Re: ELEM: district mandated grade level reading lists

[Barbara Braxton <barbara@AUSTARMETRO.COM.AU>]

        Our district curriculum committee has sent around a list of books they =
        want to restrict to grade levels. These are books that are 'read aloud' =
        to classes. Teacher's must choose from the list for their grade level =
        and won't be able to deviate from the list

Have you asked (or are you allowed to ask) the committee for their reasons
for doing this and the educational outcomes for doing it?  What are they
expecting to achieve in the long term in terms of the child's enduring
understandings?

I would also be asking
Who selects the books?
How often is the list updated?
How are new releases catered for?
How are the individual needs, interests and characteristics of classes
catered for?
What are the consequences for deviating from the list?
Have they the right to impose this sort of restriction - are Oregon teachers
too unprofessional/ poorly trained/ ignorant to be able to decide for
themselves what books they want to read aloud to their students?   I know
what I would be doing if I were a teacher being dictated to in this way, and
not ONE of the books on the list would be read in my class!

I could go on but I bet others will give you a lot of other questions to ask
too.
Barbara

Barbara Braxton
Teacher-Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA

T. 61 2 6205 6162
F. 61 2 6205 7242
E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au

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