Visalia Unified School District officials take hands-on approach to help roll out new curriculum

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- In the Visalia Unified School District, students will be learning about speech differently this year.

"We realized that the explicit teaching of phonics as part of that overall literacy program was missing in Visalia," VUSD Superintendent Kirk Shrum said.

He says there wasn't a district-wide approach to teaching phonics, so after research and the curriculum adoption process, a new phonics program was implemented.

But instead of just letting the teachers carry out the change, Shrum decided district officials should also be involved.

"We wanted our teachers to see that were not only saying we need to do these things, we're walking the walk with you, right," Shrum said.

So the superintendent and other administrators, including the chief financial officer and chief operations officer, all learned a lesson, observed a teacher and then went in and taught students themselves.

"So often, we tell people what we need to do, or what you should do, or 'implement this program' or 'do these things' without taking the time to really experience what it's like from a teacher's perspective," Shrum said.

For Goshen Elementary first-grade teacher Ashley Ortiz, the experience was validating.

"It just kind of blew my mind. I was shocked. I was surprised because I felt seen," Ortiz said.

The lessons didn't go perfectly, but Ortiz says that's what's important for leadership to see.

"Not only did it have learning moments for me, but for the leadership as well," Ortiz said.

Ortiz says she likes the new phonics program because it's universal and cohesive.

But she likes the hands-on approach the district took even more.

"It kind of puts a pep into our step as educators because we are motivated and we are inspired, just like we were as newly grads, to understand that change is coming and change is happening. This is what we've wanted," Ortiz said.

Shrum says changing this new approach is important for teachers, for the students, and for the district as a whole.

"Districts can't be out of touch. District offices can't just, again, make decisions and assume we know what the experience is like. We have to listen, but not only listen but go out and experience," Shrum said.

The superintendent says he expects this experience of learning alongside teachers will be standard practice as new curricula or programs are adopted in the district.

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