The purpose of education is to foster a child’s natural curiosity about the world around them. That is one reason the Cortez school board unanimously adopted the Wit and Wisdom curriculum for grades K-5 at its January 2020 board meeting at a cost of $196,000.
The district spent 18 months thoroughly reviewing the English Language Arts curricula used in other school districts and decided WW was the best fit for Cortez. In the spring of 2021, the board added WW for grades 6-8 at a cost of $81,000.
The WW program works. It sparked my grandson’s interest in the 1877 attempt of Nez Perce to reach Canada and the conflict between settlers and Native Americans in the West.
Now, less than two years later, the RE-1 board wants to “review” or possibly replace the WW program. The changes seem to connect with a nationwide fear that schools are using the WW curriculum as a cover for teaching “critical race theory” or even Marxism to students. The current board has two members who voted for adopting the WW program and now they are OK with wasting the $277,000 spent on the program.
Our school system has a diverse student population. The RE-1 board has a responsibility to represent all students; and a duty to not favor any particular political or religious ideologies.
Alan Rolston
Cortez
