“Prior to purchasing new [curricular] resources, [MPS] had attempted to create its own materials and reconstruct the existing curriculum to more accurately reflect the science of reading. The process frustrated some teachers who said they received frequent changes in guidance throughout the year, with little time to adapt.
“…[F]ourth grade teacher Amanda McIlhone said the literacy plan seemed ‘disjointed, incoherent and frankly insulting…’ In one week, she said, the district changed its guidance on the lessons 27 times.
“‘It [felt] less like a plan and more like a collection of ideas taped together the night before,” [McIlhone] said. ‘This is not thoughtful implementation. This is building the airplane while we are already flying, and it’s on fire.’”
In a time-tested MPS approach, the district seeks to somehow put a positive spin on addressing what amounts to a decades-long failure. Boasts Bell Jiménez: ”We are excited about the ways in which we are supporting classroom teachers in service of our students.”
———
24,231 Milwaukee 4k-3rd grade students scored lower than 75% of the students in the national comparison group.