Help Wake County schools pick new math and language arts materials

Wake County parents, students and community members have the opportunity to help determine what new materials will be used in high school math courses and in elementary and middle school language arts classes.

The Wake school system is hosting eight community meetings between Monday and March 2 to let the public try out new digital and print materials that are being reviewed for potential use in classrooms. The feedback will help Wake school leaders determine what new curriculum resources will be used starting in the 2017-18 school year.

“We have a very high-achieving school system,” said Brian Kingsley, Wake’s assistant superintendent for academics. “We know good teaching is happening, but making sure our resourcing moves with the needs of kids is very important.”

Kingsley said Wake is focusing on new materials for math in high school and in language arts in grades three through eight.

Four identical sessions on new math materials will be held the week of Feb. 20. Four identical sessions on new language arts resources will be held the week of Feb. 27. All meetings are 6:30 to 8 p.m.

School employees will be at the meetings to help guide people on the new material being considered. Kingsley said the new resources will be used nearly every day, so Wake needs to make the right choice.

“It’s critical that we put the right material in the hands of our students and teachers,” he said.

With the help of the community feedback, Kingsley said administrators will present contracts for the new material to the school board in May.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Help Wake County schools pick new math and language arts materials."