With a vote nearing on an unusual referendum that attempts to tell Grayslake teachers what to teach, people who like things just the way they are–including the teachers–are beginning to speak out.
At a Grayslake School District 46 board meeting this week, a group representing nearly every teacher from Frederick Elementary School read a letter opposing the idea of adopting the controversial Core Knowledge curriculum, which would establish exactly what children learn in each subject from kindergarten through 8th grade.
“I don’t know any [teacher] who is in favor of it,” said Tim Timmons, a 5th-grade teacher at Frederick.
Timmons and other teachers said the referendum proposal is unnecessary because the district already has an annual process for reviewing its curriculum–a process that includes input from parents.
For four months, a group known as Friends of District 46 has rallied for the advisory referendum proposal, which will appear on the March 19 ballot. Until recently, there was no organized opposition.
“People just started getting a little more frustrated [with the campaign by Friends], and we’ve started to speak out,” said Linda Boynton, a district parent who has been writing letters opposing the referendum plan to local papers.
After Monday’s school board meeting, an anonymous flier mocking the proposal was placed on cars in the school’s parking lot. Several residents have written letters to local papers saying they oppose the proposal.
Supporters of Core Knowledge say it offers a seamless guide to learning, with no repetition from grade to grade, and that it represents a back-to-basics approach.
Critics counter that the program is too rigid and perhaps requires students to learn too many specific facts from year to year, leaving teachers with little room for variety.
National education experts said they are not aware of any other ballot measure in the United States that asked voters to decide on a specific curriculum for a school district.
Regardless of the outcome of the March 19 vote, the school board has said it will not adopt Core Knowledge because the district already reviews the curriculum of one subject each year under the guidance of committees that include parents.
Sarah Surroz, president of the citizens group Friends of District 46, which placed the referendum plan on the ballot, hopes that if a large enough majority votes in favor of the curriculum, the board will change its mind.
In response to input from parents, the district has begun considering Core Knowledge-favored textbooks in its annual review of classes.
Surroz said her group expected some opposition and realizes there is work to be done, particularly with district teachers.
“Our message of support has not gotten to some of the teachers, and we need to do more work to rebuild that support,” Surroz said Tuesday.
The group has spent about $5,000 mailing out fliers, putting up signs, holding in-home coffee talks with voters and several forums in an attempt to answer questions.
During the most recent forum Monday, about 20 residents showed up for the informal, fair-like event, with “Information Stations” set up around a large room in the State Bank building in Grayslake. At the tables, pamphlets and books about Core Knowledge were displayed while Core Knowledge supporters answered questions.
At one point, about five residents engaged in lively debate with Ed Schroeder, a vice president of Friends, while he tried to convince Steve Bartik of Grayslake that Core Knowledge was good for students.
“It sounds just like a set of facts,” Bartik said.
“Well, they’re important facts,” Schroeder countered.
“I guess we might get test scores, but what about the person, what about values and morals?” Bartik asked.
“I think a good teacher would be able to bring that out,” said Nancy Kiser of Grayslake.
Parents on both sides said the issue has been good for the district because of the discourse.
“The good thing is, it has gotten people talking about education,” said Boynton. “That’s the silver lining.”
