You are not alone. I am definitely not what anyone would call complacent. I regularly talk to anyone who will listen about what is happening to our current educational system. But you are right, so many teachers are sheep. Too many think these tests are great and we all need standards, like none of us have ever had any before. This summer I completed an online course on NCLB and I spent a fair amount of time calling people out ,asking them their reasons to support measures that border on child abuse.
In addition to that fine collection of writers, I'd like to add Alfie Kohn, Carole Edelsky and Gerald Bracey. Ken Goodman retired from the Uof A but is still active and vocal. By the way, I had dinner a year ago with Denny Taylor, she is amazing! A couple of websites and listserves are worthwhile, too. Educators Roundtable, fairtest.org and Susan Ohanian's website. Rethinking Schools is a great journal for progressive educators rethinkingschools.org and Gerald Bracey's EDDRA listserve on Yahoo. Above all, write your legislators, NCLB is up for reauthorization and they are trying to fast track it with little or no changes. I have always interviewed principals because I refuse to compromise what I believe to be best practices and I am fortunate to be working with a principal with principles. He refuses to become a Reading First school because he doesn't want to sell out to a textbook company, besides he is well aware of the corruption surrounding Reading First. Unfortunately, the district is not on the same page. We now have a mandated adopted textbook for Language Arts and our ELL students. I for one plan to ignore the edict. Mosaic, Strategies that Work and Nancy Allen's balanced literacy approach have always worked well for me.Since my test scores are some of the highest in the school, I doubt my principal will bother me about it. It's time we organize, take off the gloves and take control of what we do best. Teach. We are professionals, it's time we act like it. Lise 6-8th grade LA/SS Phoenix, AZ _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
