Teacher Refuses New Reading Program

WSMV TV, Nashville, TN ^ | 3/04/03 | Dennis Ferrier

[turbocat]

A woman once named "Metro teacher of the year" has drawn a line in the sand. She says she would rather be fired than teach Pedro Garcia’s new reading program.

Ann Zimmerman may never teach again. This 13-year Metro veteran and former teacher of the year has been suspended for refusing to teach a Pedro Garcia curriculum called Language, Exclamation Point!

“They have me working the phones during lunch, and I happened to read the motto on the board, and it said, ‘Do whatever it takes to ensure students are successful.’ That's what I'm doing, I'm risking my job,” says Zimmerman.

What curriculum could be that bad? Language, Exclamation Point! Ann Zimmerman will tell you. “I couldn't use the text because it’s so absurd. Listen to this baseball moment:”

Al ran back to have it, a tack is in his mitt. Al can sag. Al recovering in the hospital. Al can tap his lip.

“We don't call yawning tapping your lip,” says Zimmerman.

Sit Al said the gal you have to sip it to the rim.

“If anything, you sip from the rim.”

Channel 4 News asked for someone at the school board to come out and defend this program. After all, you've got educators with degrees and high salaries. Surely someone can defend a program taught in every middle in Nashville.

No one would come out of this building and talk. School public information officer Craig Owensby said that he didn’t' want anyone grilled over this. His only comment was that students usually advance to 2 to 3 years in reading after one year of that program.

“'The Al can pat the gal, the gal can pat the gal.’ This is being read by high school students its totally absurd. I can't use this because I don't know what I just read!”

Ann Zimmerman remains on administrative leave. On Friday afternoon, she was told by Dr. Garcia that he will notify her by mail of his decision regarding her status as a Metro teacher.

[ladylib]

Kids in my state just took their 8th grade test in math. They did very poorly. Why? The state said many of these kids have "math" teachers whose last math class was in high school -- no college level math.

As I said, a parent couldn't do any worse than some of these teachers and a parent will usually go out of their way to find a curriculum that they can successfully use, hire a tutor for their child, check out junior colleges, or on-line courses. There are many options open for the parent to utilize. However, when you are a student in a public school, you can't tell the administration that you want a certified teacher or that you want a curriculum that has a proven track record. You take what is given to you, even though it may be useless or downright detrimental.

[ladylib]

Kids in my state just took their 8th grade test in math. They did very poorly. Why? The state said many of these kids have "math" teachers whose last math class was in high school -- no college level math.

As I said, a parent couldn't do any worse than some of these teachers and a parent will usually go out of their way to find a curriculum that they can successfully use, hire a tutor for their child, check out junior colleges, or on-line courses. There are many options open for the parent to utilize. However, when you are a student in a public school, you can't tell the administration that you want a certified teacher or that you want a curriculum that has a proven track record. You take what is given to you, even though it may be useless or downright detrimental.

[Happygal]

From what you are sayin' I think your education system needs a dose of 'THE NUNS'.

The State have taken over education here (but standards haven't dropped!!).

You need a bit of 'missionary education'. You sure your kids are prepared for a clip across the ear?

[PhilipFreneau]

Publik Skools and the NEA. Ensuring that Amerika has an unexhaustable supply of ditch diggers and taco merchants.

Agree. It is doubtful that type of "Reading" program will properly prepare students for chemistry and fizix.

[ladylib]

The nuns (and there aren't very many of them anymore)in my state are not permitted to hit the kiddies by law.

I'm sure that the ones who do teach know their stuff and can impart it to their students.

In fact, there is a sister at the local Catholic school who is so well known for her brilliance in math and her ability to teach it, that even non-Catholics send their children to her school.

[Happygal]

Absolutely..(apart from ONE)..I wasn't terrorised by the nuns, but I went to their class knowing to have my socks up and my tie straight and then they would teach me.

It was like military school.

But when I was half afraid that if I didn't learn, I learned over the odds to compensate for my tie being crooked or the knee elastic of my socks weakening.

I was MADE learn. I had no choice.

It served me WELL!

[aruanan]

And just think, one hundred years ago children of middle school age were reading far above what is considered today to be high school senior level.

[ladylib]

And they were probably reading more worthwhile books than some on this site:

http://www.pabbis.com/

[aruanan]

I remember a book that some school district was defending. We went to a school board meeting about it but they wouldn't allow anyone to read passages of the book aloud because it was so obscene but they still defended it.

[ladylib]

LOL -Some of the PABBIS selections aren't exactly Great Books.

Some public schools are just running sewers as far as I'm concerned.

[Exit148]

"All your (word) are belong to us?

I'm glad you asked it, too. We have so many new Freepers, and I'm sure plenty of them were wondering about it.

I love it when a quick Freeper comes up with it!

[dano1]

Channel 4 News asked for someone at the school board to come out and defend this program. After all, you've got educators with degrees and high salaries. Surely someone can defend a program taught in every middle in Nashville. No one would come out of this building and talk.

The administrators should be put on leave until they can provide solid evidence that "Language Exclaimation Point" works. If objective evidence doesn't exist, then the administators should be canned. Most educational research is highly biased because the "studies" are done by the proponents of the particular educational fad being investigated.

[secret garden]

That happened in our school district two years ago. The book was Slaughterhouse Five for a high school sophomore honors reading list.

[aruanan]

That happened in our school district two years ago. The book was Slaughterhouse Five for a high school sophomore honors reading list.

Try Blueschild Baby for junior high. The passage the school board balked at was one in which some chick had OD'd on heroin and was humped back to life.

[tom h]

Good heavens! I was poking around the web site for this school district and did a quick count. There are 700 -- yes, 700! -- employees at the school district office. There are 90 schools and approximately 2,000 total teachers and 2,000 total administrative and support staff at the 90 schools. This means that only 2,000 out of 4,700 employees in the district are actually teaching. 58% of the employees "manage" or do other administrative work! This also means that there are 8 district employees for every school in the district. Each school has about 40 employees so the district overhead on the operation of the school is 20%!

No wonder public school is so useless and ineffective. Most of the money isn't used to educate, and the teachers themselves come from the bottom of the college intellect pool (see Thomas Sowell's well-documented articles on this topic if this fact is new to you).

Out here in California the suburbs are in an uproar because Gray Davis wants to reduce school budgets by 30%. My children are at a private Christian school and our budget is not affected one iota by the madness in Sacramento. I feel for you Californians with children in public school, but we Freepers with kids in private school or homeschool aren't kidding when we say that it is the only way.

[TxBec]

bump!

[southernbychoice]

Are you the keeper of the homeschool ping list? If so, could you add me please? Thanks.

[TxBec]

done!