001No, no. Okay. Usually when I hear uncomfortable environment, I assume that's me. Um, so sorry. It's great to see everyone. Welcome to this our curriculum committee meeting. Our curriculum committee work session. Right now I can't get back where I was. >> I can see I'm looking to the side. >> Oh, fair fair enough. Um, well, okay. So, I call this meeting to order. There is no public comments, I believe, unless that's what you were all just talking about. >> Okay. Um, and Adam and I just had a chance to review the minutes. So, >> do we approve them? >> We do. >> Great. We approve the minutes. So, now let's talk about structures for curricular supports for context. Um, Mary's been doing and our team and Katherine was involved in the conversations as well. Um,
002just a lot of good work I think around structures for curriculum. supports. And I also want to add that while it didn't particularly like name it, I read the email today about like, you know, some of the schools getting off of the support list and some of the schools being recognized for um like, you know, substantial improvement or like top 25% of >> schools or something like that. And I was like and I like when it talked about evidence-based practices, I'm like, well, curriculum, supports, and adoption is probably one of the most evidence-based practices. >> Yeah. And I think the other thing we'll see is schools that are on both lists, >> right? which um I I want to have a conversation that centers curiosity around the state's accountability system because we have seen significant
003growth in certain certain schools and there's much to celebrate and I don't want to overlook the years of work from educators and caregivers and collaborations that have led to that growth, but I think it's um I'm curious about how some of the indicators are used and and measures. So, >> yeah, >> I was just providing a shot of >> Yeah. No. Oh, yeah. And I'm and I'm hearing that and thankful for it. I just I um it's challenging for me to celebrate it and not distill everything to that one measure. So I'm always like >> wanting to um to point that out. Um all right. So we're So this is a draft. It's a watermarked as a draft. Um you're here in person. So I'll share it. if one to sort of give um >>
004I sure >> for those that are at home we'll upload this document but um it's very much a draft gra >> oh thank you I did share that with you wonderful so um one piece this here's what this document is trying to do this document based on input from educators and building leaders is trying to put new curriculum in a rotation so that we don't have one year with multiple priorities. So, we want to span out the audits of curriculum, targeted PD, um, evaluation of what's working, and we want to be transparent about choosing something per the new um, agreement, collective bargaining agreement. Page 10 and 11 for those watching at home outlines the process we'll use to partner with the educators to pick curriculum. And this chart is specific to elementary. It's very elementary
005focused graph right now. Um and so how what structures are we using for getting feedback? I'm calling it the exploration year, which sometimes we'll hear year zero, but year zero is hard because people are doing a lot of work in year zero. So, I just like exploration here. So, that's the the term. Um, and there are quite a bit of words on this, but when you're following page 10 and 11 of the contract pilot, for example, different curriculum and having grade level teams give feedback when we pick one. The first year, for example, right now we're in the first year of EL, which is the K2 curriculum. We've got to give ourselves a lot of grace because the learning curve on learning that curriculum and putting it into the current structure. So for example, we
006might have a 60-minute literacy block and all curriculums out there are written for 90. So how are you engineering and choosing what to make a priority and what not to? You said I mean not all ELA curriculums are written for 90. >> Well it the ones that we've looked like looked at take significant amount of time and there was a reason that we didn't choose wit and wisdom and that was one contributing factor. Okay. >> In addition to it scoring very poorly on the culturally and linguistically responsive rubric that our state of New York put out which is exceptional for K2 curricula. Um it's it's really amazing work. It's um I encourage people to look at it um if they haven't. So this for example e is a 60inute block but you also have really
007great reading that's 15 to 20. You have your writing component as well. So that's what I'm saying. You know to fit all of that in in a daily schedule and looking at a sample schedule educators are working on their pace. And I think it's also true that our pace gets better with experience. And so that that year one when you see grace, that's what it means. It's been my experience in talking with educators piloting this, they want to do it really well, having other people's kids in front of them, and it's really hard for them to not feel like they're they're doing it perfectly. So, um, having those conversations below in the white, you'll see this was my, um, and I should say are because, you know, Katherine has looked at this as well. Um,
008and actually in my March teaching and learning update to staff, I'm going to share this for elementary educators to look at and give some feedback to, but you have the the curriculum and the priority moves content area priorities and where so where's Yel is in year one of learning Eureka mass squared and and really great reading. They're in your four right just to help make sense of the formatting of my chart here. I appreciate that. Um I know I have a couple I was curious because you talked about pacing. Um I both understand that as each year goes on you get better at pacing, right? and the teaching curriculum. I am curious like though, >> does the instructional schedule allow teachers to do all of the things that like we say they'll do at the
009level that is expected? Like if like >> if we take into account what the the handwriting program, >> math, science, typical I mean typing I guess switches with handwriting, social studies, case studies, magnetic reading are all of is there time in the schedule that matches up the recommendations from the curriculum? >> Yeah, it's a great question. So what we started to I'm trying to think two summers ago we did a scheduling workshop for all buildings and these are the schedules musthaves as far as writing really great reading EL curriculum the aotments so that we could have a shared approach as a district across all eight elementaryaries here's um recommendations right like lunch and recess is 2020 to meet educational minutes for example. Um so that is and it needs to be revisited because where we
010hit tension is in wind time. So and again this is a very elementary focused conversation right now of secondary educators are not listening. Um, and I want to acknowledge that the what wind time is what I need time and that used to be called uh 15 years ago it was called core plus was it's an in dedicated intervention time um and it's had different meanings throughout the cycle of our schools. So with that >> you gave me a more nuanced answer than the yes or no. Oh, it is it is nuance, right? So, here let me give a concrete example because we have like really great reading and we're in year four. So, I can answer concretely on that. The first year year we did that the recommended aotment for that curriculum is 15 minutes
011was taking educators 45 minutes to an hour and not because um people didn't understand that it's 15 to 20 minutes. it's because they're trying to implement it with fidelity and be super careful. And so that's an example of the pacing just being flaw. And now if you go into any of the schools and observe a really great reading lesson, you're going to see it's 15 to 20 minutes and it's consistent with what the the company recommends. >> Can you talk about that? Like how >> Yeah. So here so here's how it's possible. It was like it was really um and I'm going to just share qualitative data anecdotal data from some walkthroughs. So and I think actually >> Adam I think bless you I think you were part of the walkthroughs of that where we
012were watching it right. So um and this can happen with e. So there's a learning target. So the point of this lesson is this. this is what we want kids to walk away with. But there's so many teachable moments that surface. So maybe I'm doing a phonics lesson and I'm teaching on the schwah and a child shares an anecdote and it's connecting that to the background knowledge and you're like, "Oh yeah, let's look at that image they use for that." Huh. Is that image really representing everyone in our learning community? So you're trying to hit on some of the student identity work while teaching the phonics. It's that's what slows it down. you know, I would say and when the pacing improved, like I remember um teachers doing observations of each other, like actually we're
013going to get to that content on student identity when we do this readaloud and we're going to give ourselves permission to just move through these letter the you know the magnet letters for really great reading. Does that help? >> That helps. I >> and and and something like really great reading. It's really uh manipulativeheavy >> which is great with the tiles and so what are structures just in handing out the materials everybody having their own letter case versus sharing with the group right like the the company recommends two kids sharing teachers are like uh we just want everybody to have one it was also coming out of COVID so there was a lot of concern around that so >> so I guess I both I yeah I understand then I understand how it takes time
014to start a new curriculum and to get really expert at it. I wonder what then is the impact on the students if a block though if we're expecting the example you gave from year one to I think you said year four like I mean or even one year it was >> or even one year >> one year yeah a lot >> if a block is going over 45 minutes then what are kids not getting >> exactly that they're supposed to get >> then you're then there's you're always making decisions as an educator and you're you're that's the reality of an implement implementing anything that's why I I think in and of itself adopting a curriculum isn't enough. There's got to be sustained professional development feedback loops for teachers to say this isn't working. like one
015thing um and I don't want to speak for Lynn who's doing a lot of work connecting with teachers on listening you know input say on eel but the active teaching and learning strategies embedded in EL that can take time for for children to learn let's say the red light red green light protocol if they've never used that. So what we're finding is there's different instructional strategies that are used also in Eureka mass squared called something different. So if we can do a heat map of what those instructional strategies that are being used and and make that transparent to teachers, you do this this when kids learn this protocol, they're you're going to be able to use it across the board in these other content areas. Uh but that that's there's a learning curve there that
016I think would be disingenuous not to acknowledge. >> Yeah. >> I just had a question about when the when the learning happens. I mean like logistically. So like if you adopt a new I was just thinking about like when I teach a new college class that I prepped just tremendous number of hours of preparation. It's the first time I've ever taught it. put together a new class and I feel like a curriculum is sort of like that in the sense of of course the content might be familiar because maybe you taught this particular lesson before under another you know uh guise but uh when when in in teacher days do teachers have time to learn enough so that they can implement >> yes so right now >> especially if there's three >> right so right
017now they have 40 minute prep period Okay. So that's >> and a 40 minute lunch and the that's that's um >> the contractual is 3030 but what the schedules give is 4040. Um >> so that's that's during the right now right from 7:40 to 2 that's what you're getting. Then um you have the for math we have release days this year by grade level that Cat talked about. So exploring what could that look like for literacy next year. And then we have every other Wednesday PLC. And the guiding question for PLC, what are we doing that's going to change what lands on the kids's desk the next day? That's the guiding question or the filter. So, and staff meetings are on first and third Wednesdays, but and those are principalled or administrator le and the
018second and fourth are PLC times and then you have summer release days. I'm just I want to be like comprehensive and and also say I don't think that um or I should say I think we can do better you know with timing for this and setting up structures and utilizing this this contract that we have now in support of that after school time for teams to unpack the multi world for example >> I'm so glad that I'm really glad that you're thinking about like ways to use time because I know I've heard like a common theme from like both talking to Katherine talking to you like that that just intentional time to prepare for these things. It's really important. >> I am curious about and maybe for me it feels like a I don't know
019like a missing row or missing column. I was again just thinking about like okay I'm a student. I'm in a classroom like if it's really taking me four times like four times longer to do an instructional block than needed that probably means like that that might mean I'm not like getting science or social studies all year like I you know I experienced that as student when I was in elementary school my kids have experienced that as students like just like missing a core content area because of timing or pacing snap boo. So, I'm curious like is there I don't know like are there any thoughts on like almost having a row for the minimum student experience if that makes sense like what's the minimum that like a student should experience like in the first year
020versus the third year versus the fifth year or does that idea not resonate? I I just because I think like there's understandably because the teachers are the ones executing on this like it makes sense to think about that but to like to think about how to do it effectively but it's hard to imagine knowing what the support level is that makes sense unless we're thinking about our baseline expectations for the student experience at school. >> I think that what makes sense >> I'm going to bring it >> is to add a com a column on and it somewhat exists on the reflection cycles because right now we're talking from year one to year four but the reality is it's marking period to marking period. We have data strategists now that are looking at data and
021exploring as grade level teams and at schools. Wow, this went really well. What did you do? or the common benchmarking that you saw that was happening at Duet and Buon. They were really excited to talk to each other about student work. So, I don't want to misrepresent that it takes a whole year to learn something because it it es and flow. You know, it could be it could be a learning curve 10 weeks and or it could be a learning curve 20. And I think any of us that have taught um are humbled by the fact that our students are part of our learning curve as we make ourselves better. When I think of the teacher I was in my first three years versus teacher I was in year eight. Um that's that's humbling but
022it's also really inspiring why it's such an amazing profession. >> Yeah. As a oh I'm sorry just as a very anecdotal story. I was in a second grade classroom and um was present for for this Kirk book implemented and and I was speaking to the teacher and she was like this is the second time that this book is like it's a longer book than it should be and it's taken to and it was like she had already like just to reiterate like it's not like oh and then I'll just keep doing this for the rest of the year and never teach science like it was like by the third lesson she was like man I have to make some significant changes. So I I think it's I think we need to also like recognize that
023teachers are constantly like evaluating that themselves, right? And making making adjustments and to it, right? >> Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So I do think there needs to be additional com columns that capture that. Um, and I'd be I'd be excited to hear from educators who what they think it would be and what the structures would be because I have I have opinions and experiences and what worked for me as a teacher. Um, that might not be well calibrated with what their experience is right now in 2026. It's also probably really dependent, right, on like if you're a literacy teacher, if you're using new curriculum, how similar or different is this to your past practices? How experienced are you generally? Are you a grade level? >> So part of the my intention I guess behind the question
024is twofold. One, I do I guess it's not so maybe less of a question, more just a statement. I think it is important to clarify like what students should receive because you know that's that's the reason why we would adopt a curriculum in the first place to provide more support to teachers and that to provide a more coherent experience for students. I also though find myself wondering okay well let's say if we said that like we think it takes in a previous school district that I worked in it was like by like within the first six weeks of school but we were also like we were a crazy school district so like that's that's fine like so take the weeks or not but within the first six weeks of school like we might like you
025know we are teaching on pace where it's like we're not going to spend more than 60 minutes on a 60-minute block and if we know that that's what we want or some variation on whatever the ethica method is, then >> how do we what resources do you with and like your team and the teachers need to get to that point, right? Like do you need something like like you know a specific coach who helps like novice teachers, right? Like is it is that the case where like new teachers to the advocacy school district are the ones who have the hardest time with that or um is it like expanding the teacher leader model you have in mathematics? So, I guess because I know that budget conversations are happening and I'm really curious how can we
026start with what we want the student experience to be and then go so then what supports do our educators need to provide that experience as consistently as possible. Yeah, that's probably do we want to segue to the listening circle update for secondary because they shared off of that presentation shared what you know speaking of budget items and what's needed and the impact on that. Um, >> I'm ask about this specifically because it is ahead. No, I was just gonna say like the I've said this before, I know I had it, but the end of year checkin like I I think getting data on how far into the curriculum everybody's getting, how many standards of being, you know, actually got hit and I know it's like a hard one because I mean you have to you
027have to obviously do it in a way where it's like it's not punitive like if you say I only got nine out of 13 like you're not in trouble. >> But just to just to get a sense actually this is very telling. we only made it through twothirds of the curriculum and you know these are the reasons why and then you know because that's learning loss that gets carried forward to the next year and then that can accumulate. So I I think you know part of the evaluation of the curricula has to do with also how far every everybody's getting through it in some objective way that we can go back and be like you know we got we're getting through 95% of the curriculum but we're getting 65% difference. There was one I had
028one um again it's it's a moment in time in a conversation with an educator who said something really powerful um because it's really well intentioned to not want to go on if you don't feel like everyone has it right it's it's hard and so that's where that's what slows down >> I would say sure right the coverage you know death versus breath And you're good. >> And um the teacher was talking about how after the first year of the curriculum could see how the content prior was revisited in a way that was okay, everyone wasn't at 100%. And it was more about them reflecting on it. Like if they kept going, the the kids with this particular curricular that I believe was really great reading. Um, it it was okay, >> but you know, like
029it's hard. It's really hard. >> I feel mixed about it. Like I feel like more often than not, I'm sure it is okay. >> And then sometimes it's like you don't get your multiplication just like that. You say, "Well, it's not okay." >> That's the craft of teaching and learning, right? Being making that decision. Um, it's it's hard, >> right? >> Yeah. >> I get that. >> Yeah. >> I mean, I understand that from as being as teaching. >> Exactly. the choice that has to be made. So fun. But anyway, just something to think >> um a couple of one just to that to that end. I know that when we've talked about the math curricula, there's an acknowledgement that truly like there is not enough time >> to get through the entire math curricula.
030So it does require decisions about what not to include. But it sounds like from what you were saying a few minute minutes ago that the belief is that with the LA curricula there is enough time as long as people stick to the recommended. Would you say that or is there still or is it >> Yeah. Like I want to be I would say I would I would say no. >> No. No. >> Yeah. It's like >> so that I mean that's a big difference. It's like >> it's figuring out the instructional strategies that allow you to get to the curricula that you should be like curricular you know items that you should be okay to or one thing having to >> strategize as um teams to figure out what not to include because you're acknowledging
031that you can't is a very different >> Yeah. We really like back backwards map it. I mean, I I want to I want to be really candid, right? You have students from 8 to 2 and you back out 40 minutes for lunch and recess and 40 minutes for music, art, library, PE. Um, and then transitions. But there's undoubtedly not enough time. I guess the question will you're compounding right and everything and every subject or I should say um curriculum that's presented we're going you know with the curricula they're presenting their curricula is the priority and that that is a ch that's it's a challenge because it is not and even if we had it's it's not a long enough day. Even if we had a longer day, we would still run into this, right? Because
032there are so many things that we can prioritize. I just want, you know, even the when we think about having kids for more next year. Everyone wants to you everybody's got a priority for that additional 15 minutes or that 30 minutes >> and you're spending it like multiple times, you know, like I do that myself and they're like, "Oh yeah, we can use that time." So I guess my key question about it acknowledging that of course that's the case. Um how how much of your approach and expectations like at the district level is of teachers to sub kind of subjectively make that decision decision based on their own expertise. >> Yeah. >> Versus we are telling you that this this this and this are going to get cut because we know that they don't fit
033you know like you could say exactly what's going to get cut or you could yeah it's got to be in partnership with them. So, it's it's a little bit of both. And I'm I'm not trying to like edge his feet the answer, but it's got to be both. So, let's take um Eric Masquer as an example. So, having someone like Cat Nicholls who is supporting math strategists in every building to look through each module and say, "Okay, this is where we can cut." and them coming together to talk about what's working, what protocols are really effective for a short term, um where might they hit that other standard. So, it's got to be both. You need the people doing it to say, "Oh, I have an idea." >> So, >> and you need time together
034as a district, right? um in a district structure like cat's half like the half days to flush out those conversations. So ideally if you had all the time it seems like from year one to year two it seems like you would have year one >> then cat just using it as would do all of that work with them and then a year two the decisions would be made about what was going to be cut and moving forward >> yeah efficiencies right so if we had like go like we had for multiple years right two to three years sticking with that content area >> um >> and Then and then of course like right there is initiative fatigue and people are like okay well they're just going to change it again the they it's just going
035to change it again. Well you know I we're always looking for the best thing out there. So there's going to be a you know we've got a fiveyear commitment. >> Yeah. >> And this scope this scope and sequence of all these words words words words in front of you. But there might be somebody that approaches us and says, "My gosh, I just tried this. >> It's so good." And that's where it's to our credit to have some flexibility. So to Jacob's question originally about the budget like yeah is cat or a position like that who can facilitate a a a speedier process of being able to make those decisions about how do we >> make a consistent >> albeit cut down curricula >> like is that critically important and every even if we're not talking
036about this specifically >> cat's role I think is critically important And like are there other ones that we for next year and it's and it's in there >> cat specifically? >> No, not cat like a cat type. >> Yeah, that's what I mean. Yeah. >> Yeah. But like you know we talked the other day about >> uh >> and and I in the math strategist role >> which is an overage at each building of.167. That's really crucial at the elementary level because >> there aren't department leaders at the elementary level for example. Um and so it's the data strategists who are doing this. Is that right? >> Yeah. And then Lynn, do you want to come talk about I don't want to >> Yeah. This is making me think a lot about EL which is
037our adoption and K2 and um we don't have English or we don't have ELA strategists and I don't know um I don't know if that would be helpful or not. just like thinking about the the life of an elementary teacher, which I was one for 10 years. It's been a long time, but we were doing it all, right? So, we've really gone heavy in on math this year. So, it's like you you can't can't PD people too much. Um, but what we have done is pulled together an advisory group of uh teachers from each grade level and K2 to begin um unpacking some of the implementation issues we're seeing with EL and and planning from that. And so like uh we we're mapping out a plan for summer work that involves that um guided protocol
038of grade level teams of teachers doing that lesson by lesson module by module review to do that prioritization and then thinking about then how do we turn key that so thinking about using our dates in August and then um borrowing from catar and saying next year we're we're not going to focus on math during release dates but we're going to do ELA so that we can preview before each module. what those are. I think um and to Mary's point, you know, like yes, students are part of our implementation learning curve, which is just the nature of schools and humans. Um that having, you know, the first year, our EL coaches that we're working with use the analogy of like your first pancake, right? You know, like it's never turns out that well in pan. Um,
039but going through that experience, making that first pancake, we're learning a lot and not being too eager to start the cutting process because we have to like really uh elevate what is most essential, right? So, um, helping teachers understand more how the curriculum is designed so that like a teacher might say there's no writing in this and be like, well, actually here are all of the things that that make it a comprehensive writing curriculum. So when you're we have to do this part of a lesson might not like it but this is actually one of those essential pieces we're going to cut over here. >> Um so I do I think like yeah it's like moving from year one to two we have a lot >> we have a lot more information to make those
040informed cuts and um >> yeah we're going to use teachers we're teacher leaders yeah that are just um have stepped up great work. Yeah, you know, we do have days with EL coaches. Is that their title officially or implementation specialists? >> Um, and the feedback that I have heard is we actually want time together without the EL implementation strategists to have these conversations. Um, which just speaks to like the genius in the room and the teacher collaboration. Um, I think in the in the gift of time and I want to add to what Lynn said. >> Wait, I do have a clarification first. What's the rationale for wanting a meeting specifically without the the coach? Well, they have specific days and specific times and a very specific structure where they'll pop into your classroom, observe
041you, you'll meet with them in half an hour. So, that's fine. Like, that's supportive. That can be helpful, but it's really helpful if all of us are teaching first grade. I want to hear from you because I might look at the lesson plan um the one module that includes rocks and you go out and you pick a rock. That's a really important part of that lesson. And as a teacher who wants to have some control of all the first graders in front of me, might be really hard for me to say, I'm going to go outside and everybody's going to pick a rock and it's going to take time. But that's going to be really important part of the lesson for movement and to actively engage children in building background knowledge. And you might know
042that and I might not. And so me learning hearing that from you versus someone who's just watching and not actively doing it too is different. It's just received differently. That's what I mean. Yeah. I think >> Yeah. >> that I don't I want to be careful like I actually really want some of yell leaders that Lynn's working with at the table because I really don't want to speak for them. >> Yeah. like that it's very like very protocol heavy working with the EL during and we've had several PD experiences where it's kind of been the same thing and they're like we want the next level. So, some of that is also uh just me working with our EL team um in which we have we're restructuring the next coaching days so that the EL coach
043will be uh co-planning and co-eing a lesson with a with a teacher and we will be inviting other teachers from other schools to come and be part of that planning and then observing the lesson process which is something we've heard a lot from teachers that they want to see. So, um I think it's it's just that ongoing like >> you have you have somebody right behind you that's really supportive of everything that you're saying right now and I appreciate your head. I I can tell you from my building reps, especially EL has come in with a lot of stress, a lot of consternation about how to do it well, how to do execute with fidelity and also that the sessions with the EL instructors for example have not met the needs of our folk because
044they do not answer the questions that are being asked. They are delivering a program >> and they are not adapting to the needs of our teachers >> which would be hard to do. So it's good it's good to have both. >> Yeah. And and um >> the other piece I want to say is when we use terms like instructional coaching that can look different. So in 2013 when we tried it one one of the times it was not teaching together co-eing together. it was I'm going to come in as a coach, observe the teaching, take some notes, we'll have a conference, I'll give you some feedback, and then you can try again and I'll come in and I'll look at student work. So, it's not a bad inquiry cycle of your practice. But in 2026
045when we have co-teers, what a great opportunity. You've got a second adult in the room. You're learning the craft of teaching. If I'm gonna get to if I'm a first year teacher, if I'm partnered with Lynn, I'm gonna get to see how she's teaching literacy in real time and see what it actually looks like depending on what my internship was for student teaching, which by the way is not even a full year necessarily depending on the program. It's it's a very short internship or, you know, apprenticeship. So really thinking about that apprenticeship model. I think what would be really helpful is you leveraging project innovation in the summer as an apprenticeship model. So, we're hiring you. You're going to begin teaching in our district. We're going to offer you two weeks of paid time to
046observe teachers that have been that teach at Project Innovation that are joyful, highly engaging, know a lot of that active teaching and learning strategy. So, you can see what it looks like. It's almost impossible to teach like that if you have not experienced it. And that's why the craft of teaching is, I believe, soul change. We when we're stressed, we teach as we were taught. And so if you don't have the good fortune of being grown, you know, by mentors who are really talented, you're going to revert, you know, to the stand and deliver or, you know, some of them the less effective strategies. teach over >> you had mentioned earlier um you had mentioned earlier Lynn I think that um you weren't sure if it would be productive to have someone like obvious you
047know I don't want to keep on saying cat because I love cat but you know you can't actually clone people from my understanding but like a maps like did not have an ELA strategist because of like PD overload and I guess I was because in my mind I But if we're in the middle, if we're trying to go from learning to refining and then we're like still in all of these other like a lot there's a lot of literacy initiatives and I assume a lot of data. I assume a lot of coaching and also just a lot of district-wide structures and just I guess like for lack of a better term quality control, right? Like like our students get it, you know, like how can we connect educators from X school to this school like
048to share practices? I'm I'm trying to understand what what's the what's the case against a literacy strategist. >> Yeah. So, um it's just if there I guess and this is just me, this is not like a district position, but when I think about um this the limited time we have available. So, when we think about even with every Wednesday next year, um 10 minutes of the bat is going to be for union time. So, we're down to 50, right? And and thinking about just competing priorities. um already it is challenging to get on an agenda right thinking about um about how we provide PD during that time between various initiatives at buildings district level um that I don't know if in the space of one year and time having both a math and ELA strategist
049makes sense I kind of almost see it as a cycle right or what is our focus for this year um and in addition to that just like our own um who those teacher leaders are. We're tapping the same people, right? So, I'm thinking about some of the math strategists are the same group that I that are pulling in to be that EL advisory group, right? So, um and I'm trying maybe it's not even that it's a math versus an ELA strategist. Maybe it's an instructional strategist for each building that one is K2 focused, one is 35 f, you know, I'm just like trying to think about how to make uh the experience cohesive for teachers like you want it to be for students, especially at the elementary level. So I don't know if just adding
050more people necessarily um or adding more strategist is going to get us where we want to do where we want to be rather than thinking about what is the work of those strategists. I I would also just say before we like talk too much about it, like we we had this conversation with um the principles, the two middle school principles before the listening circle the other week um and they had some thoughts on it as well. I don't want to speak for them right now, but it definitely wasn't a yes absolutely meant we had more of this like my like the work in our schools would be so much easier for them. It was a much more complex question. So, I'll need to say that I think before we begin to talking about it too
051much, I think that speaking to the instructional that are already in those schools would be helpful. >> Yeah. I mean, I'm just I'm my mind is always >> find what works and then do what works. And so, you like I'm I'm learning from what you all have done that has worked in math. So I'm surprised to hear on the one canvas worked really well for math and actually that it can be broken down into replic replicable steps but then not to do it for ELA. >> We are going to do it for ELA. So I think we're just I think we might be caught naming things differently. So here's some distinctions between math and literacy. So for literacy every building what our staffing model what we have chosen to do is increase reading FT that's
052one support. Um another support is data strategists that are looking at literacy data from MC class >> right and like looking at protocols. How do we use data in our >> cycles to inform instruction? Yeah. >> And so where we're at with Yel, like when we think about the setup we have for the math strategist this year, it's we're year like just yeah, we're year four of Eureka math squared. So to think about next year as year two, having some EL teacher leaders to help guide that and having the structure for math with half release days for literacy knowing we also have a finite um teacher substitute rule. So we've got to engineer that in a way so that people feel that they can leave their classrooms and there's going to be somebody there to
053teach. Like that's just a real thing. It's real frustrating to write a sub plan and then leave the building, find out that the sub booked wasn't didn't wasn't available at last minute and maybe not even come to the training. So I think adding if I'm hearing you like I love the idea of and I really appreciate the willingness of resources and we're going to put resources towards teaching and learning. I I would like us to get really creative to what that looks like because sustaining it long term is also something to think about. We have lived through was it 2006 that foundation aid was cut um and then again in 2013. And so I'm I'm just I'm thinking about that like, okay, do we want to do more of an audit and we're looking at
054literacy needs and we're going to repurpose some existing positions into other positions based on teacher. I I like that's an authentic question that I don't have the answer to, but that level of inquiry I think is where we need to be at rather than um adding more without that inquiry. that >> being cognizant of time. I know we have like stuff to follow up from middle school. Um I'm curious, Mary, based on the size of your rotation like this wonderful document that >> I don't know all wonderful. >> It's a lot of words. It's alphabet suit. >> It's wonderful. Um I know I heard I mean I know I I we asked some questions around like specific supports. I know I asked around like student focus. Um I'm personally I'm curious about like at some
055point including middle school and secondary and the conversation around reviewing existing practices >> and evaluating and like determining what the next step is if um but >> do those sound like things that perhaps we could circle back on because this will be assumably an even better version of this would be part of our strategic plan for the district. Absolutely. >> Um, are there any other questions, concerns, wonderings that has come up? >> I have a final thought. >> I I think just something that I'm thinking about. I don't have the answer, but I'm I'm just imagining the scenario where we're in the classroom and we come to realize that it's not possible to get everything, which of course is going to happen. And then I I I think just the question that I'm having is
056like I I just I'm feeling that there's a lot of subjectivity in determining at that point what's going to happen. And that's just what I'm wondering about like how that's supposed to be driven like is it board driven, administration driven, teacher driven, like classroom specific driven because of the particular students in the classroom and like I can appreciate all of the subjectivity and I I also have a question about like priorities. Like I just wondered that like okay if we only have you know 17 minutes left and we can't possibly get to everything. What should we do 17 minutes and who should make the decision about that? And I feel like so I'm saying it's just a big question that's like bubbling up. I don't have the answer. I don't expect anybody to say this
057is what we're doing. I think it kind of points back to you know also to board priorities and like what what would we want to see and what would the administration agree with the board that we would want to do and teachers agree that they could implement. So that's that's just what I'm left with at the end of all of this. >> Yeah. And I I just I I want to say her name since standing on the shoulders of the Deborah Nass Jan Zuckerman, Sarah Taylor who really grew me as a teacher. And Sarah Taylor um was a principal and mentor that I had the privilege of learning from. And she always said your priority this she would set a priority that was in line with the district priority Portland public schools for our building
058and would bring us back to that >> and it would be 15% of our practice. So we might have a real focus on writing one year and the next year it was the math adoption and to really help us maintain that so that we didn't get burned out and really hate ourselves by November >> and that was really help that was really helpful. So I think although you're not asking for an answer, what I would say is asking that question alone is really important >> because it it surfaces I think what we need to have some consensus around. So because that allows people to give themselves some grace that this is our priority. This is what I'm learning this year. This is where the focus is. This is one of the filters I'm going to
059use to make that decision. That makes sense. self >> so much. >> Well, next up I know that and I assume these are connected right in or instruction are instructional connected to the literacy list and serving like kind of the same. >> Yeah. So I just bang them. All right. So, um, we're going to I'm going to start with So, we did a combo. We did the instructional rounds at Boon and Dit. I want to publicly thank the teachers who welcomed us into their classroom. Um, and the students. It was really great to be at point at both point and endow it. And so for shared understanding we did 20 minute classroom visits um and then we ended our time in a listening circle. And so many of us took notes. This is um I
060want to share I try to keep the words accurate and not summarize what people said but it was um quite a task. So, um, essentially what you have here is the, um, the hopes that surfaced and I put them in categories categories. So, you had the academic impact that's coming through with some shared planning. um and a an impact that's the desimoing of Whiton and DIT and the teams collaborating >> and then just a celebration of student interest being part of the feedback loop of the text chosen and the joy that they're seeing in their classrooms. On the back you have the top three concerns and needs and so and again this is my summary. So we might get feedback from people that's not quite what I meant. Um so uh I would categorize a
061a group of the concerns as student need outpacing current structure. So having to be a little bit more flexible, say with scheduling and the options for what any kind of lit and this was specific to literacy literacy intervention could look like. Um and then the scheduling constraints and some limitations of co-eing and you know and feeling trying to hit both ends of the spectrum in co-eing I would say or the continuum of need um that surfaced and then the professional development gaps and alignments and so this reflected when general Jennifer and Charm came and presented and they gave that last slide when we need that was echoed by their colleagues in the professional development. So I tried to you'll see specific mention of say um writing revolution training um and then the science of reading
062we're in year two of a series with the reading week so that Boseies hosts and coordinates. So, continuing that for a third year. Um, so I'll give you a minute to look at some of this. And Emily, there was a third document that surfaced from instructional lead that I'm not sure if I shared with you. I don't think I did. >> Yeah. And I want to throw this up just as followup from Charm and Jennifer when they asked for things that they need. Um there are things that we need to think about in the budget conversation that are require planning ahead and then there's things we can change tomorrow and what they're asking for. You know, some of those things we can change tomorrow. So, I have a followup of what we're doing based on
063their input that I'd like to share out today before we end >> this helpful. And I do want to like thanks to everyone who let us into their classrooms. I know that's strange. Um, and it is it was particularly heartwarming just to see the level of collaboration and alignment and like understanding of that impact across link into which um because I think it can be really hard. Um, especially at a middle and secondary level to sort of like plan across schools like that. Um, and it was very evident that that was happening and that there was an appreciation of it. Um, I also know when it comes to like the concerns and need, I would I was just curious because one of the one of the folks in the room had mentioned homework policies. Um,
064and I then looked at our board homework policy and I found myself thinking, "Oh, like this is >> I found myself wondering like if the policy matched the approach because I I heard like the educators talking about like we're working together, we're creating alignment, but then our policy seems very um >> I guess not that not around alignment." And so I'm curious, is that something that's on the list to be looked at or is that something that curriculum committee is that I should ask the board? Hey, like can we look at this or do you have thoughts on it, Mary? >> Um, no. It was something that um I apologize. I'm trying to find this document, but I'm just going to pull it up because I don't think I shared the right one with Emily.
065Um, I'll just pull it. >> I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw you. >> Yeah. No, I had that on like a list of followup for me because it was it was a comment that was made by one of >> that one of the educators shared that I was like, "Oh, that's hasn't surfaced um as a priority for me and a conversation like that in a few years." Like I remember attending um a curriculum night as a parent in the whole room turning around and asking me to speak about the homework policy for these students. And that was maybe that was you know 13 years ago. So I was like oh okay this is this is resurfacing as a as a conversation topic that >> sorry Emily asked me if I found one and I
066I did. it was called homework. Um, >> so what I want to say is here's um I actually can do this from memory so I don't need the document but I will find it and add and share it with you at some share the right document with you. Um, so instructional coaching was one of the things that came up on the last slide of their presentation. So we're starting that in March. So Angela Levy will be have three days with Boseies that Angela is a literacy coach and support. So she's coming on Tuesdays to Boon and Thursdays to DITIT I believe or you know one day dedicated day a week um to support educators as they as they would like. um we have allocated in the budget paid time for departments to gather to look
067at their curriculum. So that goes beyond what they requested for their department. It's really a recurring fee for ELA, maths and science, world languages. It's, you know, it's something that is surfacing across the board. So right now department leaders are asking specifically for literacy and they have to get the word out to the other department leaders to the other content areas are asking their teams what dates are going to work for you for the summer to come together >> nice >> for some some paid time and then the last one was specifically around professional development beyond fluency that was a recurring theme right it wasn't beyond decoding it was beyond fluency I think and around >> or around fluency. Right. That's right. >> Beyond decoding around fluency. Um and right after that, one of the
068educators came up to me and said, "I would really love to do that." So, we're getting that on the date um on the calendar on the summer PG calendar, but also offering some times like that's something we can offer now at you know after school to have a PLC day dedicated to that. you don't have to wait a full a budget program to do those things. >> That's great. I love the immediate response of some of the questions. I know um one of the one of the items also in terms of student needs outpacing current structures like gaps created when we are not engaging with students and I know like I I was curious around just like generally in the ethnicity school district like are like sort of like what are you know as a
069student what are the expectations for to what degree I should be engaged I know like we've had confer like you know there's people like Shrai Holly like who was involved in like the three through five magnetic reading or folks like Anita Archer who's been involved in like really great reading and some of the more explicit instruction around just like how can we make sure that students are like consistently being asked to like talk and read and write and do all the things. So I'm curious are you planning on addressing that with coaching and PD as well because that was an area where I think we saw like would love to see more. >> Yeah. So I I tried to capture that in this chart on the kind of overarching kind active learning across all five
070years. Um what are so last summer we piloted and this is on my to-do list. I have not talked to to Chris Barley yet but we piloted doing a um a small cohort who did those do did the Dr. Shrai Holly find your study and then with in the afternoon and then the following day we go in to project innovation and see what those strategies look like in real time. So if I'm trying to learn the craft of teaching, I'm going to see somebody doing I'm going to read about it. Okay, that's what this protocol is and then I'm going to go in and see it. And then how can we as administrators be modeling um structured pairs turn and talk in our staff meetings so that educators are using that in their classrooms. Right?
071That's a that's um behind your question is a point about this active teaching and learning and the strategies we need to use. And so that's a that's continual. >> Yeah. And I'm I'm hearing like the idea of like let's model it, let's teach it. So then I'm curious about and like maybe it's the next question and then like the followup >> to like make sure you know is it happening, what obstacles are people experiencing and then how can we overcome them because with any initiative or like with any shift to um it's both about the modeling and then the followup. So that's where I think leveraging co-eing pairs is really could be really powerful and I'm excited to partner with teachers more on this idea. So when I was co-eing there would be some times
072where my teacher the my co-teer that I was working with would actually be tracking the student talk time versus my talk times. In addition to the if you're looking at the co-eing model of one teach one assist and walking around and supporting students, she also was just kind of paying attention to and she could give me as a peer that feedback like oh Mary that was um you did most of the talking and a very kind helpful way. Um so I think just encouraging and making space for educators to collaborate and give each other feedback is is important. Are there other questions? Well, I guess I wrote down in terms of um I wrote down in terms of the action items um is there's stuff around revisiting looking a little bit more into homework policy
073and I'll just I'll actually ask the board tonight like if that were to be revisited because it looked like it was last revisited best and um with that happen the piece around student engagement you around and some of the next steps around the five-year rotation are there and then when it comes to agenda setting or other items are there other things that we are particularly interested and curious about in the upcoming months thinking if we had like um some da updates maybe I mean if that's what other people also would find interesting but not to make a whole discussion out of it but maybe to check in and see like how's how's that go this positive energy system of data collection. >> Yeah, absolutely. And and actually um you the assistant commissioner of accountability came
074to Enfield um to to see and and learn and regional superintendents gathered to look at Enfield's data which is rather exceptional. So I think that would be great to have a chance to share that with you and >> is it possible for that to be shared with the whole board? I think like one thing I'm thinking about just what's I agree I would love to see it. I think it's also just useful board information. I don't want student achievement to be relegated to >> one group >> and I would say you know and it is yeah absolutely it can be and and and also some of the highlights and with different various community collaborators pointing them to the website and the work of the communications team and updating accountability data and press releases that could
075be part of that so that people know where to go to see that information too. >> All right. Well, in that case, if there is nothing else, this muted. Good job, everyone. All right. Thank you, Sarah. Thanks.