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Re: We are under a Reading First Grant!!
Posted by Unfortunately, in these lean times RF=more $$$ (nfm) on 5/18/08

On 5/11/08, Positive person wrote:
> On 5/10/08, emma wrote:
>
> I thought Reading First programs were for under-performing
> schools?? You said your school was "highly performing",
> right? Why on earth would your principal want to change what
> you were doing, since it was obviously successful? I don't
> understand.
>
>
>> 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&37; 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).