MOUNT VERNON – Since the start of the school year, Wiggin Street Elementary parents have been vocal about their concerns surrounding curriculum changes instituted by new principal Matthew Dill.
They’ve come to both Mount Vernon Board of Education meetings over the past month, airing their grievances and engaging in back-and-forth discussions with the board and Superintendent Bill Seder. They’ve warned against the increase in classroom time spent on technology (keyboarding) and testing, as well as the decrease in time spent on recess and ‘specials’ such as music, art and physical education.
During Monday’s school board meeting, two parents deemed the curriculum changes “developmentally inappropriate.”
“We owe all of our children better. And by all children, I mean all children at Wiggin Street, not just my two. All children at Wiggin Street and frankly, all children district-wide,” one parent said.
Following Monday night’s school board meeting, Knox Pages reached out to Dill to hear his side of the story.
Dill, who served as the principal at Columbia Elementary for five years before coming to Wiggin Street, is in his 20th year in P-12 education. He is also in his seventh year teaching graduate level education courses as an adjunct professor at both Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Ashland University.
Upon Dill’s request for an email interview, Knox Pages sent a list of questions that seemed to be most pressing based on the concerns expressed by parents at the last two school board meetings.
Parents have told the board that while Dill has been willing to meet with parents in a one-on-one setting to discuss these concerns, he has not been willing to meet with groups. Parents have questioned the rationale of his curriculum changes, especially given Wiggin Street Elementary’s consistently high test scores in years past.
“The changes that were made directly to specials and to recess is staunchly (contradicting) to educational research right now. All education research says the opposite of the changes that’s happened,” one parent said on Monday night. “So if there is a good reason for it, if there is a research-based reason for these changes, that’s fine. But what is it?”
Here is our Q&A with Dill, who discussed the rationale behind his curriculum changes (questions are presented in the answer they were asked, answers were edited lightly for style and clarity):
KP: Have you met with parents about the concerns levied at previous BOE meetings?
MD: Yes.
KP: If so, how many have you met with and when (generally speaking) did you meet with them?
MD: I have met with eight parents this school year in person. I met with each of these parents since the first day of school, while most of them scheduled appointments with me following the August Board of Education Meeting.
KP: One of the parents said on Monday night that you have not been willing to meet with groups of parents in a forum setting, you have only been willing to meet in one-on-one sessions. Is this true? And if so, why?
MD: Anyone is welcome to set up a meeting with me to discuss a specific individual’s or family’s concerns. If a person or family has a concern about their child/children, I would welcome the conversation.
I do not believe that I can adequately attend to an individual’s or family’s concerns in a large group, but instead in a setting that I can properly listen to their concerns and effectively address their areas of concern.
KP: What have some of the parents’ concerns been, that you are aware of?
MD: The concerns of the parents that I have met with have revolved around two main issues: the decrease of time in individual ‘specials’ (from 50 to 40 minutes) and elimination of 15 minutes of an afternoon recess for grades 2-5.
KP Are you surprised by these concerns?
MD: In my previous 8.5 years as an elementary principal and 4.5 years as a superintendent, I have never worked with an elementary school that has had a scheduled afternoon recess for grades 2-5. I have also worked over the last five years with 40 minutes for all specials classes.
Nevertheless, I have always encouraged all teachers to engage students in active learning activities (i.e. STEAM/STEM Research-Based Activities) and as needed “brain breaks.” I want our students to be actively engaged in their learning and I trust the people I work with to make the determination when a student/students need a simple “brain break.”
KP: What changes have you implemented since becoming principal at Wiggin Street (things that are now a part of the Wiggin Street curriculum that were not previously)?
MD: 1. Following breakfast being offered to all students, at 8:40am, we release all children to the playground, where they are supervised, to be active before they start classes for the day. While we understand that not all children have the ability to utilize this active time, we have seen firsthand the positive effects that this early active play time can have. Last year, students previously sat in cafeteria upon arrival after arriving to school before classes began.
2. We have increased the amount of time dedicated to Math in all grade levels from 60 minutes to 90 minutes daily. This change is along with maintaining the 90 minutes of instruction dedicated to English Language Arts.
3. We have added a weekly Technology Class for all students (K-5). The skills that they learn in this class are reinforced in all classrooms through a balanced approach of instructional strategies.
4. Based on feedback from Specials teachers, parents, and observations of students, we are providing 45 minutes per specials class (effective Sept. 25). This will increase our instructional time dedicated to Specials courses from 200 to 225 minutes per week. During the 2017-18 school year, students only had 200 minutes dedicated towards four Specials classes.
5. In addition to our ‘Student of The Week’ program (classroom-based), teachers now select a ‘Student of the Month’ from their classroom each month. These 12 students per month (K-5) are rewarded for their strong effort in their classrooms with a pizza party in my office.
6. During each student’s birthday month, they are visited by me in their classrooms at the end of that month to receive their birthday cookie.
7. All students in fifth grade will be spending a day in May at touring our local institutions of higher learning (MVNU, Kenyon College, and Knox County Career Center) to create a visual on their attainable destination of their educational goals after high school graduation.
8. All students will be provided a family-style Thanksgiving dinner in late November as a Wiggin Street Elementary family for free while sitting together in our gym.
9. Graduating seniors from MVHS that attended Wiggin Street Elementary will be invited to provided lunch on the day of their MVHS graduation practice. After enjoying lunch and some old stories, the graduating seniors will be wearing their caps and gowns through the Wiggin Street Elementary hallways for one last time while being “clapped out” by all 245 of our elementary students.
KP: Many parents have noted that, among other changes, recess time has been shortened, typing requirements in the classroom have become an increased focus, time for ‘specials’ has been shortened, students have had to take rigorous pre-tests, and students are being asked to sit for long periods of time.
With all that being said, what is your response to some of these concerns? Are these claims valid? And if they are, what is the rationale behind some of these curriculum decisions?
MD: Pre and post tests are a common practice by many educators. We consider this a great, research-based educational practice supported by Battelle for Kids called “Formative Instructional Practices.” The purpose of giving any pretest is to see what a child knows and does not know about the material that he or she is getting ready to learn. After we determine the educational needs, we can better instruct each student.
The assessment of each student’s learning is then followed up by a post test of the content to check for mastery or the need for further instruction. At Wiggin Street Elementary, these type of formative assessment practices are, at a minimum, expected for both English Language Arts and Math at all grade levels.
The only timed requirements of students on these assessments may be on those conducted by the State of Ohio or some that are nationally normed.
KP: How much time is allotted for recess at Wiggin Street Elementary?
MD: In kindergarten through 5th grade, all students have at least 30 minutes of recess during lunch. They could have as much as 45 minutes depending on when they leave the cafeteria. Students are allowed to take 30 minutes for lunch, but they are given the option to be dismissed 15 minutes into lunch.
Students in kindergarten and first grade also have 10 minutes scheduled in the afternoon for recess.
UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, Dill informed Knox Pages that after discussions with teachers, he has adjusted the school’s hour block of lunch and recess (12-1 p.m.) to be 20 minutes of lunch and 40 minutes of recess.
“This was the same practice that was in place last year,” Dill said. The change will be effective Tuesday.
KP: Superintendent Bill Seder said on Monday night that he had discussed these concerns with you. Did anything come of those discussions and did he advise you to consider making any curriculum changes thereafter?
MD: Superintendent Seder and I keep open communication with each other. We discussed the concerns that some parents had brought to the August Board of Education Meeting and he encouraged them to speak directly with me. I told him that I was very willing to meet with these parents, and to listen to their concerns.
I also shared with Superintendent Seder that I was planning on meeting with our Specials teachers around the distribution of our first grading period’s Interim Reports to better evaluate the effects of the Specials schedule changes on students. This evaluative meeting took place this past Monday morning.
KP: How does your curriculum now at Wiggin Street compare to the curriculum you implemented at Columbia Elementary, and if it is similar, did you field similar complaints from parents there?
MD: Parents at Columbia Elementary were very similar to a majority of parents at Wiggin Street Elementary, very supportive. Over the last five years, Columbia Elementary had 40 minutes dedicated for all Specials classes. Four of those five years, all students received five Specials classes including P.E., Art, Music, Library, and Technology.
In addition, grades 2-5 did not have an additional scheduled afternoon recess following their lunch and recess time. Nevertheless, I encouraged all teachers to engage students in active learning activities (i.e. STEAM/STEM Research-Based Activities) and, as needed, “brain breaks.”
I want our students to be actively engaged in their learning and I trust the people I work with to make the determination when a student/students need a simple “brain break.” Teachers at Columbia Elementary also provided students in grades 3-5 with “Fun Fridays,” which rewarded students with 20 minutes of extra recess at the end of the day on Fridays for achieving specific learning expectations. I supported this student incentive.
At Columbia Elementary, we experienced positive individual student growth (K-5) in a variety of educational skills. These results were not solely measured on statewide assessments, but they were also measured by grade level and classroom formative and summative assessments.
We focused on developing the whole child both academically and socially. Specific to social and emotional learning of all students, they participated in a Character and Leadership Mentorship Program (K-5) over the course of the last three years of my tenure.
At Wiggin Street Elementary, we have one vision, one focus, and one goal of student excellence. We define student excellence as being based on developing Champions. Being a “CHAMPION” means that our students need to have strong (C)haracter, be (H)umble, strive for (A)chievement, be (M)otivated, take (P)ride, (I)mpact the world in a positive way, be (O)utstanding, and to (N)ever give up on their learning. This is the foundation of all that we do at Wiggin Street Elementary. We want our students to be Champions!
It has always been my philosophy to have a “balanced approach” to our instructional methods in all classrooms (K-5). While there are many great technological and non-technological instructional strategies, we need to be “balanced” in our approach to develop well-rounded and multifaceted children for the global marketplace which awaits each of them.
We should not focus on only one approach for all children. In my opinion, focusing on only one instructional strategy for all children would simply be a disservice to all of them.
KP: To the parents who have said they haven’t had their questions answered and are still wondering why these curriculum changes are occurring, what is your response?
MD: I would encourage those parents to come speak with me directly. I will then do my best to answer their questions. Truly, I believe that open communication is key in building a strong relationship. This type of relationship will only benefit our students.
KP: How much do you value parent feedback when making decisions about your school’s curriculum?
MD: I value all feedback. The purpose of our job, as educators, is to serve children. We have a tough job in taking all of the feedback we receive (from students, staff, and parents), our educational training, and years of classroom and/or administrative experience, and make the best decision for the students that we are responsible for educating and serving.
Educating in our minds is not maintaining an already high performing student/students, but instead to challenge the student/students and facilitate their academic growth over time. We want to create a place of learning for children that provides sustainable growth (academic and social) for all children.
The fact of all decisions that are made is that there will be people that agree with that decision and others that do not, but the key is to make the best decision for the students that are being served.
KP: What is your plan to address these concerns moving forward?
MD: I believe the key factor in any relationship is open communication. I hope that all the stakeholders that I work with at Wiggin Street Elementary continue to build off of this type of relationship focused on students, being productive, and creating a positive learning environment for all.
