Arrowhead School Board Passes Transparency In Curriculum Policy

On Wednesday, November 9th, the Arrowhead School Board passed the “Transparency in Curriculum Policy 344” in a 5-2 decision.  The policy was first introduced on July 29th in the Policy Committee meeting by Board President Kim Schubert.  The official procedure for Policy 334 can be viewed at this link.

The Arrowhead School Board discusses and votes on school policy and is led by Schubert and vice-president Chris Farris.  The list of school board members can be found here.

School board meetings are held at the South Campus Library once per month and are open to public attendance and comment.  The meeting calendar may be viewed here.

The policy directs all Arrowhead teachers to post all “course or instructional materials” used in class to Canvas.  These “materials” will be posted “during the time of the academic unit of study” and no later than “one week following the completion of this unit.”  The “implementation of this policy” is said to come with “grace.”  Said “grace” is not specified.

What is included under the term “coarse or instructional materials”?  The procedure states that this term includes “textbook…descriptions,” “slide presentations,” “news publications,” “slide presentations,” “audio recordings,” “digital materials,” and “instructional handouts.”

Assessment materials such as tests and quizzes are not referred to by these terms.

In November 2021 a survey was sent out to Arrowhead parents; “23%” responded, says school superintendent Laura Myrah.  

Of those who responded, 93.3% agreed with the statement, “I understand my child’s academic progress” in school.

In another survey conducted from August 30-September 2, 2022, 113 Arrowhead teachers voiced their views on the curriculum policy.  

Responses were released anonymously.

“The time that would take at the start of the year would take away from preparing for the year” says one teacher in response to the survey.

Another teacher says, “I know that less than 10% of my students’ parents presently take advantage of the Canvas observer function.”

This policy was first brought to a vote on September 14th; this meeting included a presentation on the ins and outs of Canvas.

Arrowhead began to implement “Canvas at the start of the 2016-2017 school year” and “all teachers” used this “tool” by “2020” says Myrah.

Students and teachers attended this meeting, with some in opposition of the policy’s increased workload for teachers.

The policy failed to pass at this meeting and was brought to committee after Arrowhead teacher Shana Morgan’s constructive criticism of it.

At the October 12th meeting the draft was opposed again and returned to committee.

On November 9th the policy passed the board vote.

“It is not my job to teach students what to think. It is my job to encourage them to think,” says a teacher survey response.