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May 23 • 6 tweets • 5 min read
The most important repost of @DanaGoldstein’s piece that you’ll see.

It’s from @TNedu Commissioner. She has led the effort to get high-quality ELA curriculum in nearly every districts, and her schools are reaping the benefit.

“I appreciate the changes, but go all the way.”
Folks, we have a tie.

From the head of @NCTQ, and until recently, a leader in @MASchoolsK12:

💯
I’m here for these calls for curriculum improvement from state leaders, especially the ones who have taken clear, strong action to get their districts to stop using Balanced Literacy curricula and start using high-quality curriculum.

True of @SchwinnTeach and @HeatherPeske.
Tennessee leads the nation in high-quality curriculum use. More here: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…

MA has tight #MassLiteracy & #CurriculumMattersMA initiatives, and the grant program below is a smart curriculum change incentive. Other states should copy.

Cc: @TonyThurmond
Now we have a call from the acclaimed former state superintendent of Louisiana, seeking more focus on change agency by states etc.

Considering that the work in TN and MA (described above) has had essentially no media attention, I concur!

@DanaGoldstein @alexanderrusso
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More from @karenvaites

Karen Vaites Profile picture
May 24
“I learned from parents on Twitter.”

An educator talking about where she learned essential research on how kids learn to read.

We don’t talk enough about the role of parent advocacy in the Science of Reading movement.
Another interesting parent reflection.

How much did the pandemic accelerate the movement because parents could see the issues with the way their kids were being taught to read?
“#TCRWP has lately learned from research which has been spotlighted by parents of children with dyslexia.”
– Lucy Calkins

👉 Lucy. Calkins.

Seriously, we don’t talk enough about the positive impact of parent voices. Image
Read 4 tweets
Karen Vaites Profile picture
May 23
“Her first iterations may not have included what the current brain research says is important…”

The research is decades old, but OK.

A window into the perspectives of teachers defending Lucy Calkins:
“Us teachers used to joke that it was a @TeachersCollege cult.”

When you talk with teachers who have made the shift away from #TCRWP, the word cult is used a lot.
“Seduced by”
Read 7 tweets
Karen Vaites Profile picture
May 22
I’ve been on a soapbox lately about the need to make the Science of Reading stand for all key reading research… not just the part about the importance of phonics.

And for journalism to follow.

Y’all, read @LucyCalkins’s response to @DanaGoldstein’s piece.

This is why.
👇 Image
My only real critique of @DanaGoldstein’s fantastic piece is that it signals that the phonics gap is THE problem with @TeachersCollege Reading Workshop is with its phonics/foundational skills.

In fact, that’s just one layer.

Thread:
Meanwhile, high-quailty curricula are built around knowledge-building about the world, w/ rich grade level texts... AND daily, systematic phonics.

Calkins talks like someone who hasn't looked at the curriculum landscape since 2013.

Well said:
Read 4 tweets
Karen Vaites Profile picture
May 22
The most popular reading curriculum in America was developed by a charismatic woman with “little controlled research of her methods.”

She is only now embracing reading research that is >20 years old.

It’s an important story, well told by @DanaGoldstein:

nytimes.com/2022/05/22/us/…
This part has been 🤯 to the literacy community:

The breeziness with which Calkins forgives herself for ignoring a “half century of research” that she only accepted in recent years (after a few withering reviews of her product, which is being ditched by NYC and more).
My favorite thing about the article:

It centers the important question, “How did this happen that a curriculum whose author ignored reading research became the most popular in US schools?”

It’s a question I get *constantly*.

A fair succinct summary from @DanaGoldstein:
Read 21 tweets
Karen Vaites Profile picture
May 20
Did they say this with a straight face?

“City officials told local lawmakers that launching the “full-time” virtual schools will be part of the solution to high rates of chronic absenteeism and re-engaging students in the wake of pandemic disruption.”

ny.chalkbeat.org/2022/5/10/2306…
Here’s my read of the decision:

@DOEChancellor has been getting serious grief from the PEP, NYC’s closest thing to a school board. Ex below.

Its newest members are big 2020-21 virtual learning advocates, who’ve been flogging mayor for removing this option this year.

So…
Caving to demands to offer virtual is smart politics.

Is it good for kids? Remains to be seen.

I sure hope @DOEChancellor has a better plan than this for chronic absenteeism. This is painful:
Read 4 tweets
Karen Vaites Profile picture
May 20
Todd Collins @careads calls out @TonyThurmond for a weak literacy plan:

“the typical patchwork of spending and programs – library cards, free e-books, grants for dual language programs” that have failed to improve troubling literacy rates in CA schools.

edsource.org/2022/a-compreh…
Todd describes the “elements of a comprehensive plan,” and notes number of states taking action on literacy. He puts a particular spotlight on Mississippi.

In fact, @TNedu comes closest to @careads’s elements of comprehensive plan. @natwexler detailed:

forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
I love Mississippi’s work in teacher training. BUT… MS has not taken action to get high-quality curriculum into schools.

Only @TNedu has done both: #Reading360 Early Reading Training and now Secondary Literacy Training, AND high-quality curriculum in most schls.

Cc: @careads
Read 5 tweets

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