A Reading Teacher's Confession

So, I'm about to confess here.
I assigned a book recommended by another 3rd grade teacher for the kids to read the other day, this while I really needed to work with others one-on-one. The confession part, I hadn't read the book. My colleague had a class set of books and until now, hadn't gotten around to using them.

The kids LOVE the book and can't put it down. Sooooo, do you know what I'M going to do? Read it! Their excitement has made my a bit jealous and I want to know what it is about the book that makes it so interesting!!

I'm actually excited that *this* is my confession because they are LOVING the book and are letting me know that. They're boasting about what chapter they are on. The are sneaking and talking about it (I say sneak because there are times when we should enjoy relative silence when reading....but sometimes I pretend I don't hear them). One girl said to me as I was collecting them to put away for tomorrow, "Mr. Flemming, this is a really good book. I'm on chapter {whatever it was}." All I could do was smile!

Here's to taking the book home tonight and reading it for myself! lol

On ART class at our school...

Recently, I asked my students to write an essay on whether they believe our school should have an art class five days a week instead of just one day a week. (Tuesday is the day we have an art teacher in our school.) Ummm, sure, I guess!

One of my resident art students on art class five days a week:
"Yes, I think John B. Kelly should have an art class five days a week. I love art and I can teach Mr. Flemming art. The End."

I'll take it!

R.I.P. Public School????

For the past two weeks or so I have been enjoying my reading of Diane Ravitch’s book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education published in 2010.

As a teacher in Philadelphia’s public school system, I am a stanch supporter and believer in public education and the purpose for its existence as a foundational pillar in a democratic society. Not oblivious to the laundry list of challenges that urban education faces, I am one who believes that with hard work and the necessary collaborations, we can return Philadelphia’s and other urban public school systems to the once foremost and desirable educational systems they once were.

Reading Ravitch’s book has reignited that flame and has rekindled that desire!

In recent months public schools, their teachers and principals along with their unions have become the object of much scorn, criticism, and skepticism. We are lazy, adult-interests organizations who are employed for the self-serving purpose of padding our pockets while enjoying lavish health benefits and union protection! If I did not realize that I was a teacher, I would affirm that I was speaking of big business, oil, or politicians, and their special interests organizations, but I digress!

According to many-a-governor, senator, member of congress and others charged with passing laws in this nation, an overhaul is needed. The state capitals’ and Washington's buzz word for this overall is “reform”. Education reform is what’s needed to raise the achievement levels of America’s students, so they affirm. Ravitch’s book tackles this very concept in great detail.  What I can appreciate about Diane Ravitch is that she does not come from an “insider” perspective.  She is not and has never been a public school teacher or administrator. So then you ask, how can she truly write and publish a book about our system? Who better to do this than an objective outsider?

Had she been a public school teacher or principal, no doubt our critics would swear that her opinions about testing and school choice are heavily influenced by her public school predisposition!

Diane Ravitch is an education historian and researcher. She has served in high-ranking government positions in education serving under President Bush, the 41^st and President Clinton.

As she states in her book, she advocated for a strong system of testing and accountability and all that those terms meant for public education. But after working for sometime pushing these agendas forward, she came to a simple conclusion; they didn’t work!

I am enjoying my reading of this book and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an objective view of how this whole emphasis on test scores and school choice are not “panaceas” (a word used often in the book) for a system that could use some extra help.