A new elementary-level reading curriculum will undergo small changes before it rolls out in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District this fall. The changes follow concerns from members of the public about the world religion components of the program, which they say aren’t age appropriate for first and second graders.
The new curriculum is called Core Knowledge Language Arts Amplify, or CKLA, and is the district’s choice for its scheduled curricular review this year. District officials say the current curriculum does not have strong enough foundation skills in phonics and phonemic awareness.
CKLA was one of four options vetted by the state, and units within the curriculum include lessons on mythology, world religion and other topics under the banner of what the program calls “background knowledge.” In April, a group of community members, including several local teachers, raised concerns with those units for first and second graders.
Among them was Mountain View second- and third-grade teacher Donna Anderson.
“My concern is with the appropriateness of disguising teaching history and reading comprehension with the study of religion. CKLA first grade knowledge strands include: the religion of Babylon, three world religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Second grade knowledge strands: Hinduism, Diwali, Buddhism,” Anderson testified. “These subjects are controversial and do not align with KPBSD science or social studies standards.”
District Asst. Superintendent Kari Dendurent said in response to those flags raised by members of the public, the district plans to take that world religion component out of the curriculum. Currently, it plans to replace it with Indigenous cultural studies, although Dendurent said the district will continue to assess the feasibility of that as the school year begins.
She said there’s also a review committee of teachers assessing the new curriculum and flagging other possibly controversial components.
Advocates for the change, including former Soldotna State Rep. Ron Gillham, thanked the school board for the adjustments at its meeting last Monday.
The district plans to start training and working with teachers on the new program in August.
