Advisory Journal 2

Curriculum Perception and Analysis

Vanessa Vitiello
William Paterson University
October 30, 2014

Advisory Journal 2

I held interviews with two teachers and administrators in the Paterson Public School
District and it revealed that the average curriculum team consists of one teacher, one department
chair, and occasionally one supervisor. Teachers on the team are chosen based on availability and
supervisor recommendation. According to both interviewees, a typical team consisting of only
two to three persons cannot effectively address the needs of over 28,000 students. The district
currently has 54 schools with 2,760 certified teachers to accommodate students in kindergarten
through grade 12. I the curriculum has a better chance of success with more teachers and
administrators working together to determine how to proceed.
After interviewing administrators and teachers involved with curriculum development in
Paterson Public Schools it seems there is one common denominator that affects curriculum. The
curriculum development is controlled by the various changes that continue to occur with the state
mandated content standards. The math administrator said, Before the new common core, new
textbooks were the predominating factor for curriculum change. The math curriculum has
changed about five times in the past twelve years. When I inquired what philosophy the district
used to create the latest curriculum, I realized we are using the model from the state and we are
just adding the materials that can go along with it.
One teacher explains how his responsibility on the curriculum team this summer
consisted of searching to find tasks and essential questions that align to the state model
curriculum learning objective. They simply searched internet for ideas, particularly other districts
or state curriculum posted online to find tasks and essential questions. Everyone agreed that the
process of creating and implementing a curriculum that keeps the best interest of students in
mind can be handled better. One administrator said, I think the curriculum should be customized

Advisory Journal 2

based on the needs of the students on a school by school basis but thats a huge undertaking here
because we have so many different schools along with such a transient population. The
conditions of being under state control do not help either because we are limited by them.
Unfortunately, the state is positioning PPS in a situation where many administrators with
the best intentions are finding themselves at odds with their most effective teachers because the
teachers feel stifled by the curriculum.

Advisory Journal 2