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Elmbrook school leaders propose longer ELA blocks; teachers and parents warn against cutting science and social studies
Summary
District staff proposed a new 7–8 junior‑high schedule that would increase daily ELA minutes to 96 while reducing science and social studies to 46 minutes; teachers, parents and community members urged the board to preserve science time and the house system.
District staff presented a multi‑year effort to revise middle‑school programming and proposed a junior‑high model for grades 7–8 that shifts instructional minutes to prioritize English language arts. The proposal would allocate roughly 96 minutes daily to ELA, 64 minutes to math, 46 minutes to science and social studies and 32 minutes for resource time, with the stated goals of deeper literacy instruction, preserving electives and improving student support.
Emily Greiber, who introduced the proposal, said the model aligns with the district's previously stated priorities: more daily ELA time for science‑of‑reading practices, broader elective choice through grade‑banding of 7–8, and daily access to interventions during resource blocks. She walked the board through a sample 96‑minute ELA block that integrates word study, comprehension, writing and small‑group differentiation and described how the schedule would change teacher workload and course counts.
Teachers and parents urged caution. "Cutting science and social studies is a step backward," said Jose Galvan, an eighth‑grade social studies teacher and building representative for the Elmbrook Education Association, adding that reducing those subjects effectively removes a year of instruction over the middle school span and risks undercutting background knowledge essential to literacy. Other teachers said 46‑minute blocks would make hands‑on science labs and project work difficult and would increase teachers' caseloads (more sections per day).
Parents and community members echoed those concerns: several said recent investments in an experience‑based science curriculum and thriving extracurricular STEM programs would be harmed if science minutes were cut. Advocates for the proposal said the model could improve literacy outcomes and staffing flexibility and preserve electives that are otherwise canceled because of strict grade banding.
Board members asked for additional data, implementation details and teacher involvement before any decision. Several members requested explicit metrics and a clear implementation plan (fidelity measures and timelines) to evaluate the change if adopted. The board agreed to continue the discussion; some members recommended more staff engagement and a longer review period to address teacher concerns.
