Mount Greylock School Committee Talks Elementary Math Instruction

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — In the shadow of a community-wide discussion about math instruction at Williamstown Elementary School, the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee Thursday heard a presentation about steps the district is taking to improve its program at both elementary schools.

 

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Joelle Brookner talked with the committee about the district's move to the i-Ready math curriculum in grades K through 6 and how the first year of the curriculum's adoption already appears to be paying dividends.

 

Brookner first provided some background in how the district came to adopt the learning platform from publisher Curriculum Associates.

 

The process started when the district took a hard look at the pupils' performance in math and realized its former curriculum, Everyday Math, might need to be replaced.

 

Math instruction was a strong enough concern at the Williamstown school that its School Council this winter requested the addition of a full-time math interventionist to the faculty for the 2026-27 academic year.

 

Ultimately, that request did not make the cut when the administration produced a budget that was approved by the School Committee to send to town meetings in Williamstown and Lanesborough. But a group of concerned parents has announced its plan to make an amendment on the floor of the Williamstown annual town meeting Tuesday to add $120,000 to the town's assessment for the district in order to fund the position at WES.

 

At last Thursday's meeting, Brookner acknowledged the planned amendment and said that an interventionist, if added, would become "an integral part of the team" at the elementary school.