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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Though-provoking look into today's schools, April 27, 2009
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.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thanks Teachers!, March 15, 2009
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!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
No Teachers Left Behind, September 21, 2009
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
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