Meeting with District Leaders

[David Grosskopf]

Dear Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, Mr. Tolley, Ms. Thompson and Ms. Vasquez:

The Roosevelt Language Arts department greatly appreciates the time
you spent with us on June 16th. We left feeling that we had been
heard, that our voice and participation in the direction of alignment
is welcomed, that the passion from the framers of alignment is genuine
and thoughtful, that all are willing to find a way to sustain viable
programs while invigorating those in need.

Here are some of the key points we feel emerged from the meeting:

• The difference between performance standards and content standards
is a difference between writing and reading skills; but both standards
are actually skill-based.
• Roosevelt is in total support of aligning according to such
standards of reading and writing skills, and believes that every
school in the district can benefit and improve under the clarity,
support, and specific targets such skills provide.
• There was no agreement about the need to use system-wide novels or
system-wide courses in the alignment process. There was also no
agreement about the need to work on alignment of novels before
completing the alignment of involved Language Arts skills.
• Dr. Goodloe-Johnson emphasized that she is “a believer in
flexibility.” In this vein, we discussed the need for a vetting
process that would allow texts and courses not on the system-wide
lists to be evaluated according to the standards and approved for
alternative use. We also discussed the process that needs to precede
such an evaluation protocol, which is clarifying the minimum standards
that need to be applied at all courses and texts.
• There was no indication that Roosevelt Language Arts would be
required to dismantle its options program or its ninth and tenth grade
alignment with Social Studies. There was discussion about how courses
could be identified as meeting writing and reading standards.

Respectfully,

Tom Nolet
Carolyn Kenney Hall
David Grosskopf
Cora Mackoff
Maggie Everett
Christina Roux
Adam Karl
Janith Pewitt
Ben Masaoka
Patrick Moriarty
Marilyn Sizer
Janine Magidman
Rik Katz (9th grade team)
Karen Grace (10th grade team)