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Post: We are under a Reading First Grant!!

Posted by emma on 5/10/08

We are now required by our state to have ability groups
(flexible, supposedly) and have literacy stations which
reinforce skills and strategies that are taught whole
group or in the small ability groups. We have our
principal, our reading coach (paid out of the grant) and
the State Reading Specialist coming in our rooms and
documenting everything we say and do and making sure we
have 85% of our students engaged at all times in the
learning. Reading First has practically destroyed my love
of teaching. I have very little autonomy in my classroom
anymore. I was a HUGE Four Blocks teacher before this RF
stuff came on board. The first year of RF our school went
from Highly Performing to just Performing our state and
standardized test scores dropped badly in math and dropped
in reading, too!! The principal tried to make excuses by
saying that anytime a school begins a new program, the
test scores take a hit. Well, this is our 2nd year and I
still feel like I'm in a strait jacket. I manage to fit in
some 4 blocks elements but I have to really disguise it so
that I can do it. The prep time for the centers and
planning for 3 Tiers of learning are about to drive me to
the brink of a nervous breakdown, not to mention constant
exhaustion. Can you offer me any words of encouragement.

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Posts on this thread, including this one


• We are under a Reading First Grant!!, 5/10/08, by emma.
• Re: We are under a Reading First Grant!!, 5/11/08, by Positive person.
• Re: We are under a Reading First Grant!!, 5/18/08, by Unfortunately, in these lean times RF=more $$$ (nfm).