"Framework" versus "Content"

One of the hardest things for people to understand is that EL is a framework for teaching and not a specific content.  When I imagine it in my head, I see a set of shelves.  These shelves are how I am going to present my information to students.  I could choose to present them in a different format (like on a table or on the floor), but I choose to use these shelves.  The information that I put in the shelves is the curriculum.  It looks different when I present it on the shelves than if I were to lay it out on the floor, but it's the same information.  I just think it's easier to see on the shelves.

So with EL as the framework (the shelves), my charter school will use a variety of sources to create a curriculum (the information).  We will look at the state standards, the school district's curriculum, curriculum from other schools.  In the end, our curriculum will meet state standards (because we have to) but we will be learning it in a completely different manner.