Wauwatosa board approves new math curriculum after months of debate; administrators promise pilot and monitoring

The Wauwatosa School Board voted unanimously Oct. 27 to approve new courses of study and primary curricular resources that include a phased move to an integrated high-school math sequence.

Board members and the district’s curriculum team spent more than two hours discussing the proposal, which shifts the high-school math sequence from a traditional algebra→geometry→algebra 2 model to an integrated sequence (Integrated 1, 2, 3) that resequences the same state standards across three years.

Chief Academic Officer Nicole Marble told the board the standards covered by algebra, geometry and algebra 2 will still be taught, “we are simply rearranging the order in which they are taught so that there is a greater conceptual understanding of the math standards.” Curriculum staff argued an integrated model can weave algebraic concepts across multiple years rather than isolating them in a single course.

That technical explanation did not end concerns. In public comment earlier in the meeting, Dr. Chris Murker, speaking for a local task force and as a Wauwatosa parent, urged the board to “pause implementation of integrated math. Pilot it in limited settings with measurable evaluation. Protect pathways for advanced learners. Prioritize teacher input, parent engagement, and curriculum decisions.” He told the board that, in district data, “math proficiency in our district is already below 50%,” and cautioned that districts that moved too quickly sometimes reversed course.

Administrators responded by describing an implementation plan built to address those concerns: a phase-2 pilot with pilot teams in every school, targeted professional learning over the summer provided by the vendor, resident instructional coaches assigned to buildings, embedded differentiation and assessment tools in the chosen curriculum, and ongoing learning walks and common assessments to monitor effectiveness. The district said it would use pilot results and continuous data review — not a single year of outcomes — to refine or change course.

On acceleration and tracking — a central community concern — district leaders said the proposal seeks to preserve access to advanced mathematics while reducing the pressure for students to be accelerated at a very young age. The recommendation removes widespread sixth-grade acceleration as the main path to advanced coursework and instead focuses acceleration decisions later in students’ academic careers or through talent-development pathways for students who meet explicit criteria. Administrators said that approach preserves access to AP-level work and dual-credit options for students who need it, while limiting early tracking that can widen disparities.

Board members pressed staff on contingency plans. “If we find it’s not working,” one member asked, “what are our options?” Curriculum leaders pointed to the new monitoring structures and promised that adjustments will be made based on evidence from the pilot and common-assessment data rather than waiting multiple years to act.

The board approved the adoption of courses of study and the accompanying curricular resources after the discussion. District officials said purchases will be paid with referendum funds and implemented with the pilot and professional-development schedule they outlined.