Author Topic: ANA Book Club?  (Read 406034 times)

Jim Scott

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1920 on: September 04, 2012, 12:59:32 pm »
Soundy ~

You should be very proud of your daughter, as I know you are.  You clearly raised a child that has solid values and is willing to do more than talk about them but will face the consequences and stand firm when challenged to abandon those values for expediency.  God bless Sarah, you and Bo for the fine young lady you've raised.

As for suggestions: the teacher is obviously in some sort of weird power struggle and while I'll manfully resist the urge to speculate on her motivations, I do question why the teacher did not have to submit to the principle's asking her to allow Sarah to read a different book.  My response would be to calmly request a meeting with the principle and ask him or her why this teacher apparently is not answerable to anyone.  The principle may respond that teachers have autonomy in how they run their classes and the subject matter i. e. required reading.  If so, politely inform him/her that you are dismayed that a good student like Sarah is going to be penalized for simply requesting being assigned a different book to read for her test because of moral issues.  Would the school pull this on, say, a Muslim student?  That is a rhetorical question because we both know the answer.  I would write a brief letter to the school board president challenging this action by the teacher and another, different letter to the local newspaper, succinctly explaining the situation and stating that this kind of inflexibility should not be permitted in the schools.  Be sure to inform the principle of your intentions but do not make it a threat, simply state it as a matter of fact.  This alone may motivate him/her to reassess the situation but whether it does or not it will let Sarah know that while she has to obey authority (the teacher) this is not a dictatorship and she has other avenues to pursue to resolve this vexing issue.

My parents did this for me and my sister a few times during our school years.  Suffice to say that my dad was very persuasive and the situation was usually resolved satisfactorily to all concerned.  My wife and I also had to fight for our son a few times while he was a student (and a good one with no discipline problems) and were successful in getting a few issues resolved.  This is what parents do.  We can't fight all our children's battles but sometimes, being children (even if they think they're miniature adults) they need some adult intervention because they simply have no real standing with adult authority figures. 

Soundy, no matter what you decide to do (I'm sure this thread will bring lots of suggestions) know that your daughter is right to hold to her perfectly reasonable resistance to reading this book and in this instance, the teacher is wrong and being intransigent out of some kind of motivation that none of us can fathom but, whether or not she is a good teacher, that does not speak well to her common sense.   I trust you and Sarah will find a way to get through this and that it won't result in her receiving a zero and a much lowered grade. I, for one, will pray for you both in this situation.

Jim
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

millie

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1921 on: September 05, 2012, 08:15:11 am »
I was an English teacher. I sympathize with your dilemma. Regarding the required reading selections- had the entire English department worked on/approved the reading selections for each grade level  months before summer vacation?  What are the themes and values  and literary merits/qualities  of each book?  Does the literature promote the nobility of character  we want our children to aspire to?   Are the students given a choice  among appropriate works of literature for example-"Read any one of these three selections this summer."  Fiction and/or nonfiction might be included.
The way I tested  whether a child had read a bookwas to devise at least  two/three essay questions for each novel.  The multiparagraph essay answer was written before me  during class the end of the first week of school.  Everything was  done in class.  Rough copy, good copy.   (The teacher must really "know" the book on its different levels.)  This helped me assess students' grammar and writing skills early on. 
Some years we had multiple choice questions, but parents felt them unfair.  I liked the essay format myself -it was a great deal of reading and correcting/suggesting  and commenting-but then, that is the life of a good  English teacher.
I am dismayed by some of the literature and movies which mesmerize the young kids today. 
Hopefully you will successfully  dialogue with the principal and teacher(s) to solve this worrisome problem.
Millie

saralynn143

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1922 on: September 05, 2012, 12:29:21 pm »
Soundy, I agree with Jim. You have already talked to the teacher, which is the proper first step. You were unable to come to terms, so the next step is to request an appointment with the principal.

Make sure that you keep a record of everything and if possible have a list of possible solutions to the problem. Is there another English class that Sarah can transfer into? What are a couple of equivalent-level books that Sarah could report on instead?

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your meeting with the principal, then the school board is your next step.

I am a parent, a former substitute teacher, and a school board member for a parochial school. I do not think that Sarah should have to accept a 0 for this assignment. That said, did you contact the teacher about Sarah's objection to the book at the beginning of the summer when the title was assigned? If not, the delay might work against you. This was, after all, a summer reading assignment.
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millie

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1923 on: September 05, 2012, 05:25:24 pm »
Saralynn's advice is excellent, Soundy.

Soundy

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1924 on: September 06, 2012, 06:31:17 pm »
We talk to her before school let out and got no where. Have talked to principal and she had already talked to the teacher and asked her if she could give the kids a choice of a different book. Unless she is ordered to she won't.

The kids have to read the book and then take an AR test on it. If they don't make100% on the test they have to re-test until they do and then they are given a book report form  (wierd to say the least) that they fill out. They don't even write what I would call a real book report.

This teacher is always in some sort of power struggle with some student or parent. Or the occasional teacher. She taught Bo many moons ago and he says she has always been something else. He will be 47 in December, I think it time to retire.

She is as stubborn as Sarah. All AR points have to be in by the 14 th. The book is 16 points and those points are suppose
to be in the count toward the 20 she has to have. She needs 3 points to make 20 . I told her to have at least 21 and we will see what happens.

As for a different teacher , that's out. We have two 8th grade classes and three 7 th grades. They all have her.
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Soundy

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1925 on: September 06, 2012, 06:47:34 pm »
PS

I just looked up Peace Like A River on this Nook and saw the cover and realize I have it somewhere in one of many boxes of books at the house. 

Now just have to look in each one til I find it   ;D
3mm AN discovered Aug 2004
Translab July 2 ,2007
3.2cm x 2.75cm x 3.3cm @ time of surgery

saralynn143

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1926 on: September 07, 2012, 11:24:47 am »
Tried to work it out with the teacher, check.

Talked to the principal, check.

You've gone through the proper chain of authority. Since the principal hasn't ordered the teacher to accept another book, it's now time to go to the school board.

Based on my own school board history:
  Be ready with your documentation, including all dates of contact, requests and responses with both teacher and principal.
  Be calm and objective.
  Stick to your case only.
  Have some acceptable solutions ready but be ready to listen if they have other alternatives.

I will be rooting for you and Sarah.
MVD for hemifacial spasm 6/2/08
left side facial paresis
 12/100 facial function - 7/29/08
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 53 - 05/12/09
left side SSD approx. 4 weeks
 low-frequency hearing loss; 85% speech recognition 7/28/08
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leapyrtwins

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1927 on: September 08, 2012, 06:31:44 pm »
Soundy -

I'm with Saralynn; take your issue to the school board.

Good luck,

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

saralynn143

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1928 on: September 09, 2012, 05:42:14 am »
Soundy, depending on your relationship with the principal and whether you think it is worth the extra time to take this step, you could pay another visit to the principal and ask if she would order the teacher to accept an alternative book. She may do it once you explain that you feel you have no other alternative to going to the school board next. I would think that the principal would rather it not come to that.
MVD for hemifacial spasm 6/2/08
left side facial paresis
 12/100 facial function - 7/29/08
 46 - 11/25/08
 53 - 05/12/09
left side SSD approx. 4 weeks
 low-frequency hearing loss; 85% speech recognition 7/28/08
1.8 gram thin profile platinum eyelid weight 8/12/08
Fitted for scleral lens 5/9/13

Soundy

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1929 on: September 11, 2012, 02:20:53 pm »
I think it was a draw on the battle but war not won ... have a feeling that there will be a round two since the teacher wants to finish up the series with Mocking Jay...

the teacher told Sarah she could read a 2 page summary of the book and try to take the test... but she had to pass the test... she already did a book report for this grading priod on another book so she didn't have to get 100% on the Catching Fire test ... she just had to pass

Sarah read the summary which didn't have the gory details ... yesterday she took the AR test and got a 70 earning 11.5 AR points out of a  possible
16 pts.... she had to get another 4.5 points by today to have the 20 required points and keep her grade up ... she got a Nancy Drew book from th library yesterday and read most of it last night ... she got up early and finished it this morning...

the principal has asked that in the future that the teacher to assign a choice of  more than one book when there is "questionable content" ... whether she does or not we will have to wait and see
3mm AN discovered Aug 2004
Translab July 2 ,2007
3.2cm x 2.75cm x 3.3cm @ time of surgery

Jim Scott

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1930 on: September 11, 2012, 03:16:49 pm »
I think it was a draw on the battle but war not won ... have a feeling that there will be a round two since the teacher wants to finish up the series with Mocking Jay...

the teacher told Sarah she could read a 2 page summary of the book and try to take the test... but she had to pass the test... she already did a book report for this grading priod on another book so she didn't have to get 100% on the Catching Fire test ... she just had to pass

Sarah read the summary which didn't have the gory details ... yesterday she took the AR test and got a 70 earning 11.5 AR points out of a  possible
16 pts.... she had to get another 4.5 points by today to have the 20 required points and keep her grade up ... she got a Nancy Drew book from th library yesterday and read most of it last night ... she got up early and finished it this morning...

the principal has asked that in the future that the teacher to assign a choice of  more than one book when there is "questionable content" ... whether she does or not we will have to wait and see.

Not a big 'win' but a compromise of sorts that is probably the best you're going to get.  Even so, writing a book report shouldn't have to be this hard for a good student such as your daughter.  That the principal 'asked' the recalcitrant teacher to assign more than one book when there is 'questionable content' sounds promising but this teacher's penchant for contrariness and intransigent opposition to any but her own opinions may not auger well for the future.  However, why buy trouble?  Let's hope for Sarah's sake that this incident is a singularity and future books assigned for reports will be acceptable to all concerned, without the drama this teacher apparently thrives on.

Jim
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

millie

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1931 on: September 11, 2012, 05:23:24 pm »
I am perplexed that reading a two page summary of a book is equated to the experience of reading the whole novel.  What is the purpose of summer reading?  Is the goal of the assignment to get a quick grade or to deepen and continue the literary/reading experience?
If today's  teacher looks on line, he or she can find excellent suggestions from  various  national English teacher associations or  from the ALA-noteworthy, award-winning books at every level-and often, the materials to go with them if he/she doesn't want to spend hours writing his own multiple choice questions and essay questions. 

saralynn143

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1932 on: September 11, 2012, 09:26:29 pm »
I think it was a draw on the battle but war not won ... have a feeling that there will be a round two since the teacher wants to finish up the series with Mocking Jay...

. . .

the principal has asked that in the future that the teacher to assign a choice of  more than one book when there is "questionable content" ... whether she does or not we will have to wait and see

Hold them to this for Mockingjay. It's the most intense in the series.
MVD for hemifacial spasm 6/2/08
left side facial paresis
 12/100 facial function - 7/29/08
 46 - 11/25/08
 53 - 05/12/09
left side SSD approx. 4 weeks
 low-frequency hearing loss; 85% speech recognition 7/28/08
1.8 gram thin profile platinum eyelid weight 8/12/08
Fitted for scleral lens 5/9/13

Soundy

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1933 on: September 12, 2012, 05:54:31 pm »
If I had been the teacher I would rather Sarah had read a whole book rather than a summary. This teacher does The Giver every other year and meets with opposition. Almost all books she has multiple class copies of contain alot of violence. It is what she likes to read. I think if she wanted the kids to like reading and do well with it she would assign books they want instead of what she likes.

Sarah did deside to just read it to get out of the teachers cross hairs and read 70 before quitting and resigned herself to a zero before the teacher gave her the summary option.

Running book fair at school beginning next Thursday and runs during school hours til the 28th. Hoping to get Sarah books off this teacher wish list that Sarah will enjoy. Most books at the fair are more student oriented.
3mm AN discovered Aug 2004
Translab July 2 ,2007
3.2cm x 2.75cm x 3.3cm @ time of surgery

leapyrtwins

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Re: ANA Book Club?
« Reply #1934 on: September 13, 2012, 05:47:09 pm »
Am reading Body by Harry Crews.

It's a quirky, but amusing, read  ;D

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways