What do I do about a teacher who continues to dictate (not
guide) what she allows her students to check out from the
library? I always make sure her kids have an on-level AR
book, something she requires, but I also allow at least one
free choice book. She has a big problem with this. She
does not want to let her students borrow any graphic
novels, Goosebumps, etc. She does not understand that
Goosebumps and other low level books can actually act as a
bridge into higher level chapter books, something that she
wants from her students. She sends kids back if I manage
to let them get a graphic novel or a nonfiction selection
about personal interests. Most of our students are ELL so
graphic novels go a long way in getting these kids
interested in reading, another fact that she does not
recognize or understand. She tells her kids such things
as "put that back you cannot read it" in front of the whole
class, even if it is just one level above their AR level or
even if it is ON their level but she just happens to not
like the book herself. She's even told me that she should
be the one to decide what her kids read. I've tried to
reason with her, I've given her the research various times
but she obviously doesn't read it. I've even pointed out
that the state skills require free selection. The
principal doesn't care. Her test scores are low and have
been for years. She was educated several decades ago in
South America. I'm in my third year with this woman and
frankly it is really sad to see the damage she is doing to
her students. How can I fight this?

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