This chapter's emphasis was about how to begin to recognize readicide in schools. Kelly Gallagher introduces his ideas about what readicide is, how he feels it has become this way, and also about other problematic ideas within the schools surrounding this concept, such as testing and standards.
I loved how Gallagher delved into the concept of standards and testing, but also makes claims that he is not against those things. He isn't against standards and even claims that they, "are necessary, and have made me a better teacher", but he goes on to say that, "there is one big problem concerning the state and local standards in this country: there are far too many of them" (9). He also claims that teaching to the test isn't the issue, but that, "the problem occurs when we spend most of our time teaching to a shallow test" (12). I agree with most of his ideas here. There are too many standards, and the expectations for teachers to truly teach in a meaningful way is unrealistic in the amount of time that they are given. I think that standards are helpful when they are thoughtful and useful themselves. I also agree that teaching to a test, meaning that you have a clear idea of where you will be assessing your students from the beginning is a meaningful way to teach them because their expectations are then clear from the beginning.
I think that too often teachers give in to the high unrealistic demands that are set for them from the politics surrounding them rather than trying to teach in a truly meaningful way. It is clear that something needs to change in the educational world. There are many who are speaking up, but is anyone listening?
