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Ridgefield board approves districtwide adoption of Character Strong after tense public comments on schedule changes
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment urging preservation of arts, music and PE, the Ridgefield School District board voted to adopt Character Strong as the district’s PK–12 social‑emotional learning curriculum, approving a five‑year contract of $182,715 amid objections about elementary schedule changes and implementation timing.
The Ridgefield School District Board of Directors voted to adopt Character Strong as the district’s Foundations for Learning/social‑emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for pre‑K through grade 12, approving a five‑year package priced at $182,715.
The decision came after an extended public‑comment period in which teachers, parents and students repeatedly urged the district to preserve art, music, physical education and recess time. Michelle Hammond, a Ridgefield High School social studies and English teacher, told the board the curriculum “is not working at Ridgefield High School” based on grade‑band feedback and cautioned that the pilot lacked a rigorous, iterative evaluation process. “When selecting an SEL curriculum, there should be willingness to choose different curriculum for different grade bands,” she said.
Several elementary teachers and specialists, including Heather Fukuchi (elementary art) and Carrie Scythe (elementary PE), warned that proposed schedule changes tied to placing SEL with specialists would reduce student access to weekly arts and physical education. Fukuchi said the changes would reduce some students’ elementary music exposure by an estimated 240 classes over several years, and Scythe urged restoring PE frequency to protect motor‑skill development.
Parents also raised transparency and budget questions. Kim Kist told the board her petition opposing the schedule changes had collected more than 1,000 signatures and asked why the district was spending “nearly $85,000 on furniture, including fake logs and a fake fireplace for our SEAL classrooms while allocating only $10,000 for books in our library.” Ryan Philbrook asked the district to publish the data showing the elementary math shortfall that officials cite as a reason for schedule changes.
School administrators and the superintendent framed the adoption as the product of a formal pilot and a curriculum review process. Dr. Jenny Rodriguez, the district superintendent, said the pilot, committee review and counselor input supported the recommendation. The adoption package includes tier‑1 classroom resources plus tier‑2 and tier‑3 intervention materials intended to support universal instruction and more targeted interventions.
Board members debated implementation and timing. Several directors said they supported giving teachers usable resources after years with materials that “weren’t working,” while others expressed concern that approving a districtwide purchase would cement schedule and implementation choices some community members oppose. One director said she would support the curriculum but planned to vote against the motion because she wanted more time to reconcile scheduling impacts with community concerns. Despite the objections, the motion passed on a voice vote.
Administration said that declining to approve a curriculum at this time would require redoing the adoption process, a multi‑year effort that could leave the district without cleared materials next year. The board’s approval authorizes staff to finalize purchase and distribution; building‑level leaders will still determine classroom schedules and how tiered supports are used in interventions.
The board’s action does not itself change individual school schedules. Directors reiterated that schedule decisions (for example, the length and placement of specialist blocks) are made at the building level, though several public commenters said the curriculum adoption and associated purchases feel connected to recently announced scheduling decisions.
The board’s approval included a request that administration provide clearer metrics and implementation plans, including clear teacher training timelines and communication about costs and allocation. The district will return to the board with operational details and planned measures of program effect in subsequent reports.
The board moved immediately to other agenda items, including a revision to a middle‑school constitution and personnel agreements; it later adjourned after an executive session on employee performance.
