Book Review: Why cant U teach me 2 read?: Three Students and a Mayor Put Our Schools to the Test by Beth Fertig
Stuart Nachbar
November 19, 2009
This book, written by a senior reporter for WNYC Radio, the nation's largest public radio station, is one of the more thoughtful looks at how the New York City public school system tries to cope in the era of No Child Left Behind.
Beth Fertig's story focuses around the educational needs, as well as the reading abilities of three students: Yamilka, Alejandro and Antonio who, despite learning disabilities, had been socially promoted through high school. Working through Advocates for Children, a non-profit legal services corporation, each had won the right to use privately-funded legal services to diagnose, and hopefully advance, their ability to read.
Fertig covers some familiar and new ground in this book. She discusses proven and newly developed methods of reading instruction, for example Phonics, Whole Language and Balanced Literacy as well as the costs and issues associated with private tutoring. She explains everything in a very readable way; this book is not so overloaded with academic jargon that it will turn away parents and others concerned about education or literacy.
Fertig also presents the numerous problems that schools and elected officials have faced in raising student achievement from technology that falls into disuse to politically developed rating systems that do not consider the uniqueness of the students and teachers in schools, to the emphasis on testing and assessments to measure knowledge.
Fertig takes a neutral role; she does not take positions on any methods or political viewpoints, rather she presents advantages and disadvantages through the stories of her three students and other interview subjects. She does not declare New York City's efforts to be a failure, nor a smashing success. However, she does not call for a return to the past, a movement away from testing, as teachers do.
I learned a great deal from this book about the complexities of running a large public school system, as well as the challenges of allowing more autonomy to principals--New York City does not have an elected school board as many cities and towns do, and there are fewer layers of management than before--to improve the quality of education at their schools. I also learned that there is no perfect method of reading instruction for children who cannot read at grade level, only methods that fit budgets and the enthusiasm of the teachers who must use them.
This book is very worthwhile for parents, not only those with children in a big city public school system, but also those who raise children with a learning disability. The public schools do not always provide sufficient options, and cannot take care of students into adulthood. Private instruction is exceptionally expensive, but school systems end up paying the costs. They are the price for past failures.
Stuart Nachbar blogs on education and politics at www.EducatedQuest.com. Learn more about his recent novel, Defending College Heights, an investigation into the murder of a U.S. Army recruiter at www.DefendingCollegeHeights.com.
Beth Fertig's story focuses around the educational needs, as well as the reading abilities of three students: Yamilka, Alejandro and Antonio who, despite learning disabilities, had been socially promoted through high school. Working through Advocates for Children, a non-profit legal services corporation, each had won the right to use privately-funded legal services to diagnose, and hopefully advance, their ability to read.
Fertig covers some familiar and new ground in this book. She discusses proven and newly developed methods of reading instruction, for example Phonics, Whole Language and Balanced Literacy as well as the costs and issues associated with private tutoring. She explains everything in a very readable way; this book is not so overloaded with academic jargon that it will turn away parents and others concerned about education or literacy.
Fertig also presents the numerous problems that schools and elected officials have faced in raising student achievement from technology that falls into disuse to politically developed rating systems that do not consider the uniqueness of the students and teachers in schools, to the emphasis on testing and assessments to measure knowledge.
Fertig takes a neutral role; she does not take positions on any methods or political viewpoints, rather she presents advantages and disadvantages through the stories of her three students and other interview subjects. She does not declare New York City's efforts to be a failure, nor a smashing success. However, she does not call for a return to the past, a movement away from testing, as teachers do.
I learned a great deal from this book about the complexities of running a large public school system, as well as the challenges of allowing more autonomy to principals--New York City does not have an elected school board as many cities and towns do, and there are fewer layers of management than before--to improve the quality of education at their schools. I also learned that there is no perfect method of reading instruction for children who cannot read at grade level, only methods that fit budgets and the enthusiasm of the teachers who must use them.
This book is very worthwhile for parents, not only those with children in a big city public school system, but also those who raise children with a learning disability. The public schools do not always provide sufficient options, and cannot take care of students into adulthood. Private instruction is exceptionally expensive, but school systems end up paying the costs. They are the price for past failures.
Stuart Nachbar blogs on education and politics at www.EducatedQuest.com. Learn more about his recent novel, Defending College Heights, an investigation into the murder of a U.S. Army recruiter at www.DefendingCollegeHeights.com.
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