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No Teachers Left Behind

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If you want to take a scary and sometimes funny--if it weren't so real--trip through the day-to-day life of middle school teachers, then pick up a copy of "No Teachers Left Behind" by Hopeful But Frustrated Teacher (HBF Teacher).

Join Sixth Grade teachers Sandra Wyatt and Marcus Watts, Seventh Grade teachers Sonya Harte and Gail Jenkins, Eighth Grade teacher Angela Williams, and the other teachers, administrators and support staff at fictional Vilyon Middle School for a glimpse into the daily life of teachers in America's public school system.

Frustrated, by overpaid administrators whose decisions lack common sense and place the "needs" of students ahead of everything else--including necessary discipline and safety issues, the teaching staff at Vilyon Middle School can't even seem to get support from the support staff. The head custodian expects them to make sure unruly and unmanageable students don't destroy the bathrooms; while unsupportive parents point to teachers as the problem behind their children's lack of academic success.

Told through a series of scene excerpts, poems, and email exchanges, "No Teachers Left Behind" portrays some of the challenges facing American public schools today; and it leaves the reader wondering if these types of things occur in every school district in America.

My opinions on this book are mixed because I approach it both as a parent and as someone who volunteers in local public schools. I've watched while budget cuts have left teachers counting the number of photocopies they make each day, while perfectly useable equipment is replaced with newer models. I've heard the cries of large class sizes, but have heard stories of teachers not wanting parents in their classrooms.

The administrators are out of touch with reality in this book, and the majority of students and all the parents are portrayed in an unflattering light. Most of the students are more interested in making drug deals, getting their teachers suspended, and getting it on, than performing well academically; and the parents fault the teachers, not themselves, for any problems that arise.

The author's passion for this subject is evident. While I didn't think I would care for the format at first, I found it very easy to follow the various email communications and scenes to their shocking and tragic conclusion. The language is a bit crude in places, but mostly appropriate when used. The one thing I didn't quite understand was the cover art; but I thought the rolling prairie might be symbolic of the less complicated days of educating children in one-room classrooms, before government legislation and mandatory testing dictated how educators taught their students.

"No Teachers Left Behind" is one of those books that will leave you thinking about the state of things long after you've turned the last page.

I have a feeling that non-teachers who read No Teachers Left Behind will come away shaking their heads, saying things like, "That's just too extreme -- there's no way school is like that!" For teachers though, even the most extreme situations in the book are recognized as possible and plausible.

At Vilyon Middle School, Principal Angela Marsh is nothing but rainbows and butterflies -- as long as it's to a best-selling author or a high-dollar donating parent. To her staff, she doesn't stop at stepping on toes; she brings her high heel down on the jugulars. In an early staff-wide email, she says that for the rest of the day, lunches will be held in the classrooms, despite the inconvenience to teachers. Oh, and by the way, she will be off campus having lunch at the Olive Garden.

The book is full of emails like that, with Marsh walking all over teachers' rights but then announcing that she is exempt. While reading them, I thought that's just so extreme, and yet it's not implausible at all! In one of my favorite examples, and energetic young activist teacher has sent out an email asking for support at a Saturday Obama rally. Principal Marsh replies with a message stating two facts: one, politics most definitely have no business at school, and two, emails of a personal nature will be cause for referral and loss of laptop. Turn the page and we find another email from Marsh, informing the entire staff that her daughter's Adventure Troop is selling popcorn which can be ordered in the main office. She ends her email with "PS -- God bless John McCain and the Republican Party."

In between the absurd emails from the principal, there are emails from teachers commenting on the working conditions, short poems that are wonderful, and bursts of narration that set the stage for the endgame.

This book will not have you rolling on the floor in stitches, but it is funny in a different way. I read almost the entire story with a bemused smile, shaking my head, thinking, "That is just spot on."

At the very end of the book, the story turns tragic. This is no spoiler, as it states this fact right on the back cover. By the time the tragedy unfolds, the author has done a great job of making you feel for and genuinely LIKE the handful of characters that may or may not be involved in the final act.

Kudos to Hopeful But Frustrated Teacher for a job well done. Here's hoping that her own principal in real life is not QUITE the monster that Angela Marsh is.

Just reread NO TEACHERS LEFT BEHIND, and to be honest, it made me sigh loudly. Is that what it's really like to be a teacher? If so, my daughters' teachers must be really crazy and have a thing for abuse. Are there really parents who treat teachers like they're underlings? Are administrators so concerned about making themselves look good that they forget that teachers are in the classrooms, and they aren't? That's what HBF Teacher is saying in her book, and scarily, I now must wonder. Despite the fact that this book makes you think, it's a fantastic read. Yes this book is about education, but it's not a preachy book (don't you hate those kind?). HBF Teacher tells this story about middle school teachers in a hugely, engaging way that is both funny yet frighteningly serious when it needs to be. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it twice in two days. It's a quick but astonishing read. Try it; you will not be disappointed.

NO TEACHERS LEFT BEHIND is about a failing middle school in Georgia, told in the form of e-mails, poems, and short scenarios. The book even includes an index to assist the reader with all of the characters, reason stated: "Because a public school is more confusing than the United States Congress." Each e-mail, each scenario, each poem is writhed with the tensions and grievances of teachers on the edge. Gossip, violence, sexual harassment, false accusations, and disrespect are all reoccurring themes, which paint a dismal view of teaching and being taught in America.

Meet teachers who spend more time complaining in e-mails than seeking help for their schools, meet support staff who work hard at not doing work, and meet administrators who are more concerned with appeasing elites than making sure basic necessities are met for the students. It is this mistake that concludes with a fatal tragedy.

A disappointing aspect of the book is the prevalence of such an obvious agenda. Each page begs for sympathy for teachers, and frankly, it's hard to empathize for a group of adults who spend such a huge amount of time griping about things that are fundamental to the teaching profession. Schools are supposed to nurture students, but not in this novel. The students seem to be the villains, with nagging illiterate parents acting as henchmen. Overlapping interests from every party are for everything but the students. The administrators are constantly cutting services, benefits, and attitudes.

Exploring the reasons for administrative decisions is beyond the reach of this book. Instead, the characters commonly refer to Principal Marsh as an expletive. The teachers are only interested in protecting their own benefits. The message seems to be that public schools are inadequate and the service of education should not be lavished on an unappreciative public. Several characters, some in jest and others in all seriousness, suggest that because these students and parents are poor and ignorant, they are undeserving of a free educational system.

NO TEACHERS LEFT BEHIND offers a distinctive perspective, which has topics that should definitely be examined by anyone interested in teaching, has a child in a public school, or is a taxpayer. Just be sure to take certain messages with a grain of salt, and recognize the biases where they exist.

Reviewed by Christina Lenear
for The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

What an insightful view into our school system! It saddens me to know that teachers who want to help their students so badly are hindered by the very parents of the kids they long to make successful, and also by a corrupt, self-serving school administration. Parents and administrators support your teachers if you truly want to see your children go above and beyond in their educational pursuits. Bravo to HBF! Hang in there!

No Teachers Left Behind is one of the most interesting books I've read this year. It's one that will make you think about what teachers go through everyday. Of course, this is supposedly a fiction book, and I can only pray that most of the things mentioned in this book don't happen in public schools. I really hope that principals support their teachers and parents appreciate the teachers who nurture their children. Although there are some rotten apples (teachers) on every tree (in every school), there are some wonderful apples on the branches too. No Teachers Left Behind recognizes the frustrations of those who really want to help make the world a better place by working in public education. As a father, I salute those teachers - thank you!

This book fills in the gaps where others of the same genre barely glance over. It is hard-hitting, truthful, and intense, and, most importantly, it is real. No one can understand what it is truly like to be inside a classroom except those in the trenches, and this author truly understands. For those who want an honest glimpse into the life of a teacher, I highly recommend it.