Episode 265: A Textbook Isn’t a Curriculum with Emily Makelky

About this episode

Darrin Peppard and Emily Makelky discuss the distinction between textbooks and true curriculum, emphasizing the importance of teacher leadership in curriculum development.

One of the most common mistakes schools make is confusing a resource with a curriculum. A textbook gets adopted. A program is purchased. A shiny new initiative is rolled out. And suddenly everyone says, “Great… we have a curriculum.” But that’s not curriculum. In this episode, Darrin sits down with Emily Makelky from the Curriculum Leadership Institute (CLI) to unpack what curriculum actually means and why empowering teachers to lead curriculum development can transform how schools serve students. Drawing on years of classroom experience and consulting with districts across the country, Emily shares how leaders can move beyond resource adoption and build sustainable curriculum systems that reflect their community, their teachers, and their students. The conversation also explores how leadership teams can prioritize curriculum work, avoid overwhelming teachers, and create structures that support long-term improvement. If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like “What should we really be teaching?” or “How do we align instruction across classrooms?” this episode offers practical insight for school and district leaders. In This Episode Why a textbook is not a curriculum The…

People in this episode

Host: Darrin Peppard

Guest: Emily Makelky

Topics covered

• curriculum development
• teacher leadership
• educational resources
• school improvement
• community engagement

Keywords

• curriculum
• textbook
• teacher voice
• school leadership
• educational resources
• curriculum alignment
• community reflection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Curriculum Leadership Institute

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