Parents and teachers urge board to reject or rethink Bridges K–5 math curriculum

At the public-comment portion of the special meeting, two speakers urged the Kenosha School District Board to reject the Bridges kindergarten–fifth grade math curriculum or to reconsider curriculum choices.

Sam Ruchnick, who identified themself as a concerned parent, told the board the district’s math outcomes are “pretty dire” and singled out Bridges as a curriculum that "cuts out parents" and "alienates them from being involved in their kids' education." Ruchnick said the district has eight years of data showing poor ACT results and that the outcomes disproportionately affect working-class students, low-income students and students of color. Ruchnick asked the board: “Please vote against Bridges.”

Wes Kutske, who identified himself as a high-school math teacher with a master’s in instruction and curriculum, also urged caution about exploration-first approaches. Kutske cited a 2020 study (described in his remarks as posted by the National Institutes of Health) and summarized its finding as: exploration and less-direct instruction can benefit students who already have number sense but may not serve students who lack foundational fluency. He said, “A kid can come to my room in high school and not be able to do 12 divided by 3 without a calculator,” and argued that teaching abstract ideas before basic facts can worsen outcomes.

Both speakers framed their arguments around student outcomes and equity. Ruchnick emphasized parent capacity and access to resources, saying many parents in Kenosha "do not have a college degree" and therefore struggle to help with unfamiliar curricula. Kutske emphasized instructional sequence and the need for automaticity in basic math facts for later comprehension.

Board members did not take immediate action on curriculum during the special meeting; staff earlier said that additional data requested by the academic committee (Wisconsin Forward data, staff exit feedback, middle-school enrollment trends, and an implementation plan addressing professional learning and parent engagement) would be presented at the Jan. 27 meeting when the board could consider adoption of K–5 materials.

The next procedural step is the Jan. 27 board meeting, where staff said the additional requested information will be presented and the board may seek approval for adoption of instructional materials for K–5 math.