Update on the UCI Pathways Project

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the second all-day workshop for this project due to my bereavement leave. However, my friend and colleague gave me an update, and there are two issues that greatly concern me.

First, people realized that there is an entire school in our district not participating! I will call that school, “C.” Will this intentional lack of participation affect the project’s research? Why is school C not participating? Well, according to those who know, the principal there, Dr. BC, has written a book about how to teach with the new Common Core State Standards. Ok, I have more issues with this. Dr. BC is a bully who has made it clear that he does not like his English teachers to teach with novels. Pause here to reflect on that…Also, when we compare his school’s rate of students passing AP exams to other schools in our district, more students pass the AP exams in other schools relatively to the students in school C. There are more students in Honors classes and AP classes in school C than other schools, but by percentage, other schools have higher rates of passing those exams. Does he think his school, teachers, and students would not benefit from this project? Furthermore, while the project does have a strong Common Core component, it isn’t the absolute primary focus. So, to exclude his teachers from the project because he has written a book about teaching with Common Core doesn’t make any sense. Also, teachers who are part of this project are gaining so many good ideas (so many that I cannot even begin to explain it), and these are strategies we are currently practicing in our classrooms. But those C teachers have no idea. Does Dr. BC believe his teachers are going to have better practice and strategies by reading his book? Isn’t that hypocritical? Students learn by doing, by being actively engaged. As teachers, we are the students in this project and we are learning by doing, not learning by reading a book. Anyway, the ultimate gatekeeper here, Dr. BC, is keeping the gate locked.

Second, there are teachers who are complaining about doing what the university professors are telling us to do in our classrooms! What?! We signed agreements! We consented! There can be no complaining or refusal. We are to do exactly what they tell us to do. The issue is a lesson plan they gave us in October. It is to introduce the Reader and Writer’s Toolkit through reading the short story by Avi, “What Do Fish Have To Do With Anything?” It’s a great story, but to read through the story and stop at every stopping point to teach the reader/writer tool takes a very long time. I know, because I have done what I was told to do, and I’m not even finished with it. And that’s ok, but there are teachers who are refusing to do it because it doesn’t fit in with their curriculum at this time. Ok, well then, make it fit. Besides, these tools/strategies we are learning how to use fit every reading situation at any time and can only benefit students from here on out.

I’m just really disappointed with my district. Here we have this amazing opportunity to learn new strategies and be part of this project, but an entire school is not participating and teachers are complaining. My friend said the university professor had to strongly remind the teachers that they are part of this project and they need to do the lessons provided them. Imagine being admonished like that! I’m embarrassed.