Latest news with #LucyCalkins
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging 'balanced literacy' approach to teaching reading
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of Massachusetts parents who claimed their children were harmed by contested reading curricula designed by three prominent literacy experts. The parents, in their December lawsuit, accused Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell and their publishers of using deceptive marketing and questionable research to sell curricula which, instead of emphasizing proven phonics instruction, relied on strategies that they said left their children struggling to read. The lawsuit was filed as states around the country, in response to poor reading scores, have been reemphasizing phonics instruction while moving away from the defendants' 'balanced literacy' approaches that rely on practices such as cueing, which prompt students to use pictures and context to predict words. In dismissing the suit last week, a judge in Boston said that issuing a decision would require the court to assess the quality of the curricula. Judge Richard Stearns' order noted that the lawsuit acknowledged that the defendants cited research supporting their products, but he said finding the research inadequate, as the parents claimed, would mean delving into the experts' approach to instruction. 'The court rightly recognized that decisions about how best to teach reading should be made by educators,' Calkins, a faculty member at Columbia University's Teachers College whose curriculum is called Units of Study, said in a statement. 'I'm glad that the lawsuit has been dismissed so we can all turn our attention to the urgent work of teaching America's children to read.' Pinnell and Fountas, whose approach is known as 'Guided Reading,' did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. Attorneys for the parents also did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
New York Post
23-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Reading opens worlds — and NYC schools are finally getting it right
New York City public schools are doing something rare and important: Sticking with a good idea long enough to make it work. Two years ago, toward the end of the 2022-23 academic year, Mayor Adams launched 'NYC Reads,' a long-overdue course correction mandating the use of evidence-based, phonics-driven reading programs in every public elementary school in the city. On Monday, he expanded the initiative to middle schools. It's an unambiguous win for children and families, and one that deserves support, patience and — most of all — permanence. Reading is the single most important thing New York City's schools need to get right. In an age of rampant screen time, when a disproportionate share of the city's public-school students grow up in low-income homes or where English isn't the primary language, the stakes are even higher. There is simply no educational equity, no opportunity and no meaningful learning without skilled and proficient reading. For decades, literacy instruction in New York City was dominated by the romantic and discredited ideas of Columbia Teachers College professor Lucy Calkins. Her 'balanced literacy' approach rested on the belief that children learn to read naturally, just by exposure to books that interest them, using cues like pictures or context to guess unfamiliar words. One wag aptly dubbed it 'vibes-based literacy.' But reading is not a natural act: Children don't learn to decode print the way they learn to speak. The 'science of reading' — a body of research drawing on cognitive science and linguistics — shows that systematic phonics and structured literacy instruction are essential, especially early on. Anything less is educational malpractice. That's what makes NYC Reads so critical. The city now mandates schools use one of three approved, evidence-based programs paired with explicit phonics instruction in early grades. The program has already touched more than 350,000 city elementary-school students. Expanding it to middle schools ensures continuity and reaches students who may have missed out. To be sure, not everyone is a fan. Some teachers complain that the mandated curricula aren't sufficiently 'culturally responsive,' or that students are less engaged with assigned texts than when choosing their own books. But literacy is the first and last word in equity. Without it, nothing else in a child's education is possible. The resistance merely underscores how deeply rooted the old ways are — and how hard it is to get educators to let go of beliefs they were trained to hold dear. Critics will ask whether these reforms are working. True, test scores haven't soared — but that's not concerning. In fact, if they had done so after just one full year in classrooms, it would be grounds for skepticism. Language proficiency is a slow-growing plant. Phonics is essential, but it takes years (particularly for disadvantaged students) to build the sophisticated vocabulary and background knowledge across subjects that drives mature reading comprehension. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes. What matters is sticking with what works long enough for it to bear fruit. The real challenge isn't curriculum adoption, but implementation. You cannot overstate how hard it is to change classroom practice. For years, New York City teachers were steeped in the Calkins philosophy. They didn't just use her materials; they believed in them. Retraining tens of thousands of teachers means unlearning deeply held convictions, along with adopting new tools. That's why implementation matters as much as the policy itself. Department of Education staff have been aggressively monitoring classrooms to ensure the new curricula are being used and instructional shifts are happening. These are the early signs that NYC Reads is taking root, even before test data catch up. Encouragingly, the United Federation of Teachers has played a constructive role, supporting teachers through the transition and in professional development. But the biggest threat to these reforms isn't instructional — it's political. Adams is up for re-election this year, and NYC Reads is strongly associated with his administration. If he loses, there's a real risk the effort will be scrapped or sidelined by his successor. New Yorkers should demand every mayoral hopeful commit to continuing these essential classroom reforms. If a candidate hedges, it's a red flag. The literacy status quo is indefensible in a city where fewer than half of third-graders read proficiently. NYC Reads is a long game. If we're serious about raising literacy rates, we need to sustain this effort across years, mayors and chancellors. New York has made a promising start. The worst thing we could do now is hit the brakes — or veer off-track. Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former New York City public school teacher.
Boston Globe
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Lawmakers once again seek to overhaul reading instruction
About half of the state's districts in 2023 relied on reading programs in kindergarten through third grade the state considers low quality, among the findings of a Related : Advertisement 'It's very clear that we can't wait any longer to address what the data is telling us and the data is telling us that we are in a literacy crisis,' said Mary Tamer, founder and executive director of Lisa Lazare, executive director of Educators for Excellence, said students struggling with reading could face severe consequences if the Legislature fails to act, noting it could increase students' risk of dropping out of school. 'It is heartbreaking,' she said. Mandating literacy restrictions has generated resistance, including from the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Advertisement 'With so many districts facing a fiscal crisis and possible additional losses in federal funds, it is even more harmful to introduce new state-mandated spending that local districts can't control on limited curriculum packages,' Max Page and Deborah McCarthy, the president and vice president, said in a statement. Following the Globe's investigation, Governor Maura Healey announced a $20 million But Representative Danillo Sena, a bill sponsor, said more aggressive action is needed. 'I know that teachers want students to succeed," he said. 'We can give them the tools they need to use evidence-based material.' The lack of a statewide mandate is leaving many parents with an uphill battle to change reading curriculums, with debates emerging in such districts as Lexington and Winchester. Lexington superintendent Julie Hackett has been A similar debate is unfolding in Needham, where some parents earlier this year started the Needham Literacy Coalition. The group is attempting to convince district leaders to stop using Lucy Calkins's Units of Study, a reading curriculum that is subject of a Related : The debate filtered into this year's School Committee race. Leanne Ratti, who has three children in the Needham public schools, ran for a seat in an effort to push for changes to literacy instruction. Advertisement Ratti, who lost her School Committee bid on April 8, said she was surprised Needham was still using Units of Study, noting Boston Public Schools, where she teaches, got rid of it eight years ago. 'The trust with Lucy Calkins has been broken,' Ratti said. 'Why would we buy another product from the same company and the same person?' Parents pushing for changes say the debate has turned contentious and they have faced false accusations of pushing a conservative political agenda. 'It's just so hurtful and could not be further from the truth,' said Melissa Rotman, a speech therapist with two children in Needham schools. 'I definitely think getting this bill passed would help.' Needham is in the midst of overhauling reading instruction and is piloting five programs, including a revised version of Units of Study that now has a stronger emphasis on phonics, but would continue pairing it with a separate phonics program. Carmen Williams, assistant superintendent of instruction and innovation, said she believes a combination of strong guidance and accountability from the state would be better in ensuring quality reading instruction rather than a state law mandating specific programs. 'There is no perfect program,' Williams said. James Vaznis can be reached at
