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Parent urges Mill Valley board to fix math instruction, district outlines curriculum pilot
Summary
At the May 14 board meeting a parent, Bella Castle, told trustees that math instruction emphasizes memorization and leaves many students relying on private tutoring; district staff said a math curriculum pilot and professional development are planned for next year with a K–5 recommendation expected by next April.
Bella Castle, a parent who identified herself during public comment at the Mill Valley School District board meeting on May 14, said the district’s math instruction has become ‘‘memorization rather than understanding,’’ leaving many students and families relying on outside tutoring to keep up. "Homework is repetitive practice...that builds familiarity with procedures, but it doesn't build mathematical thinking," she told the board.
The comment came during a larger discussion about curriculum and the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan. Board members and staff responded that a formal math adoption process is scheduled next year. The presentation and subsequent discussion said the district plans a math curriculum pilot for K–5, will announce pilot committee openings, and has scheduled professional-development training for the pilot committee Aug. 11–13. Staff told trustees they hope to bring a K–5 adoption recommendation to the board by April next year, with middle school alignment to follow.
Kate (presenter name in the record) summarized the LCAP goals and said the math pilot will align with the state’s newly approved curriculum, and that the district is preparing a pilot selection process that will include parent and teacher participation. Board members asked that community feedback — including points raised by the parent during public comment — be incorporated into the pilot and that results from the pilot be reported back to the board.
The board did not take a formal vote on math curriculum adoption at the May 14 meeting; staff described the next steps as outreach for pilot committee members, training in August, and a recommendation to the board in spring 2027.
The parent’s remarks and the board’s response set the procedural path for the district’s curriculum work: public comment raised concerns about pedagogy and equity of access, and the district’s planned pilot and PD schedule provide the next formal opportunities for review and community input.
