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Why cant U teach me 2 read?: Three Students and a Mayor Put Our Schools to the Test
Why cant U teach me 2 read? is a vivid, stirring, passionately told story of three students who fought for the right to learn to read, and won—only to discover that their efforts to learn to read had hardly begun.
A person who cannot read cannot confidently ride a city bus, shop, take medicine, or hold a job—much less receive e-mail, follow headlines, send text messages, or write a letter to a relative. And yet the best minds of American education cannot agree on the right way for reading to be taught. In fact, they can hardly settle on a common vocabulary to use in talking about reading. As a result, for a quarter of a century American schools have been riven by what educators call the reading wars, and our young people have been caught in the crossfire.
Why cant U teach me 2 read? focuses on three such students. Yamilka, Alejandro, and Antonio all have learning disabilities and all legally challenged the New York City schools for failing to teach them to read by the time they got to high school. When the school system’s own hearing officers ruled in the students’ favor, the city was compelled to pay for the three students, now young adults, to receive intensive private tutoring.
Fertig tells the inspiring, heartbreaking stories of these three young people as they struggle to learn to read before it is too late. At the same time, she tells a story of great change in schools nationwide—where the crush of standardized tests and the presence of technocrats like New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and his schools chancellor, Joel Klein, have energized teachers and parents to question the meaning of education as never before. And she dramatizes the process of learning to read, showing how the act of reading is nothing short of miraculous.
Along the way, Fertig makes clear that the simple question facing students and teachers alike—How should young people learn to read?—opens onto the broader questions of what schools are really for and why so many of America’s schools are faltering.
Why cant U teach me 2 read? is a poignant, vital book for the reader in all of us.
A person who cannot read cannot confidently ride a city bus, shop, take medicine, or hold a job—much less receive e-mail, follow headlines, send text messages, or write a letter to a relative. And yet the best minds of American education cannot agree on the right way for reading to be taught. In fact, they can hardly settle on a common vocabulary to use in talking about reading. As a result, for a quarter of a century American schools have been riven by what educators call the reading wars, and our young people have been caught in the crossfire.
Why cant U teach me 2 read? focuses on three such students. Yamilka, Alejandro, and Antonio all have learning disabilities and all legally challenged the New York City schools for failing to teach them to read by the time they got to high school. When the school system’s own hearing officers ruled in the students’ favor, the city was compelled to pay for the three students, now young adults, to receive intensive private tutoring.
Fertig tells the inspiring, heartbreaking stories of these three young people as they struggle to learn to read before it is too late. At the same time, she tells a story of great change in schools nationwide—where the crush of standardized tests and the presence of technocrats like New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and his schools chancellor, Joel Klein, have energized teachers and parents to question the meaning of education as never before. And she dramatizes the process of learning to read, showing how the act of reading is nothing short of miraculous.
Along the way, Fertig makes clear that the simple question facing students and teachers alike—How should young people learn to read?—opens onto the broader questions of what schools are really for and why so many of America’s schools are faltering.
Why cant U teach me 2 read? is a poignant, vital book for the reader in all of us.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
6 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 7, 2010
This book was both a really interesting story about 3 students were utterly failed by the NYC school system and a not quite as interesting story about the recent reforms of the NYC system itself. There was also quite a bit of discussion about reading theory (whole language vs. phonics, etc.) which the reading teacher in me enjoyed. I would have liked more of the 3 students and less of the NYC story. It was sobering to read all the information about what NYC has tried to do in the past few years - pretty depressing actually. This is written by an NPR reporter and it reads like a good NPR story - consequently, lots of description about what people are wearing, talking about, etc - just to make you feel like you're actually there!
March 20, 2010
I discovered Beth Fertig's "Why cant U teach me 2 read?: Three Students and a Mayer Put Our Schools to the Test" on the new non-fiction release shelf at my local library and was instantly intrigued at the subject of this book. I was also appalled by the idea of going through a public school education and coming out of it not being able to read. I know that this happens (probably a lot more than I'm able or willing to realize), but it is just so difficult for me to wrap my mind around. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York. Class sizes were small. Parents were involved. Teachers did their jobs. No one was really left behind, at least not to my knowledge (no pun intended on Bush's No Child Left Behind or NCLB policy). Also, I'm not a teacher, nor do I work with children or even have any of my own. I'm just interested in the subject of literacy. I figured it would be quite a learning experience.
And it was. Fertig chronicles the struggles of three NYC young adults: siblings Yamilka and Alejandro, and Antonio, as they struggled to achieve normal, functioning adult lives unable to read. All three are Dominican born, English as a second language learners and the author assures us that this is purely coincidental. Yamilka gets lost on her way home one night because she cannot read subway signs or bus schedules and she was too shy to ask for help. Alejandro's dyslexia went undetected until he started proceedings to sue the city because he couldn't read. At the beginning of the book, Antonio wanted to join the army, but knew he would never get in without his GED.
That's right! Students can challenge NYC and win compensatory educational services (private tutoring sessions) at the city's expense. Hundreds of thousands of city dollars were spent to teach these three young adults how to read because their formative educations failed to do so. All of the funds for the 1,600 plus schools and 1.1 million students comes from the city's general fund; not taxes on property like upstate New York. Hmmm.... interesting!
She pairs their heartbreaking stories against Mayor Michael Bloomberg's complete overall of the NYC public school system with more focus on school accountability via test scores and allowing the principals of each school to have more control over their curriculums so they can best meet the needs of their students.
I had no idea how many tests and evaluations there were to determine the myriad of learning and cognitive disabilities that can impair a child's ability to learn to read fluently (which is a combination of speed and accuracy with the correct inflections).
I also gained a greater understanding of the reality of the NYC public school systems and the challenges teachers and administrators face, along with their long hours and high pay - start salary for teachers in NYC is $43,000 with more experienced teachers making approximately $100,000 a year!
As informative as Fertig's book was, I think she tried to take on way too much. The students she followed were already out of the public school system by the time Mayor Bloomberg began his educational overhaul, which she admits toward the end of the book. The only thing both things have in common is that they "put our schools to the test" but it was done in a way that made it virtually impossible for me to find the true connections (if there are any) between the two stories. I think this would have been better off as two books or two separate parts in the same book, instead of the chapters going back and forth between one of the students and Mayor Bloomberg's plan.
This aside, it was an interesting book and well worth the time it took me to read it. I was just expecting to see how three students AND a mayor put our schools to the test - as in that they did it together.
And it was. Fertig chronicles the struggles of three NYC young adults: siblings Yamilka and Alejandro, and Antonio, as they struggled to achieve normal, functioning adult lives unable to read. All three are Dominican born, English as a second language learners and the author assures us that this is purely coincidental. Yamilka gets lost on her way home one night because she cannot read subway signs or bus schedules and she was too shy to ask for help. Alejandro's dyslexia went undetected until he started proceedings to sue the city because he couldn't read. At the beginning of the book, Antonio wanted to join the army, but knew he would never get in without his GED.
That's right! Students can challenge NYC and win compensatory educational services (private tutoring sessions) at the city's expense. Hundreds of thousands of city dollars were spent to teach these three young adults how to read because their formative educations failed to do so. All of the funds for the 1,600 plus schools and 1.1 million students comes from the city's general fund; not taxes on property like upstate New York. Hmmm.... interesting!
She pairs their heartbreaking stories against Mayor Michael Bloomberg's complete overall of the NYC public school system with more focus on school accountability via test scores and allowing the principals of each school to have more control over their curriculums so they can best meet the needs of their students.
I had no idea how many tests and evaluations there were to determine the myriad of learning and cognitive disabilities that can impair a child's ability to learn to read fluently (which is a combination of speed and accuracy with the correct inflections).
I also gained a greater understanding of the reality of the NYC public school systems and the challenges teachers and administrators face, along with their long hours and high pay - start salary for teachers in NYC is $43,000 with more experienced teachers making approximately $100,000 a year!
As informative as Fertig's book was, I think she tried to take on way too much. The students she followed were already out of the public school system by the time Mayor Bloomberg began his educational overhaul, which she admits toward the end of the book. The only thing both things have in common is that they "put our schools to the test" but it was done in a way that made it virtually impossible for me to find the true connections (if there are any) between the two stories. I think this would have been better off as two books or two separate parts in the same book, instead of the chapters going back and forth between one of the students and Mayor Bloomberg's plan.
This aside, it was an interesting book and well worth the time it took me to read it. I was just expecting to see how three students AND a mayor put our schools to the test - as in that they did it together.
May 11, 2011
Partially a critique of the New York City school system, but mostly a study of three young Dominican immigrants and their efforts to learn how to read. Fertig avoids polemic and concentrates on describing the problem: learning how to read is a lot harder than most good readers think. There is a complicated mix of phoneme recognition, letter shape recognition, and visualization of concepts going on when you read even the simplest of sentences, and there are lots of ways the process can go wrong.
There is a lot of debate about which educational practices are the most helpful to the most students. This book provides some facts and perspective on those issues, but draws only one conclusion: there are no easy solutions. If we really want to help the kids who have the most trouble reading, we have to intervene as early as possible and be prepared to spend many hours on individual instruction.
There is a lot of debate about which educational practices are the most helpful to the most students. This book provides some facts and perspective on those issues, but draws only one conclusion: there are no easy solutions. If we really want to help the kids who have the most trouble reading, we have to intervene as early as possible and be prepared to spend many hours on individual instruction.
September 26, 2012
This non-fiction piece follows three New York City young adults, Yamilka, Alejandro, and Antonio, as they struggle to learn the basics of reading and arithmatic. All three have some level of learning disability, and managed to reach their early 20s without being able to read. Can you imagine passing through each grade, or being shuffled from one school to another, only to reach adulthood without the crucial skill of reading? I can’t.
Through an explanation of Mayor Bloomberg’s educational overhaul, as well as of the structure of the NYC schooling systems, Fertig does not provide answers, but an idea as to how this could have happened. She also helps explain the additional difficulties faced by students with a variety of learning disabilities. Reading came easily to me because I had the support of my family, my schools, and no learning disabilities to combat. But this is certainly not the case for everyone, and this book opened my eyes to the many challenges facing new readers.
Through an explanation of Mayor Bloomberg’s educational overhaul, as well as of the structure of the NYC schooling systems, Fertig does not provide answers, but an idea as to how this could have happened. She also helps explain the additional difficulties faced by students with a variety of learning disabilities. Reading came easily to me because I had the support of my family, my schools, and no learning disabilities to combat. But this is certainly not the case for everyone, and this book opened my eyes to the many challenges facing new readers.
January 12, 2010
There is a lot going on in this book and when you are finished, you should have an exhaustive view of NYC school system reforms under Bloomberg (including a detailed accounting of their tracking system); a lot of information about learning to read and the different methods for teaching (balanced literacy, whole language, phonics, etc.); reasons why some struggle to read; and an in-depth look at 3 students and why they got to high school and could not read. The book gives you a ton of information, but at the end, tries to do too much. It turns out to be not a story of these 3 students, but also not a cohesive nonfiction read either. There is a lot to be learned here, and it is interesting, but you would have to have some kind of reason to read it (being a reading teacher maybe) to stay invested.
March 25, 2010
An excellent book about what happens to the youth who "fall between the cracks" in education. I really enjoyed the stories about the students and their experiences trying to learn how to read/write after their high school years. Definitely a wake-up call to those who think that anyone can learn to read if they just applied themselves; it's not always so simple. The part about Mayor Bloomberg's project was also interesting; especially if you're curious about the size of the NYC public school system. Amazing stuff!
September 25, 2014
I was interested in the topic but I felt like the message got lost in the downpour of Fertig's heavy handed use of statistics. She brought them out so often, I felt the impact of what she was saying lost a little steam. After awhile it just feels like meaningless numbers. Also her dry, journalistic style of writing started to get a little dull. Yes, I realize she's a reporter, but it's like reading a 300+ page news article. I wanted to love this book because I'm such an advocate for improving literacy, but I was not overly impressed with this one.
January 31, 2010
I learned that students often get lost in the large bureacracies of school districts. It is easier for a teacher to allow a student to continue to the next grade instead of trying to solve the problem. This does not mean that teachers should be blamed entirely for the problem since many teachers have to teach to a large number of students. The stories of Yamilka, Alejandro and Antonio are heartbraking since they lacked the basic skills to survive in a modern society.
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April 15, 2014Beth Fertig, AM'91
Author
From our pages (Jan–Feb/10): "In this book by NPR senior reporter Fertig, three young adults with learning disabilities challenge New York City’s public-school system in court and win settlements because they made it to high school without learning to read. Alongside the tragedy of the students’ stories—how illiteracy hinders Antonio’s ability to join the military, for example—Fertig also comments on the state of education in the No Child Left Behind era."
Author
From our pages (Jan–Feb/10): "In this book by NPR senior reporter Fertig, three young adults with learning disabilities challenge New York City’s public-school system in court and win settlements because they made it to high school without learning to read. Alongside the tragedy of the students’ stories—how illiteracy hinders Antonio’s ability to join the military, for example—Fertig also comments on the state of education in the No Child Left Behind era."
December 5, 2009
This book was a good overview of what's going on with federal, state, and city oversight of schools. It's written by an outsider, so some of the details are wrong or misinterpreted, (based on my own insider knowledge/experience).
There's a whole chapter here about my school, which I think isn't great. It's fairly complimentary, but not very nuanced.
There's a whole chapter here about my school, which I think isn't great. It's fairly complimentary, but not very nuanced.
December 25, 2012
Interesting reporting of three students who sue NYC for not learning to read through public education. Brings up the question who is to blame: teachers, families, the school system itself. Lots of good history of public education and interesting coverage of the Bloomberg/Joel Klein era. Fertig remains impartial and unbiased. I was actually hoping for more of her opinion.
October 3, 2013
Very enlightening into some specific problems that make learning to read so difficult for some people. Eye-opening. Tragic, yet hopeful. The information may be helpful in figuring out new strategies for my preschoolers who struggle with the alphabet, and even recognizing their own names. Glad I read it.
December 4, 2009
This book is one of the best I've read about the schools, because it at least attempts to cover the various sides of the story - students, teachers, parents, politician. The book follows the stories of certain people, which pulls you in much better than pages of stats and opinions.
January 15, 2010
Very interesting look at the nyc school system and Bloomberg's reforms. It's a tough subject, and parts were too technical for a non-teacher, but still worth reading. Now I just have to find someone else who will read it and discuss it with me.
December 28, 2009
I just learned that in NYC classrooms when teachers gather kids "on the rug," the rug is filthy and causes allergic reactions. Ewww.
Don't take the fact that you are reading this right now for granted. Reading is a big deal; lots of people can't do it.
Don't take the fact that you are reading this right now for granted. Reading is a big deal; lots of people can't do it.
March 11, 2010
Excellent lay introduction to many issues surrounding reading remediation juxtaposed with the story of NYC/Bloomberg's adoption of a MAP-esque testing database across the city. Plenty to follow up on here.
June 5, 2012
I loved this non-fictional exploration of schools and children who fall through the cracks.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews