Three curriculums being piloted:

1)Benchmark Adelante (English & Spanish)

2)Amplify (English & Spanish)

3) Saavas (Spanish)/Emerge McGraw-Hill (English)

Hi, my name is Allison Joe. My daughter, Izzy, is in 5th grade with Maestro Hector Gonzalez and part of the curriculum pilot for the bilingual Juntos program. When I was logging in for this curriculum meeting from my car on our way back from dance class, she groaned and said in her pre-teen voice, “Another curriculum meeting? I’m so sick of these. Can’t we just stay with Amplify? It’s fun, interactive, and clearly the best curriculum, especially the way Maestro Gonzalez teaches it.” She especially liked the Spanish units on the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations and the English unit on oceans was “really fun.” She also liked the “freedom” to go ahead in some areas and come back to other parts at her pace. These comments were unprompted and representative only of my child’s opinion, not meant to replace scientific review or others’ experiences. Being in one of the curriculum pilot classrooms, I have had a chance to explore the curriculums and hear back from teachers, parents, and students. Some feedback is that they like that Amplify is thematic rather than unit based (which was how Benchmark Adelante was organized), e.g. a survival theme that connects concepts across different units and builds on previous knowledge. Their experience is that Amplify is rigorous. The English unit on oceans inspired students’ writing and wanting to become marine biologists. I heard positive feedback on how the Amplify curriculum is integrated and cohesive. It gets away from guided reading to a format that is integrated into the whole class and uses the science of reading. This way it addresses rather than exacerbates the knowledge gap, giving students earlier access to knowledge regardless of their reading level. I would also like to add that our bilingual teachers do a lot of extra work to support bilingual learning. Having a cohesive and integrated curriculum supports teachers, reduces potential for burnout, and helps retain strong teachers with the students that need them. Finally, I want to comment that for students who are part of the piloting project – what a unique and empowering experience for the students to be able to make change and have a sense of ownership over the content and methods of their education. Thank you!