In too many schools, a proliferation of competing priorities and curricula create an academic hodgepodge that is much less than the sum of its parts. This curricular overwhelm (and quality underwhelm) results in ineffective instruction, drained educator capacity, and unfulfilled student potential.

This phenomenon is heightened in dual language schools, where educators negotiate and supplement curricula that were not designed for a multilingual context. Spanish language teachers are taxed with the “invisible work” of creating materials and translating texts, a key factor in the outsized attrition of dual language teachers.

Acuarela Curriculum Co-op is creating a culturally sustaining, interdisciplinary bilingual curriculum that interweaves literacy and rich content, beginning in early childhood.

Our content is aligned both to literacy standards and the Science of Reading - and to the NGSS Science Standards, the C3 Social Studies Framework, the Core Arts Standards, and Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards. Because we take seriously all students’ rights to the full depth and specific tools of the disciplines, because we believe students shouldn’t have to wait for a 9th grade Ethnic Studies class for content that affirms and inspires them. This also means our curriculum is comprehensive, so schools can make one curricular adoption, not three or four.

Acuarela’s curriculum is created by teachers, for teachers. It is multilingual by design, tailored to the complex needs of bilingual schools. It is scaffolded, not scripted, and is structured to make the school day more coherent and the lesson preparation process more streamlined.

We offer wraparound professional learning and coaching aligned to our curriculum and the research behind its design, to better support leaders and teachers to provide beautiful, high quality instruction as a lever for educational equity.