Although
there have been many studies, media reports, and grants dedicated to
eradicating illiteracy from society, we have fallen short as a nation. Teachers at schools have been targeted for
blame. Should we increase the number of
charter schools, reduce class size, and hold teachers accountable for
progress? Must we make school days
longer, change teaching methods, revise our text books, or give everyone a
tutor?
The
Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) believes it offers an
alternative for accomplishing high student literacy achievement. Its approach entails broadening the base of
literacy leadership. A white paper from
April 2011, issued by ALER, entitled “Leadership for Literacy in the 21st
Century,” attacks this issue and “suggests how the contributions and roles of
those on the ground, including teachers, school administrations, reading
teachers, literacy coaches and curriculum supervisors, might be modified to
take full advantage of their literacy knowledge.”
The
ALER set about to examine some fundamental questions, including these:
·
What
do we know about effective school leadership?
·
What
does effective leadership for literacy achievement look like?
·
Who
might be able to provide such leadership?
So
what’s the conclusion here?
·
What’s
being done either doesn’t work or doesn’t appreciably improve literacy skills
compared to earlier approaches and methods.
·
Literacy
leadership cannot be shouldered completely by designated district or building
leaders – it takes a village to raise a reader.
The
report stated:
“Stakeholders
outside the school, family members, caregivers, universities, civic groups,
religious organizations, and the business community, can provide literacy
leadership by becoming more visible and participating in this endeavor by
collaborating on initiatives and sharing expertise.
“Toward
this end we recommend that each constituency examine how to best serve the
literacy needs of our school children and determine what role it can play by
providing literacy leadership.”
The
report made 18 specific observations and recommendations, including:
·
“Classroom
teachers play a pivotal role in literacy leadership since they directly
interact with and instruct students on a daily basis. However, their expertise is underutilized and
undervalued; it can be extended beyond their individual classrooms when
teachers collaborate with peers and parents/families to ensure an appreciation
of literacy routines outside of school.
·
“Administrators
such as principals and curriculum supervisors have direct responsibility for
what is taught in their schools, designing effective instructional programs
that are aligned with curriculum and standards, and providing information to
the public. As observers and evaluators of teachers, these administrators must
be able to determine whether teachers are providing effective instruction and
equitable learning opportunities for all students.
·
“Parents/caregivers
must be empowered to participate in decision-making that will affect the kinds
of literacy experiences their children will have in school.
·
“Universities
can serve two major leadership roles:
(1) outreach, in which they maintain literacy-focused partnerships with
local skills by providing professional development for teachers, workshops for
parents, and work toward grant acquisition for schools, and (2) research, in
which they serve as a nucleus of exemplary scholarship, especially in teacher
preparation programs.”
It’s hard to believe
there are tens of millions it illiterates in the United States, but there are.
Though it’s sad to see at any age, it’s especially hard to accept that young
people today are leaving or graduating school and are unable to read a bus schedule,
fill out standardized forms, comprehend a blog for the reader, or speak
English well enough to get a job.
But denying the
problem exists or dismissing it as a problem of minorities or immigrants, we
miss an opportunity to speak candidly about an issue that really could define
America in a few years. The illiterate
not only fail to contribute to society or even hold their own, they become
takers, victims, and in some cases, victimizers when they turn to crime.
Everyone should feel
obligated to solving the literacy crisis plaguing America, for truly everyone
will bear some of the burdensome results that come from a nation that fails to
raise self-sufficient, intelligent youth.
We need to embrace white papers like this one – and to heed the concerns
and conclusions of those who have actively fought the problem. Our nation’s future depends on it.
2016 Book Marketing & Book Publicity Toolkit
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.