Textbook standoff may cost school district $500,000 grant

Seattle Public Schools' first effort to coordinate math curriculum across all schools is falling through — and the delay could cost the district nearly $500,000 in grant money.

The district set out last fall to choose one math-textbook series for middle school and one for high school. By having all teachers use the same curriculum, the district figured, it could better train and support teachers — and hopefully improve the district's trailing math scores.

But a standoff at the School Board committee level has stalled the high-school recommendation indefinitely, even as the middle-school curriculum moves forward for a vote tonight.

If the district doesn't choose curriculum for grades 6-12 soon, it risks losing $500,000 that Boeing is donating for teacher training. "Boeing is waiting to see if we adopt new instructional materials. It makes a difference to them," said Jane Goetz, the district's instructional-services director.

Boeing wants to make it work, said Patrick Sexton, senior partnership manager at the Alliance for Education, who is working on the grant.

The math effort is just one step in a larger, districtwide plan to standardize curriculum in other subjects and give the central office more control. Administrators are beginning to take over some aspects of budgeting and hiring, as well. Previously when the district has adopted curriculum, schools were not required to use it.

Schools all over the country disagree on how to teach math. In many places, traditional, number-filled textbooks are being replaced by "reform math," which relies more on word problems and logic. Seattle's middle schools and about half of its high schools use reform math.

The curriculum committee of parents and teachers recommended reform math, but when their recommendation got to the School Board, some members had concerns. Student Learning Committee chairwoman Darlene Flynn worries that the word-heavy books will be hard for parents to understand — especially parents who don't speak English well.

"We're making a change here toward extreme curriculum that is not very accessible to common folk," she said.

Carla Santorno, the district's new chief academic officer, has pushed hard for a single math curriculum. But she offered a compromise for the high-school level: The district could choose two math books — one reform math, one traditional math. Schools could decide which book to use.

"My first recommendation is one adoption. That's my first choice," Santorno said. "But if we can't agree on one, then I'm supporting two."

But some School Board members believe that could get expensive and confusing.

"What we're doing is throwing it back into the schools for a royal battle," said board member Cheryl Chow, a former principal who sits on the committee.

But the board still has unanswered questions: What if teachers are using other curriculum and it's working? Shouldn't they get to keep using it? Should teachers be more involved in the process of choosing a book? Are other area districts using curriculum that works better?

"Hopefully this will open up a math dialogue with high schools across the district," said board member Sally Soriano, who sits on the Student Learning Committee.

Others say there isn't time for more dialogue.

"We know that what we're doing doesn't work — we know that," said board president Brita Butler-Wall. "So it seems to be something that's worth trying."

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246