"I am stepping out of the text ..."

Scripted Curriculum.

Harper High School is the first of it's kind. It is a Turnaround school. Run in a partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Turnaround Board. A Turnaround school is, essentially a failing schools last chance to remain a school. If the Turnaround fails the school is shut down. So last year they hired a Principal that would remian, the fired all the teachers and then mandated they re interview if they desired to stay at Harper. 12 people returned. Harper currently has 80 teachers. The idea is that if you replace the teachers, change the attitude and approach of how things are taught and change the bell schedule the kids will begin to make enormous gains.

The kids at Harper are not making gains. They are, according to the 12 returning teachers, gettign worse. Security describes our 13 - 20 year old students as "animals." They cannon read. (4% of Harper students read on grade level, out reading team has dubbed 6th grade and above as "on level") They do not what a thesis statement is, they cannot tell you what the climax of the story is, they do not know where to place the comma. (I also have issues with commas, but I know how to think critically, problem solve, use context clues and most importantly and always most importantly - I can read. I can read college level textbooks. I can read and re-read for understanding Michael Foucult.)

I teach English III - because we do not call it British Literature anymore...or at least not in CPS. My curriculum is scripted. I was hired the day before school and sometime in time in thee 2nd week I was handed a bound spiral of pages. On the cover it said "Mysteries." Our first unit would be on Mysteries. Agatha Christie would be our focusing author. Our children would love it for the suspense, the red herrings, the ability to think about clues and evidence. My kids, all the kids at Harper taking English 3 actually, HATE it.

In this curriculum we read to our kids. They do not read the non-independent reading texts aloud. We read to them. Apparently the freshman love it. The multitude of lifetimes that happen between a Harper student's freshman and junior year are un-countable. My kids, my 16 -18 year old kids HATE IT.
"Ms. Miranda why we can't read?"
"Why you always be reading to us?"
"I wan a read!!!"

"I know you want to read but you can't...Why? Well, becasue CPS says you cannot. Because I have been given detailed instructions on how and when to read to you."

They love Agatha let me tell you. They love Agatha about as much as I love Agatha...I cannot stand Agatha. "We" talk about getting reading material our students can relate to, can identify with, Agatha Christie is not in their realm. They have no understanding of The Times or people who sport the pince-nez. London, to a group of kids who are confused when I explain why Chicago is not a state, does not exist. Should my kids know that Chicago is merely a city in a greater world, of course but do they - no. Instead of spending time explaining reference even I barely understand I should teach them. TFA would tell me my kids are not connecting to the reading because I failed to invest them in the reading. My lack of up front engagement is why they roll their eyes when we start independent reading time. Let's not talk about the fact that in week 14 I welcomed 5 new students to my class, lost 3 and lost a co-teacher and gained a new one. Let's not talk about the fact that my students cannot read, either not at the level they need to be reading or not at all but sit silently during independent reading and "read" because I asked them to. Let's not talk about those issues...that would be silly.

I have complaints, complaints for days but I love my kids - even the ones I hate, the ones that make me want to leave my classroom and not come back. I can't help but love them - they are children. For some of them they are children who do not know there is world out side of 63rd to 71st, a world beyond Ashland and Western - that mile and a half is their world. There are children at my school who do not know they cannot read. There are 8 houses on each block around Harper. On Wood st. 5 of those 8 are boarded up, on Honore - 4, on 65th - 6 and on 66th - 4. Englewood is everything to them and with each year it seems only to get worse.

It gets easier...so they say.

I don't want to say that Chicago is cold. It is much more than that. Plus, well, duh.

They say if you make it through to November you will make it. I feel like once we get back the same people will be saying "If you make it to February you will make it." Then it will be "once your done with the first year you are golden..."

I decided to take a more positive perspective on the issue. One: I made it to January. Two: I have a million miles to go - I cannot give up now.

I have so many crazy stories, some sad, some ridiculous and others almost unbelievable. I feel like the time for telling them is gone. I think I freaked a few people out. I definitely have not told my parents the majority of what goes on at Harper. Harper, my kids, Teach for America has dominated the majority of all my conversations...what does that say about me...have I become my work...am I ok with that...no I am not. I could lie but people would know.

I have been thinking about what happens next. More and more the conversation about the next few years come up. I never want to say what I am thinking. It isn't fair that I would just leave. But I might want to.

I never deal well with bureaucracy but I manage to always find myself neck deep in it. I knew everything was about hierarchies but I think I didn't want too believe it. I am full of Denial. Who knew...everyone but me?

I am one week from finishing my FIRST SEMESTER OF TEACHING. Unbelievable!

Welcome to Englewood! Home of the Harper High School Cardinals!

I guess I am blogging - but let's not call it that - I don't like that - I am not really sure why but I don't. Anywho. Check back here to see what is going on in Chicago. I will put pictures up this time...but again, I need to figure out how first.

Don't judge the crappy grammar... (insert confused "you're an English teacher comment here."

Thanks for reading

Margi