New Milford School District Curriculum Policy Seeks More Community Review and Clearer Standards

During an appearance on the webcast A Better Discussion with Jane Brady, Bucher outlined how the new policy reshapes both how curriculum is adopted and how it is taught. The board combined two older policies into a single framework that requires more input from teachers and parents, while setting clear limits on classroom displays and off-topic instruction.

Matt Bucher, VP of the Milford School District Board.

More pilots, more parents

Under the first part of the policy, new curriculum proposals must be piloted by classroom teachers and opened to community review before they are adopted. Bucher said the change came after concerns that some programs were moving forward without enough testing.
“We want to hear from frontline teachers and parents before we buy into a new program,” he said. “If it hasn’t been properly piloted, it doesn’t go in.”

Neutral classrooms

The second part of the policy requires teachers to stick to the approved curriculum and to identify when they are offering personal opinions. Only a limited set of symbols may be displayed in classrooms—such as the U.S. and Delaware flags, school or college banners, and union flags—unless approved through a formal process.
“The idea is to create a completely neutral learning environment where teachers teach the materials the board has approved,” Bucher said. “That protects students and protects teachers from accusations of bias.”

Pushback from unions and civil liberties groups

The policy passed unanimously, 7–0, but drew strong opposition from the Delaware State Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware. Mike Brickner, ACLU of Delaware executive director, said the new language is “overly broad,” leaving educators uncertain about what counts as a “controversial issue” and risking inconsistent enforcement.
“We know that a policy that’s vague, that could be implemented or enforced differently across different ideas or for different people, could violate people’s First Amendment rights,” Brickner said.At the time of the passing, he warned that requiring teachers to present “multiple viewpoints” on every controversial topic could have absurd consequences. “So the history teacher’s teaching about the Holocaust, are they then required to teach the theory of Holocaust denialism?” he asked. Brickner said the previous policy, which dates to 1982, had not caused problems and urged the board to reject the new version at the time of the vote, adding that it could expose the district to future litigation.

Union leaders echoed those concerns during public meetings, arguing that the policy could discourage open discussion in classrooms and limit teachers’ professional judgment.  The DSEA was contacted for an update on their position, but had not responded at this time.

Tied to state standards

Bucher emphasized that Milford’s curriculum must still meet state standards, including Delaware’s “science of reading” requirements for literacy programs. He said the district has added reading specialists and is strengthening English-language instruction for a growing population of Spanish- and Creole-speaking students.

Broader goals

Bucher said the changes are meant to raise student performance after pandemic-era setbacks. “If we want better results, we need well-financed, safe, and ordered schools—and a curriculum that everyone can trust,” he said.