INTRODUCTION
—Student, class of 2020
D
uring my first three years in the classroom, starting in 2009, I taught intensive reading to grades 7–8 students. More than 95 percent of students were Black, and more than 95 percent of students received free or reduced lunch. Most of my students were older than typical grades 7–8 students, ranging from fifteen to eighteen years old. Due to not performing at grade level on state assessments, these students did not have electives; they were required to take my intensive reading class without support facilitation. This meant I was the lone teacher to over twenty students with varying reading levels, required to provide an individualized education plan to each student. Many teachers are in similar settings with little to no help in navigating daily classroom interactions with students. The teacher’s edition of the intensive reading curriculum stated exactly what teachers should say and provided scenarios for the best student responses. The district had chosen this curriculum, judging it to be the best for the student population, and routinely observed and evaluated how well teachers followed the program. According to program data, teachers who followed the script with fidelity would achieve academic success. I followed the script with fidelity. My classroom library was stocked with books for all 1
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You have shown all kids of color that there is a way out of this crap.
