Curriculum and administrators under review in Lorain Schools

LORAIN — The interim CEO is not convinced the new elementary English curriculum is the best for the district. Greg Ring held his second community listening session Thursday at Southview Middle School. When asked about Wit and Wisdom, he said a lot of teachers expressed concerns about the literacy program. "We're going through some growing pains," he said. "I don't know if we've got the right things in place or not, to be honest with you. I'm not really so sure, those decisions were made before I got here." Former CEO David Hardy Jr. approved the purchase of Great Minds' Wit and Wisdom curriculum for K-2 classes in August. In total it has spent more than $210,000 of the curriculum and additional texts purchased throughout the school year, including more than $9,800 out of pooled Title I funds. Last month, Director of Early Childhood Education Scott Dieter confirmed the district was looking at purchasing Heggerty, a supplemental phonemic curriculum, in addition to Wit and Wisdom and Wilson Language Training's Fundations program for preschool-through-second-grade classrooms. As of the Jan. 27 CEO-approved agenda it has not been purchased. While Wit and Wisdom is new to the district, other grades are grappling with the opposite end of the spectrum — especially at the middle school level. Retired teacher Jay Ferguson said the district should focus more of its resources on classrooms. "It would be refreshing if the leadership style in the district inverted so that from the top down we were more worried about providing the correct curriculum and materials for teachers to work with students rather than the reverse,"he said. "Which has been to place demands on teachers to report up the hill instead of down the hill." When a parent asked if the elementary buildings would go back to having a principal and vice principal, Ring confirmed there will be cuts to administration. When those cuts will be made, and how they will be determined is yet to be made public. The cuts in administration will be used to "prop up" faculty and in-classroom supports, he said. Under Hardy, the number of administrators ballooned — Ring noted the district stands at double that of schools its size in the state. The 2019 Cupp report lists 90 administrators. Standards-based grading was also a topic — something brought up before at Tuesday's listening session at Longfellow. More than a year ago, the district abruptly switched to the new grading system for preschool through eighth grade classes. Ring reiterated he is not tied to the grading system. The third listening session is 6 p.m. Monday at General Johnnie Wilson Middle School. The Board of Education meeting will be 5 p.m. at Johnnie Wilson, relocated from the high school to coincide with Ring's listening session. In other news Jeff Keruski was named executive director of family engagement earlier in the week, taking over the duties of the former chief family officer, Arliss Prass. Prass' contract with the district expired when Hardy left Lorain. Via email, Ring said Thursday that Keruski will continue the work started in that department under its previous leadership. "He will work closely on attendance compliance, connecting with our families, and working on special programs like supporting the Census 2020, as the district will be joining forces with efforts across the city to assure we get an accurate count of our residents," he wrote. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.