“In November 2022, voters in my corner of southeastern Maryland were facing a contentious school-board election amid a nationwide surge in book bans at school libraries,” explains Frederick Briggs, chief academic officer of Wicomico County Public Schools in Salisbury, writing in The 74 Local school board candidates were debating whether bans are a crucial defense against student indoctrination or a destructive form of censorship.
School leaders and teachers were successfully piloting three new, knowledge-building English language arts curricula. Wicomico County adopted a new curriculum with school-board approval, and implemented Fishtank Learning districtwide the following school year.
“Changing curriculum is never easy, and a charged political environment can make things even more complex. It involves strategic planning, transparent communication, and community engagement,” writes Briggs.
“For many parents and teachers, the status quo is comfortable. However, the need to change curriculum and instruction was clear when we started this work in early 2022. A state law requires all Maryland districts to use curriculum aligned with the science of reading by the 2024-25 school year. Locally, too many of our students were not reading at grade level.
“Three major issues emerged. First, teachers did not have materials that met state standards or adequate training in teaching phonics. Second, the texts our students read did not meet the needs or reflect the experiences of our increasingly diverse population. (13 percent of students are English learners compared to about 7 percent five years ago.)
“Finally, elementary teachers were spending inordinate amounts of instructional time on reading and math skills, at the expense of science and social studies content. As a result, many of our students lacked content knowledge — particularly students whose families could not readily supplement their education at home. After our social studies and science supervisors brought me a copy of The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler, I was sold on the importance of adopting a knowledge-building curriculum.
“Together with the Supervisor of Elementary Reading Dr. Renee Hall, I convened a team of school administrators, instructional coaches, teachers, and other experts to review and choose curriculums to pilot during the 2022-23 school year.
“Our team combed through the texts in the Fishtank Learning units we planned to pilot, which included long lists of aligned texts that teachers could choose for their students.
“We carefully chose materials that were less likely to spark public outcry, given the recent ban and controversy over potential bias in public school readings.
“We built in multiple opportunities for stakeholders to see the materials and share their feedback. We collected survey data from teachers, students, and parents about the curriculum and reported that to the public.
“In addition, we presented the curriculum in multiple public forums. We hosted school-based events where parents could review and ask questions about all of the materials. School-board and other community members also attended and discussed parents’ feedback, questions, and concerns.
“While teacher, student, and parent feedback from the pilot overwhelmingly supported Fishtank Learning, there were community members who opposed the move. Some of our teachers were not pleased that we were changing materials. And no other school district in Maryland used Fishtank.
“Ultimately, with school board approval, we adopted Fishtank and implemented it districtwide in 2023-24. You have to move forward — even if that means taking some daggers along the way.
“In the past 18 months, we’ve implemented Fishtank and a phonics program by the 95 Percent Group in all of our elementary schools. We’ve also trained every single elementary school teacher and principal in the science of reading through the LETRS program.
“By engaging our community in a comprehensive review, taking our time with a pilot, and working together with our school board to invest in a new, high-quality curriculum, we are helping all students to become skillful, knowledgeable readers.”
The 74
