar and district curriculum staff explained how supplementary digital materials are approved and used. Edgar said the district treats the list on the agenda as a mix of core (tier‑1/2) materials and supplementary (tier‑3) resources. Supplementary resources are intended for teacher discretion and are subject to a district approval process—teachers submit a digital approval form, the technology team reviews student‑privacy and system integration, and curriculum staff review alignment to standards.
“We do rely on our teachers and their professional judgment to align the resource to a standard,” Edgar said, adding that the district’s approval process screens resources and that teachers should not present material that does not align to Arizona standards.
The board first voted on Heap’s amendment to remove Flocabulary; that amendment failed by a 3–2 margin (the motion to remove did not carry). The board then voted to approve the original digital resources list as presented in the consent agenda; that approval passed by a 3–2 vote. District officials said Flocabulary is categorized as a supplemental resource and not part of any core adopted curriculum unless a teacher submits it for use under the established supplementary-approval process.
Board discussion also covered parental notification: trustees asked whether parents can be told what supplementary materials teachers intend to use during the year. Curriculum staff said common‑syllabus courses (grades 7–12) pull materials into Infinite Campus course pages, and staff offered to provide a more detailed breakdown for the board showing which items are core resources and which are supplementary materials.
The board’s votes left Flocabulary on the district’s approved list for 2025–26; the curriculum office said it will continue to apply its review rubric and the teacher-submission process for any classroom use of supplementary digital tools.
