Dear Science Educators,
Are you passionate about shaping the future of science education in our district? Do you believe in the power of collaborative innovation to create an impactful and cohesive learning experience for our students? If so, we invite you to join our Science Curriculum Writing Committee!
This is an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of designing a dynamic and robust science curriculum that truly reflects our collective expertise and vision. Our approach is built on the belief that no work should be done in isolation. We are committed to fostering a supportive environment where we collaborate as a horizontal and vertical team, leveraging the strengths of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to build something truly exceptional.
Imagine a curriculum that is:
Data-Driven: We've already begun the crucial work of reviewing data to understand our strengths and opportunities for improvement (Step 1). Your insights will be vital in continuing this data-informed journey.
Standards-Aligned & Comprehensive: We've established a clear path forward, with a completed curriculum template form for every course in our content area built on standards (Step 2). This ensures consistency and depth across all grade levels.
Transparent & Coherent: We are developing an accurate Framework for thinking about our content area to display to our community (Step 3), ensuring everyone understands our educational philosophy. We'll also update our Report Card as needed (Step 3) to reflect our progress.
Focused on Mastery: We will be defining clear expectations through proficiency scales for each of our essential outcomes (Step 4), providing students and teachers with precise targets for learning.
Structured & Purposeful: Our work includes creating a scope and sequence connected to essential outcomes and standards (Step 5), ensuring a logical and progressive learning journey for every student.
Resourceful & Relevant: We will collectively review and select a resource that best meets our needs (Step 6), empowering you to teach with the best tools available.
We've already laid a strong foundation, and your perspective is essential as we move forward. We have a series of focused meetings planned to guide our work, ensuring productive and meaningful collaboration:
September 4th: Welcome & Introduction, Reviewing existing resources and data (NWEA 8th grade, Star, Unit assessments).
October 2nd: Deep dive into Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) and unpacking of data.
November 6th: Exploring Crosscutting Concepts (CCC), unpacking standards, and conceptual progression.
December 4th: Continued work on unpacking standards and conceptual progression.
January 8th: Revising Essential Outcomes by course.
February 5th: Developing Proficiency Scales.
March 5th: Further development and refinement of Proficiency Scales.
April 2nd: Evaluating and identifying potential resources.
May 7th: (Agenda to be determined, likely final review and planning for implementation).
Your expertise and commitment will directly impact the quality of science education for years to come. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a collaborative, impactful, and truly exceptional curriculum.
If you are interested in joining this vital committee or have any questions, please reply to this email by July .
We look forward to building something extraordinary together!
Sincerely,
Chris and Amirah
Hi All,
In alignment with our Collective Bargaining Agreement our curriculum committee is defined as:
8.2 Curriculum Committee
The curriculum committee will continue to meet regularly to identify and address
curriculum needs. The committee shall consist of the assistant superintendent of
curriculum and instruction and the following representatives from each building:
principal or assistant principal, teaching and learning coach (or other equivalent role), and 1-2 Union-appointed teacher representatives. The committee will meet in the summer to write the curriculum and identify resources up to 10 days at the District Hourly Rate.
This year the Curriculum committee is also compensated at the board-approved rate of $33 per hour. Additional details about timesheets will come soon.
This year, our focus is on Science. Leading our team this year is Amirah Garwood, Teaching and Learning Coach at the Middle School, Alex Gerber, Washington University Institute for School Partnership and me :-).
We're excited to go on this journey with you. Please be on the lookout for calendar invites and meeting invitations.
Everything you need throughout our process will be found here: https://sites.google.com/mrhschools.net/science/home
Our first meeting is on 9/4/25 at the Central Office Board Room.
Excited to go with you on the journey!
Tanisha Stanciel
Bo Ricker
Sherry May
Amy Pearson
Yvonne Wege
Carlisha Elam
Mary Hartnett
Courtney Mueller
Ali Winchester
Taryn Williams
Sayre Adkins
Michael Zitzer
Amirah Garwood
Jennafer Marsh
Bill Henske
Nicole Huffman
Craig Maxwell
Rashaad Davenport
Kristen Belcher
Ryan Massey
Tom Ford
Chris McGee
TBD
Alex Gerber