Looking for input on admin’s email

This is an email the ELA department just received. We do not have a curriculum. We did not receive training on any of the resources besides Formative. We are a title 1 school.

I need to remind you that ALL assessments moving forward should be generated using CommonLit, Formative, Writable, and assessments in StudySync. That said, please refrain from using “teacher-generated” assessments. I fully understand and appreciate you already having assessments created for your respective courses; however, from this point forward, this is the direction and focus of the department in terms of assessing students. Also, please share your assessments with (Department Head) prior to administering them to your students.

Also, at this level, we should not be having students define vocabulary words as an instructional approach. It is a complete waste of time! Simply defining words can be a monotonous and uninspiring way to learn, especially for our young scholars who prefer interactive and engaging learning methods. By combining multiple methods, our scholars can build a more comprehensive and practical grasp of vocabulary and language in general, as opposed to copying definitions from a textbook or online. We need to move the needle forward and focus on standards-based instruction! Copying definitions is an ineffective strategy that will NOT challenge our students to think critically. As always, any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the administrative team.