Brainerd board adopts Emerge as K–4 literacy curriculum after teacher‑led review
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Summary
After a teacher‑led review and steering‑team vetting, the Brainerd Public School Board voted to adopt Emerge as its K–4 tier‑1 literacy resource, with presenters saying the program aligns to Minnesota benchmarks and structured‑literacy best practices; training can begin this spring.
The Brainerd Public School Board voted to adopt Emerge as its K–4 tier‑1 literacy curriculum following a multi‑month, teacher‑led review process.
Melissa Kornia, the district’s K–12 literacy and humanities coordinator, told the board the selection came from a sequence of reviews that narrowed an initial list of resources down to Emerge after feedback from 28 teachers and a seven‑member steering team. "Emerge was resoundingly the resource that all teachers weighed in and saw this meets the need for my grade level," Kornia said. She said the steering team and participating teachers ranked alignment to Minnesota grade‑level benchmarks and structured‑literacy criteria as the top factors in their decision.
The presenters described Emerge as vertically aligned across kindergarten through fourth grade, with embedded handwriting and student companions designed to increase active participation during instruction and to provide real‑time data for teacher grouping decisions. Guy Kellam, a second‑grade teacher, said the curriculum supports both phonics foundations in early grades and more complex writing expectations in later grades.
Board members asked about evidence of effectiveness; presenters acknowledged Emerge is a newly published program but said it was built from structured‑literacy principles and draws on publisher experience. "It's brand new, so it's in the midst of piloting, but McGraw Hill built it from structured literacy rather than retrofitting," one presenter said. Board members also confirmed the program cost came in under budget.
Director Dondelinger moved to approve the adoption; Director Ward seconded. A roll‑call vote followed and the motion carried. Directors who spoke in favor said the teacher input and alignment to research justified prompt professional development. With board approval, Kornia said district staff plan to begin training as soon as next in‑service days allow.
The board’s action directs administration to implement teacher training and begin procurement of materials; the presenters said the earliest teacher work could begin is the next in‑service day scheduled for April 6 if logistics proceed as planned.
