School committee approves new K–8 literacy program and renews foundational phonics contract

The Easton School Committee on May 14 approved two literacy-related contracts: a three-year migration to Great Minds' Arts and Letters for K–8 and a three-year renewal with Wilson Language for the K–3 foundational program.

District leaders described the Great Minds contract as a migration from the district's prior Wit & Wisdom materials to an updated program designed to address teacher feedback on lesson length and manageability. Staff presented a total contract cost of $371,911.68, described as inclusive of one-time migration costs and recurring consumables and digital subscriptions. Anne Weintraub, who helped lead staff engagement, said she met with each grade level and that many teachers who piloted modules were supportive. Committee members asked about training, the teacher learning curve and recurring consumable costs; staff said training and migration support are planned and that consumables will be funded from the existing textbook line in the operating budget.

Separately, the committee approved a three-year contract with Wilson Language for Foundations in grades K–3 in the amount of $51,466.18. Staff said Wilson Foundations provides structured phonics instruction and complements the K–8 literacy materials by supporting early-grade decoding and decodable-reader alignment.

Committee discussion emphasized that Arts and Letters is an updated version of the district's prior program rather than an entirely new model, and that migration planning seeks to reduce teacher burden while preserving instructional quality. The motions to approve both contracts were moved on the floor and approved by the committee at tonight's session.

Finance notes: staff said the migration cost is covered in the current operating budget's textbook line; recurring consumable costs will be part of annual materials planning.