Science department strives for equity
Teachers visit the Science House at the Science Museum
November 10, 2015
During its ongoing workshops at the Science Museum of Minnesota, the science department discusses equity and curriculum reform, according to teacher Al Wachutka.
Wachutka said the department uses the Science House, a resource center for teachers at the Science Museum of Minnesota, to reform curriculum.
“The entire department (went) over to the Science Museum to meet at the Science House to work with a curriculum specialist as a part of our ‘sculpt and sequence,’ or curriculum review,” Wachutka said.
Head of the science department Mark Miller said these workshops help ensure classes align with state standards.
“(After) we go through and do this, we can be confident in saying that our physics courses cover the physics standards, and our chemistry classes cover the chemistry standards,” Miller said.
Ninth grade science teacher Jennifer Sharpe said the first day of workshops Sept. 30 were split into two sections.
“We did some team building and some equity background stuff to frame how we were going to rewrite our curriculum,” Sharpe said. ”In the afternoon, we talked about what we were going to have to do in the coming weeks. We planned all of the days we’re going to take to write the curriculum.”
Miller said the retreat promoted equity, a standard the district works toward throughout the year.
“(Equity means) making sure that all students, regardless of race, have an equal opportunity to access all classes and every program that we offer at the high school,” Miller said. “(The workshops showed) we are conscious of the opportunities that do exist or don’t exist specifically because of race.”
Junior Amira Stone said she supports the science department’s goal of ensuring equal opportunities for all students.
“It’s always a good thing to make education more accessible, so I support (the workshops),” Stone said.
Miller said the science teachers have several more meetings at the Science House to work on curriculum change throughout the semester. The next workshop takes place Nov. 18.
