This is the second in a series of questions asked of Higley USD Governing Board candidates. Voters will decide among these four candidates for the two open four-year seats on the board.
How would you balance state-required standards and parental and teacher involvement in selecting curriculum?
Brooke Garrett, homemaker, volunteer
To me, this is simple. We bring all stakeholders to the table. District administration, curriculum specialists, parents and teachers. We collaborate and discuss, find common ground, share concerns and look at the feasibility of the curriculum. Then we move forward from there. It is a process, but worth it.
Roy Morales, operations support manager
I think that many parents are in the dark about how they can shape curriculum within the state-required standards. Not that they don't care, but they lead busy lives. Experienced teachers are also key players who can guide parents in formulating a curriculum that is acceptable. For starters, the school curriculum needs to be accessible and published on the district website for transparency. Secondly, a candid dialog between parents and teachers will need to commence and be held on a regular basis in analyzing school curriculum. Those sessions should be separate from any other parties such as administration, unions or school board associations. Those candid feedback should be communicated back to the district and the board for review and analysis. School board members should have relationships with local and state representatives. It is critical that the parent/teacher feedback is delivered to the representatives so that they can make changes to the state standards in education.
Anna Van Hoek, financial and accounting analyst
The standards are set by the State Board of Education, and they are required. There are state statutes that govern the process of selecting curriculum, textbooks and learning materials that must be followed. I would encourage all members of the community to get involved in the process and listen to all of their input and concerns. Achieving a consensus would be a priority.
Amanda Wade, stay-at-home mom, applying to school
As a former teacher who had to balance state-required standards as well as the interest of the district I served, I have extensive experience with managing the relationship between these areas to create a competitive curriculum. We are beholden to state standards, and that is the main guiding force with respect to adopting curriculum within Higley. Working with teachers who are experts in what it is like to see these curriculum standards in practice helps us better understand the layout of the curriculum in how to best meet student and educator needs while meeting state standards. Understanding how the community feels about specific standards can also give us insight in how we notify and express the curriculum to the community to ensure parents are knowledgeable about the curriculum given.
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here