Superintendent Vitti likes to say that teachers overwhelming picked Engage NY as a curriculum but the truth is this is Vitti’s baby. Teachers wanted a blended curriculum where they chose from what the district already had which would be supplemented by Engage NY and no teacher chose the level of micromanagement that the district has employed.
From inappropriate subject matter, to a lack of proper resources Engage NY has proven a failure.
The school board knows it too, from the Times Union:
Several board members questioned his recommendation, some saying they are less inclined to trust the district’s process for selecting instructional materials after their experience with the elementary materials from EngageNY.
Despite concerns from the board, parents and teachers, Vitti wants to double down and bring Engage NY to middle and high school as well.
Also from the Times Union:
Meanwhile, Vitti recommended Tuesday that the School Board buy a new middle school English Language Arts curriculum called Paths to College and Career for use next school year. It would cost the district $1.9 million, he said. Paths comes from Expeditionary Learning, a New York nonprofit which contributed to EngageNY’s curricula.
What does he see that nobody else does? Does he see dollars signs from a future job or is it hubris that prevents him from admitting his mistake.
Here is the thing that he obviously doesn’t get, I believe Engage NY s a disaster as does every teacher I have talked to, everyone but say we are wrong and it’s great, it doesn’t matter, if the super cannot get the buy in from his staff, his bosses and his community then it will never work, but instead of finding something that will he wants more.
We are in trouble and it’s not just the curriculum, it is our leadership too.
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