[EDLING:1443] Re: Silencing Teachers in an Era of Scripted Reading

[Christophe PORTEFIN]

> Message du 05/04/06 17:26
> De : "Laurie Ketzenberg" <laurie at medivetproducts.com>
> A : edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
> Copie à : 
> Objet : [EDLING:1423] Re: Silencing Teachers in an Era of Scripted Reading
> 
> Wow!  Elizabeth's narrative is striking, although not surprising, given the
> white elephant in the room.  Perhaps educators in the US could learn a
> lesson from French demonstrators over the last weeks (and months!).  What
> will it take to derail the NCLB?
> 
> Laurie
> 
> 
> on 4/4/06 11:26 PM, Francis M. Hult at fmhult at dolphin.upenn.edu wrote:
> 
> > Rethinking Schools Online
> > 
> > Silencing Teachers in an Era of Scripted Reading
> > 
> > By Elizabeth Jaeger
> > 
> > "I have been told by the district that I will be transferred to another school
> > effective Monday. I am very sad to be leaving you, but you are strong students
> > and I know you will be successful. I have always taught you to stand up for
> > what you believe in, and sometimes when you do that, there will be
> > unhappiness. But in the end, you have to do what you feel is right. I will
> > think about you every day and wish you all the best."
> > 
> > I never would have imagined having to speak those words, yet there I was,
> > standing in front of my class while the principal looking on silently. I had
> > been forced out of the school where I had worked enthusiastically for more
> > than five years because I had challenged required instructional practices that
> > I believe interfered with teaching and learning.
> > 
> > Serving nearly 1,000 students, Downer is the largest elementary school in the
> > West Contra Costa Unified School District, north and east of San Francisco.
> > Its students are predominantly poor, non-native English speaking Latino
> > children. I had been hired to work with teachers and students in an effort to
> > increase achievement in reading and writing. Having provided after-school
> > staff development the previous year, I was well known by the faculty. There
> > was no get-to-know-you period; we hit the ground running. In my first two
> > years we charted a long list of accomplishments. We developed a list of
> > English Language Arts standards that we hoped all 6th graders would meet; an
> > accompanying curriculum to promote these standards beginning in 4th grade; a
> > Reading Block program in which we grouped upper graders by reading level and
> > read short novels and related articles; a Challenge Class for students
> > designated as gifted and talented; and Literacy Academy classes for struggling
> > readers. These programs were based on several principles: that print knowledge
> > and understanding of text develop in tandem, that teachers can adjust
> > instruction to provide more support for less proficient learners, and that
> > literacy is constructed in social settings rather than in teacher-imposed
> > isolation. 
> > 
> > Read the full story here
> > http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/20_03/sile203.shtml
> > 
> 
> 
> 


Merci beaucoup

Cordialement

Oh please, don't be too kind with French people,

I don't know if French demonstrators fight for the best, maybe fight for themselves.
As a French, I am sure struggle from citizens against a very bad law for young is as good as we could hope, obviously when it is a success.
Actually, there is a just an article (the eigth one) in the law (a specific job contract for youngers below 26) that is suppressed. The entire law but this 8th will bring our children with 14 years old to work, and make emigration more and more restricted because these people don't speak French and steal jobs from French (a common thinking in France). Therefore nothing is guaranteed for them but a minimum of French language, the A-1-1 level, new level created in France coming from the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment", a kind of survival level.
Any citizen should struggle for good, surely when he really knows what are the main purposes of his fight, purposes to himself and purposes for our elective people.