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Pajaro Valley trustees hear recommendation to adopt new K–12 math curricula; teachers press for phased training
Summary
Staff recommended adopting Paradigm for elementary math and Imagine Learning for high‑school integrated math after teacher pilots. Trustees and teachers pressed for clearer cost figures, phased rollouts and paid training before school starts.
District curriculum staff recommended new K–12 math programs after multi‑stage pilots and teacher reviews.
Elementary recommendation: Deepipika Surivastava presented a year‑long adoption process and the selection committee’s pick of Paradigm Education for grades K–5, citing strong pilot feedback for conceptual understanding and engagement. She told trustees the seven‑year package for K–5 totals roughly $2.5 million and stressed the need for paid teacher professional development and coaching to ensure a successful rollout.
High‑school recommendation: For integrated high‑school courses, Surivastava said the adoption committee recommended Imagine Learning after a four‑week pilot with 15 teachers; 67% of participating high‑school teachers voted in favor. Trustees asked for clear phased‑implementation plans for rolling out multiple new preps and for assurances that small schools would receive adequate training time.
Teacher concerns: Whitney Damiani (math department chair at Aptos High) and other math teachers urged a staggered rollout (one course per year) and earlier, paid summer training, warning that asking teachers to prepare multiple new preps at once would harm instruction. Trustees and staff said pilot teachers retain access to materials now and that district training days (SBC days) are scheduled in early August.
Costs and timing: Trustees pressed the administration to show total costs on agendas; staff replied that funds come from categorical instructional‑materials sources and noted that some payments are front‑loaded in the first two years. For high school, staff reported an eight‑year cost of about $1,133,000 (approximately $141,653 per year). Trustees asked that final adoption return with a clear budget impact and implementation timeline.
What’s next: Both adoptions remained at the public‑hearing stage on May 6. The board expected final adoption votes and detailed implementation plans—including training schedules and phasing—at a subsequent meeting.
