On Tuesday, May 26, the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Education voted to adopt a new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum that would be implemented starting this fall in elementary schools for the 2026-2027 school year.
The vote was introduced as an informational item at the May 12 meeting when questions and concerns arose over the new curriculum, Benchmark. Paden Elementary parent Emily Allegrotti had attended the meeting to point out that, among other issues, the Benchmark curriculum lacks chapter books and novels. Most of Benchmark’s curriculum consists of excerpts and passages from books. Other parents and educators who did not attend the meeting also voiced their alarm at the curriculum online and on social media.
As reported in an earlier Alameda Post article, AUSD Board Clerk Jennifer Williams echoed the concerns of Allegrotti. After further consideration and being reassured by AUSD staff that the district would supplement the curriculum with extra novels, Williams, along with the rest of the AUSD board, voted to adopt the curriculum in a 4-0 vote on May 26 (Heather Little was absent).
Williams stated in an email to the Post that AUSD staff member Erin Ashworth “indicated that she had already started surveying our teachers about what novels work in their classrooms and was collecting data on which full text to purchase to supplement the curriculum that we adopt.”…