New curriculum at Dothan Prep challenges some teachers; administrators look to get involved

We are now more than two months into the first year at Dothan Prep, and administration is ready to make some changes.

Assigning assistant principals, changing student movement patterns and reviewing curriculum, are on the agenda.

Principal Darius Mckay told WTVY the second day of school that there was going to be a learning curve.

Looking back on the first nine weeks, that has certainly been the case.

One teacher has slid into her new role comfortably.

Keyanna Cole has had to integrate a new curriculum into her eighth grade English and language arts classes.

A-plus college ready, a signature program for Dothan Preparatory Academy.

"The novels that we read, all of the teacher resources that we use, all of those items are already provided, so my intake is that i have to do my personal homework to make sure i understand the lesson before i deliver it" Cole said.

Cole says she's adapted well to using A-plus college ready, and it helps hold students from different backgrounds, like magnet and non-magnet to the same level.

But not all teachers have adapted to the program as well.

"It is new. It was something they went to training on this summer to learn how to implement. Some people are having trouble implementing that" Assistant Principal David Tice said.

The principal and assistant principals at the school met to come up with a way to get over that hurdle.

Each grade will get its own assistant principal, essentially making each grade its own school within the school.

"this is going to be a chance for us and our instructional coaches and dr. Hall, who's over curriculum, to get in there with them to help them to be better. They know how to teach, but just to be better at using the materials we have from this program" Tice said.

Chris Payne will take over as the 7th grade assistant principal, David Tice will be 8th grade, and Latesha Weatherington will be 9th grade.

They are encouraging parents with any questions or concerns to work with their student's grade's assistant principal.

Dothan Prep is also making some changes to how students go from class to class due to construction of more classrooms behind the school.