Reading Instruction/Federally Mandated Curriculum

[Nancy Creech <Teachernut@AOL.COM>]

Maybe this will make it more clear.
Remember when I posted this the other day?
Please read Elaine Garen's take on what happened at CAL STATE

Or how about this posting from a teacher on another list?>>>>

> > in my class today, the professor shared what professors of reading
> > were told by the vice-chancellor of the Cal State University System
> > at a recent meeting:
> >
> > WORDS  THEY CANNOT USE/TEACH IN THEIR TEACHER PREPARATION CLASSES:
> >
> > balanced reading
> > cueing systems
> > shared reading
> > guided reading
> > SSR-sustained silent reading
> > Word Identification Strategies
Subject: RE: [read-comm] Restricted "concepts"


I was at this meeting. We were told three times, by the Vice Chancellor and
by Nancy Brownelson that these words "set Marion Joseph off" and while it is

not our responsibility to have to satisfy MJ, that we do need to satisfy
those whom Marion Joseph influences and that her influence is far reaching.

Coming directly from an administrator in our university as well as from a
member of the state department to whom we are accountable, how would we
interpret these warnings- stated three times- other than as an act of
intimidation? Our chancellor did NOT say, you can teach as you believe.
Furthermore, the warnings about the concepts were couched DIRECTLY as part
of another point that the V chancellor and the Nancy Brownelson made- that
point being that academic freedom does NOT apply; to credential programs,
that we do NOT critique much less criticize Open Court in our classes- The
terms used were directly from Louisa Moats- we were not cautioned against
SSR - or advanced comprehension strategeies.  They are in Moats' article on
the Thomas Fordham website-

I was at the meeting. I took notes. I do not want to see the threat implied
in this to be soft pedaled. In summary, we were told that academic freedom
does not apply to us. In the next breath(s) we were told that the concepts
balanced reading, shared reading, guided reading and cueing system set
Marion Joseph off and that WHILE IT IS NOT OUR JOB TO SATISFY HER, IT IS OUR

JOB TO SATISFY THOSE WHOM SHE INFLUENCES!Gail Tompkins from CSU Fresno heard

what I heard and in fact sent out a memo to our faculty re the warnings.
Furthermore,  we were told that MJ has reviewed our syllabi and our reading
texts highlighting offending terms and that she is in the process of
selecting texts that meet her approval for our classes. If this is not
intimidation, then I don't know what is.

Thanks,

Elaine Garan

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