Rocky View Schools won't be piloting the draft of the K to 6 curriculum but will be providing feedback to Alberta Education.

The decision was reached this morning by RVS administrators and school trustees.

Board chair Fiona Gilbert says the administration, many parents, as well as staff, have requested the pilot not be used in RVS classrooms this fall.

In part, it's because piloting the new curriculum will add to the pressure already being felt by teachers, schools, and the system by the pandemic.

"We have also heard concerns from stakeholders about some of the specific topics and approaches being utilized in the draft and are not prepared to put it in front of students at the time," says Gilbert.

Superintendent of Schools Greg Luterbach believes RVS teachers and administrators can provide some valuable feedback on the draft. 

"For example, the grade 2 teachers are a much better expert on the grade 2 curriculum than I am. So we want to bring those people together, we want to do that in a situation whereby they can have open and honest conversations, and then we want to be able to collect that feedback and provide it back to the government."

He says the impact of the pandemic can't be understated.

"There are no vaccines yet approved for under 16s, so that's going to be a reality again into the fall. To do that at the same time as implementing an all-new curriculum, even if you have the flexibility to do certain subjects and not all of them, I honestly feel that's too much and is not in the best interest of students."

Luterbach anticipates some fine-tuning will be required.

"We know it's a draft curriculum, and we won't expect it to be perfect on day one. We want to be able to jump into that and help to make it better for when it becomes the curriculum for all of the province."

The division is encouraging parents to review the draft, or portions of it, and provide input to the government.

"Parents have an important voice in this, and they have the ability to go directly to the government and share that," says Luterbach. "I certainly trust the government will take the feedback, and it will help improve the curriculum so that when we implement it across the province, it will set us up for years and years ahead."

Feedback can be provided to the government here.