Help, the Reading teachers are mad at me!

[Paulson Family <paulsons@ONLINEMAC.COM>]

This is my first week as a new MS in a new school district. The middle
school is starting a new program and assigned several teachers to teach a
period of Reading with extremely specified curriculum and methods. They
were told their evaluation depended on how closely they followed the
program. I had asked earlier if I could do book talks, or tie in research
skills to this class and was told NO, no time for any of that. And probably
not in the Language Arts classes either until state testing is over in
January.

Here is why they are mad at me: They have a list of books from 3rd grade
level to 8th grade filled with Newbery winners and great books that they
have purchased classroom sets for and will be using to teach reading for
the school grade 5th through 8th. They asked me to remove all copies of
those titles from the library to avoid having their students reading those
books they will be studying. I said no, because those were important titles
to the library and it would be limiting to the students to remove them. I
offered to help them expand their reading list but they said they don't
have enough money to buy more classroom sets and that is the plan, for all
students in a particular class to read the same book at the same time. They
also were given curriculum materials to go with those books. They were
irritated with me, and one teacher was irate. She said, "well, we'll just
go talk to the principal about that!" I have a feeling that I am going to
be told to remove all of those titles.

Any advice for a: my anticipated talk with the principal
                  b: how to repair my beginning relationship with these teachers,
           either way

I am disappointed about this because I want to be a help to these teachers.

Sorry this is so long. I'm sad.
Cindy
Cindy Paulson, LMS
North Marion Middle and High School
Aurora, OR
paulsons@onlinemac.com

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