The Windham-Raymond school district’s curriculum director has been named the 2023 Maine Curriculum Leader of the Year.

Christine Hesler, director of curriculum instruction and assessment for RSU 14 for the past 11 years, received the award from the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association.

Hesler

“I’m extremely honored and humbled,” Hesler said. “I work across the state with some amazing curriculum directors and it means so much because there are so many people who do phenomenal work.”

The award comes as the school district has been embroiled in controversy over library and class materials, most related to LGBTQ+ topics, that some parents and other community members say are pornographic and sexualize children. In total, formal challenges were submitted for eight books.

After the school board voted to keep the most controversial of the challenged books, “Gender Queer,” on library shelves at the middle and high schools, some of the other challenges were withdrawn. The school board’s review committee recommended in May that “Nick and Charlie” stay on the shelves, and earlier this month also made the same recommendation for “Identical.”

Hesler said the book challenges and the related contentious school board meetings have presented new challenges in her role, and that school districts across the state are grappling with similar issues.

“All our work is aligned with the Maine Department of Education Learning Results, and that’s what we work with and towards,” she said. “We remind parents that they have choices, and can let us know if there’s a book they don’t like. And we have the support of curriculum directors across the state.”

Amid the book controversy, Hesler is currently assisting in a review of the RSU 14 policy that guides curriculum and library material selection.

Transparency has been the most helpful tool in responding to the concerns, she said. She encourages teachers to keep parents informed on what’s being taught, and makes sure “all our curriculum guides are laid out on the website … the more transparent we can be, the better.”

Hesler took over for now-Superintendent Chris Howell as curriculum director in 2012.

Howell said he hopes the community will see Hesler’s award as a testament to the good work being done in RSU 14.

“It should show that people hold RSU 14 in high regard for the work we do for our students and staff,” he said.

Hesler deserves the state association’s honor, he said.  

“She works tirelessly to connect with staff and is heavily involved statewide to see if there’s other things happening that could benefit our students,” Howell said, adding that she is especially attentive to achievement data and data trends both statewide and on the district level, and comes to discussions highly informed.

“In education, we’re a people business, and not only does she go out of her way for the professional side, but also goes out of her way on the personal side, to make sure all employees can do their absolute best,” he said. “She’s always in the background putting other people first.”

Going forward, Hesler said, she is looking at intervention strategies for students who are falling behind, as well as work to implement and improve professional development for staff to support and guide those students in the classroom.

She credits Howell as her mentor and her team for her own success.

“There’s no way I would have received this award if it weren’t for my team here,” she said. “We are grounded in what’s best for students.”