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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

State Curriculum Guides Attacked

Associated Press

Superintendent of Public Instruction Anne C. Fox’s recently released K-6 curriculum guides are drawing heavy fire from teachers and parents, with some calling her effort the worst example of state leadership yet.

School districts statewide are soliciting public input until August on the curriculum guidelines, which list the skills to be taught in each grade. Angry responses coming into the Moscow and Lewiston school districts may indicate early trouble for what could be Fox’s most controversial undertaking.

Perhaps predicting the volatility of the issue, the State Board of Education last month created a committee to review the curriculum guide changes and consider more time for public comment.

Board member Jerry Hess of Nampa criticized Fox for moving too swiftly on the guides, which he said deserve vigorous public debate. While Fox maintains the guidelines are only suggested, the fear among school district officials is that they eventually will become mandated. Many teachers say Fox’s basic skills curriculum format was tried and scrapped 20 years ago. They are frustrated no research is cited as a basis for the guides and say the little research that is cited is outdated.

The guides are way too specific, argue both Lewiston and Moscow curriculum directors, including very discreet skills down to the exact spelling words districts are supposed to teach in each grade.

One segment of the health curriculum suggests first-grade teachers check off when he or she introduced proper sanitary procedures for public restroom use, when the child learned the procedures and then test children on identifying proper bathroom hygiene practices.

In the fourth-grade, teachers are asked to teach students how to differentiate between health quackery and legitimate health information. Bathroom practices and what defines health quackery might be issues parents resent the schools broaching, teachers said.