WESTOVER — Somerset County Public Schools will restart its reading curriculum selection process for grades K-5 after one of the newly-elected board members pointed out that in his opinion the current program is flawed and not in adherence with local school policy.

Andrew Gleason, who was sworn-in last month to take the District 1 seat vacated by the retiring Vice Chair Penny Nicholson, said Amplify CLKA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) was not thoroughly vetted before it was adopted last August on a one-year trial basis.

ELA Supervisor Lilly Welch and school principals Dr. Terra Taylor of Princess Anne Elementary and Ashley Walters of Deal Island were presenting an update to the board on CKLA and how it was one of four reading series under study as the subscription to the McGraw Hill materials expired June 30.

Ms. Walters said the day after the school year ended teachers met and “overwhelmingly” favored CKLA, and before the start of the fall term attended professional development at Woodson Elementary to be ready for the new materials with the latest arriving by early October.

While it was too soon to quantify schoolwide trends, there were reports of successes by certain grades and students, with teachers also expressing their enjoyment using the new curriculum.

Mr. Gleason said ever since he attended the first community meeting on the curriculum last July, he’s been encouraged to see that SCPS “has very strong policies when it comes to curriculum and our standards as a community.” He said Policy 500-4 “Curriculum Development” as amended in September 2021 is the strongest in the state when it comes to not having bias in the classroom.

Over the summer he began reading CKLA’s material and among the 120 items he reviewed he flagged 40 “as inappropriate, and not in line with the school board’s policies on bias,” although he did not cite any examples.

Mr. Gleason continued to raise questions and expressed comments about the process last year, and how bias and moral standards were not adequately considered — noting that reliance was given to an online clearinghouse that rated various curriculums.

“Because of the timing,” he said, “there was no choice for the board to say no. It was CKLA or the kids aren’t going to get a curriculum.” He said the board is empowered to make the final decision, but without a choice or the ability to say no, “that authority is stripped from them.”

Ms. Welch said CKLA is contracted for one year only with no guarantee that it will continue. Mr. Gleason said that’s “because of the concerns of the community.”

At this point board Chair Bill McInturff said to Mr. Gleason that his questions were “valid” and there was agreement the process last year “was flawed and should never happen again,” but this was a Q&A and “not a cross-examination.”

He (and Deputy Superintendent Tom Davis) asked that the questions be narrow, and written down to get a written, researched response.

Mr. Gleason said he’s had these questions since July, and continued posing them until handing out a lengthy motion that after more discussion was later distilled to get a majority vote.

“It might be the best program ever made in history, but it wasn’t done right, and it needs to be reevaluated, and there are a whole lot more cons coming out from people that I’ve had discussions with,” said Allen Ford, also newly sworn-in to represent District 5 to succeed long-time member Margo Green-Gale.

“I don’t know where in the world our country has gone total south,” Mr. Ford said. “We need to get things back to basics, state or not state, it’s Somerset County and we need to do what’s best for the kids…and this was not done right.”

Mr. Ford seconded Mr. Gleason’s original motion which resulted in a 2-2-1 vote with Vice Chair Caleb Shores abstaining, calling it too broad.

Mr. Shores said he agreed with it, but the first step was to get the curriculum providers engaged again to resubmit proposals, and ensure that their materials align with policy.

“We’re going to finish the pilot,” Mr. McInturff said, and immediately begin the process for K-5 reading materials that meet SCPS policy. That was approved 4-1 with loud applause and approval from the audience. Voting no was Troy Brittingham Jr..

Mr. McInturff is starting his first full term representing District 3, having run unopposed like Messrs. Ford and Gleason. He was appointed to the board in April 2021 by Gov. Hogan to replace Bobby Wells who resigned.

At the start of the evening meeting Mr. Gleason’s daughter Calli addressed her father during public participation by saying, “Put good books in the government schools that honor God.” And to the board members she said, “Be bold as a lion for such a time as this” and that “The battle belongs to the Lord.”

Mr. Gleason said at the end of the meeting that he will be a hardworking board member “because these kids matter.” “To me, Jesus is everything” so high moral standards “is everything as I sit here.”

Mr. Ford invited constituents in District 5 to email or reach him on Facebook with concerns or comments.

Mr. Tilghman, the immediate past chair, is mid-way through his second term representing District 4 having been re-elected in 2020. Mr. Shores, District 2, was elected in 2020 but last year made an unsuccessful run for County Commissioner.­

During the board’s reorganization a motion by Mr. Gleason to elect Mr. Shores as chair failed to get a majority of votes and it was Mr. Shores who successfully nominated Mr. McInturff to the leadership role.

“That was not something I was anticipating,” Mr. McInturff said.

A motion by Mr. McInturff to appoint Mr. Brittingham vice chair failed with Mr. Gleason’s motion for Mr. Shores receiving a 3-2 vote.