I'm a Teacher. My Position on Curriculum Transparency Might Surprise You.

March 7, 2022

By Jessica McDermitt

There’s a debate raging in America: Should teachers be required to post their curriculum online? Critics say it’s a burden for already overworked educators, but parents desperately want to know what’s being taught in the classroom.

Where I stand on the issue might surprise you.

I’m a young public school teacher who supports curriculum transparency bills such as the one in my home state of Arizona, Senate Bill 1211, and others like it across the country. I know that the last thing an educator needs on their plate is another task. We already do so much: meeting the diverse educational needs of hundreds of children; playing nurse amid a pandemic; planning rigorous, engaging, and collaborative work; adapting to unpredictable and prolonged absences; filling ever-growing learning gaps; covering for colleagues unable to find substitutes; and meeting the increasingly critical socio-emotional needs of our students.

But there’s an additional responsibility that ought to be on the list: posting curriculum online. Here’s why that’s so important.

Read the rest of the op-ed at RealClearPolicy.

Jessica McDermitt is an Arizona public school teacher.