7 Reasons Why New ELA Curriculum Adoptions Stall and What Makes Them Stick

Presented by Katie Gribben, District Instructional Lead for ELA/Literacy, Upper Schools, Cambridge Public Schools (MA); Brigitte Seyferth, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning, LEARN Charter Schools (IL); and Emily Wojtusik, Experienced Educator, Senior Director of Implementation, Fishtank Learning
Moderated by Jim McVety, Managing Partner, First Step Advisors

Sponsored by Fishtank Learning

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Building on the April edLeader Panel, Using Whole Texts to Foster Student Agency and Critical Thinking, this follow-up session turns from the what and the why to the how.

Katie Gribben, District Instructional Lead for ELA/Literacy, Upper Schools at Cambridge Public Schools, and Brigitte Seyferth, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning at LEARN Charter Schools, will join Emily Wojtusik, Senior Director of Implementation at Fishtank Learning, to explore why new ELA curriculum adoptions stall in schools and districts and the seven shifts that make them stick. The panelists reframe adoption not as a purchase but as a multi-year change process: one that is a science, involves investment and training, and that can’t be done alone.

Attend this session to discover:

• Why Good Curricula Stall: The seven most common traps, from handing teachers new materials with no time to train to not having a school or district leader to champion the implementation to expecting results before year three.
• What Makes Adoption Stick: How to build the systems, investment, change management, and shared ownership that carry a curriculum past the learning in the first year, including phasing in one adoption at a time to prevent teacher overwhelm.
• Implementation as a Science: Why lasting change means giving a new curriculum three-plus years, creating space for teacher reflection and voice, and adjusting schedules, structures, and routines so the materials can succeed.
• The Cost of Stalling—and the Power of a Pilot: What districts lose when adoptions fizzle—student learning stalls, teacher trust erodes, and there’s no sustainable expertise—and how a well-run pilot works out the logistics and builds buy-in before full rollout.

This edLeader Panel will be of interest to K-12 district leaders, school administrators, curriculum directors, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders.

Brigitte Seyferth is the Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning at LEARN Charter Schools with more than 18 years of experience in educational leadership, curriculum design, and systems development. Throughout her career, she has led transformative literacy initiatives across charter school networks, driving measurable gains in student achievement and teacher effectiveness. At LEARN Charter Schools, Brigitte partners with school leaders to strengthen instructional systems, develop data-driven coaching strategies, and implement high-impact professional learning experiences. She has successfully led network-wide curriculum adoptions, designed scalable literacy systems, and supported schools in achieving significant increases in reading proficiency. Prior to her current role, Brigitte served in a variety of leadership positions, including director of humanities, assistant principal, dean of instruction, and senior content manager. She holds a master’s degree in education leadership and policy from DePaul University. Brigitte is passionate about building educator capacity and creating systems that accelerate student success.

Emily Wojtusik is a Senior Director of Implementation at Fishtank Learning with over a decade of experience driving instructional excellence across K–12 schools. A former principal and humanities leader, she specializes in supporting schools and systems to implement high-quality curricula with integrity while centering equity and rigor. She has led professional development, coached leaders and teachers, and built systems that improve outcomes for all students. Her work bridges strategy and practice—translating ambitious academic vision into strong classroom instruction. Emily has taught and led schools in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Connecticut. She is passionate about literacy, critical thinking, and ensuring all students have access to meaningful texts and learning experiences. Outside of work, Emily is a girl mom and a Connecticut native. She can be found at the softball field or cheering on her daughter at a field hockey game on the weekends.

About the Moderator

Jim McVety is the Managing Partner of First Step Advisors (founded in 2009), which delivers strategy, communications, and executive growth services to education providers worldwide. Jim and his team advise global brands, early/mid-stage innovators, and leading investors who share a commitment to improving educational outcomes. Jim holds degrees in secondary education and English from Boston College, has served on numerous advisory boards, and works with a range of strategic partners around the globe.

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Fishtank Learning creates High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) for ELA and Math, grounded in best practices and built around rigorous objectives. Both their Math and ELA curricula are highly rated by EdReports for standards alignment, with their ELA materials further recognized by The Reading League.