Reading Program Promotes Teacher Abuse

1-13-03
Dear Mr. Santeramo,
I just finished reading the Miami Herald article about the reading plan proposed by Gov. Bush.

Currently, I am on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Education Association and I teach English at Mission Bay High School.

Personally, I want to urge you to research this plan very very carefully before giving it any support as sometimes ideas look great on paper, but in reality end up disastrously.

I suggest that you contact teachers with my district to learn how our 'coaching' plan has been abused at too many sites. These 'peer' coaches that were supposed to 'help us' with 'reading strategies' [usually a one-size fits all plan-this way is the only way] too often ended up as spies and informants who reported directly to their principal [a contract violation as these 'coaches' were/are teachers and they are not to evaluate their peers]. Some of these coaches used their position to get into favor with their principals by tattling on teachers with the end result of the principals harassing teachers.

Currently, we now have content administrators [math, literacy, science] at many of our high schools that have replaced our peer-selected department chairs. Their salaries are paid by a grant [I think from the Broad Foundation]. Many teachers question their worthiness.

Yes, the paperwork has increased tremendously. The latest brainchild is to keep daily notes on 5 students/class; then, turn these into weekly notes, then monthly plans. We are supposed to meet with the content administrator and s/he is supposed to 'coach' us as to how we may better have students meet content standards. Then, we are supposed to meet with the principal once a month for the same thing.

I am appalled at the additional paper pushing that I must do. I think I do more paper pushing than preparing for classes or grading papers. It is worthless and has not been thought out at all.

Best of Luck,
Dr. Linda M. Nolte, Ph.D.

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