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book_concierge's review
3.0
Audiobook narrated by Roxana Ortega.
From the book jacket:Each year brings familiar educational challenges to Brae Hill Valley, a struggling urban high school in Texas. But the school’s teachers face plenty of challenges of their own. … And this year, a new celebrity superintendent is determined to leave his own mark on the school – even if that means shutting the whole place down. The fallout will shake up the teachers’ lives both inside and outside the classroom.
My reactions
I’m not a teacher, but I have friends who have worked as teachers, and I’ve volunteered as a reading tutor for a couple of years. And I felt that the depictions – while somewhat stereotypical – seemed accurate to me. From the teacher-training conference (how many times must we hear the “starfish”story?!) to lunchroom monitoring to science fair disasters to parent interactions and finally to efforts to quantify success, all the elements seemed familiar and relatable.
I really liked science teacher Hernan Hernandez, who pines for English teacher Lena Wright. Meanwhile Lena is focused on fellow spoken-word artist, Nex Level. And idealistic history teacher Kaytee Mahoney struggles to connect to her students while secretly writing a tell-all blog and bowing to her parents’ wishes by applying to law school. And Coach Ray, who is always ready to lend a hand (or the hands of his football players when some heavy lifting is involved), is struggling to connect with his two daughters, by two different women, and NOT repeat the mistakes of his father.
Elden includes scenarios that are familiar to anyone who has ever been required to attend yet another motivational speech or meeting to discuss implementation of a new process. There are moments of serious reflection, scenes of tenderness and of hilarity.
Roxana Ortega does a fine job narrating the audio version. She had a lot of different characters to handle but she was up for the challenge.
From the book jacket:Each year brings familiar educational challenges to Brae Hill Valley, a struggling urban high school in Texas. But the school’s teachers face plenty of challenges of their own. … And this year, a new celebrity superintendent is determined to leave his own mark on the school – even if that means shutting the whole place down. The fallout will shake up the teachers’ lives both inside and outside the classroom.
My reactions
I’m not a teacher, but I have friends who have worked as teachers, and I’ve volunteered as a reading tutor for a couple of years. And I felt that the depictions – while somewhat stereotypical – seemed accurate to me. From the teacher-training conference (how many times must we hear the “starfish”story?!) to lunchroom monitoring to science fair disasters to parent interactions and finally to efforts to quantify success, all the elements seemed familiar and relatable.
I really liked science teacher Hernan Hernandez, who pines for English teacher Lena Wright. Meanwhile Lena is focused on fellow spoken-word artist, Nex Level. And idealistic history teacher Kaytee Mahoney struggles to connect to her students while secretly writing a tell-all blog and bowing to her parents’ wishes by applying to law school. And Coach Ray, who is always ready to lend a hand (or the hands of his football players when some heavy lifting is involved), is struggling to connect with his two daughters, by two different women, and NOT repeat the mistakes of his father.
Elden includes scenarios that are familiar to anyone who has ever been required to attend yet another motivational speech or meeting to discuss implementation of a new process. There are moments of serious reflection, scenes of tenderness and of hilarity.
Roxana Ortega does a fine job narrating the audio version. She had a lot of different characters to handle but she was up for the challenge.
ocurtsinger's review
2.0
Good popcorn reading for public school teachers. Pretty relevant and humorous look at (pre-2020) teaching. Probably not worth reading if you're not a teacher, as the characters aren't really interesting on their own without the fabric of the school system holding it all together.
sammienicole22's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I think this may have been a book read during summer break instead of during the school year. Some of the stuff hit too close to home as a high school teacher, that it almost made me feel angry and annoyed because of the accuracy. However, I also found myself laughing out loud at some parts, especially some of the interactions between teacher and student. No one can fully, truly understand the difficulties of being a teacher, but I think this book gives a decently accurate sneak peek to the ridiculous expectations and burdens placed upon teachers. I really think I may have rated this a big higher if I read it during a different time period. However, it was still a decently enjoyable read. I just would not say there is anything incredibly remarkable that made me rate it higher. Didn’t hate, but didn’t love it either.
ltvoa9's review
3.0
This book was fine. It was a light, enjoyable read that was pretty predictable though.
24marsha's review
1.0
I expected to love and relate to this but I just couldn’t get into it. I thought it would be more humourous I think.
mcroft's review against another edition
4.0
In Adequate Yearly Progress, teachers at Brae Hill High School deal with the changes that come with a new superintendent and a new school year.
▪️
As a teacher, I don’t think I’ve ever read a more realistic portrayal of teaching. The teachers created by Roxanna Elden are teachers represented in every public school.
I was hooked from the start but was hoping for a little more in the ending. Overall a great read before heading back to the classroom.
▪️
Thank you NetGalley and Rivet Street Books for this ARC!
Adequate Yearly Progress will be released August 1st, just in time for a new school year.
▪️
As a teacher, I don’t think I’ve ever read a more realistic portrayal of teaching. The teachers created by Roxanna Elden are teachers represented in every public school.
I was hooked from the start but was hoping for a little more in the ending. Overall a great read before heading back to the classroom.
▪️
Thank you NetGalley and Rivet Street Books for this ARC!
Adequate Yearly Progress will be released August 1st, just in time for a new school year.
tinadots's review
5.0
Loved this book! So effortless and pleasurable to read, with lots of moments that were mirrors for me and also made me wonder if that's what I come across like as a teacher!
cassiesnextchapter's review
4.0
Full Book Review
What a smart, witty, and fun book! A tongue-in-cheek look at the shortcomings of school systems - especially when they're managed from the outside.
Although I'm not a teacher, I have plenty of family and friends who have had some strong words about the school system. Too many hoops to jump through, the hurdles to actually teaching the material when they're bogged down with test-prep, the likelihood of burnout, the range of attitudes and capabilities of the teaching staff, and the abundance of frustrations with students and fellow staff. Adequate Yearly Progress addresses all these topics brilliantly, and with a healthy dose of snark.
I enjoy the wide range of characters - their approaches to teaching as well as life, what motivates them, and the bonds they form (or don't). The way Elden wraps up each storyline feels just right and balanced. Nothing too drastic, but not everything perfect in the end...just like life.
Overall, this is a fantastic satirical look at the nuances of a public school through the eyes of its teachers. It portrays the dichotomy of teaching perfectly: the moments of pride when you know you've made a difference in a student's life...that end up getting squashed by the things that completely suck the joy out of teaching.
Thank you to Atria Books for a complimentary copy of this advanced reader’s edition in exchange for my honest opinion.
What a smart, witty, and fun book! A tongue-in-cheek look at the shortcomings of school systems - especially when they're managed from the outside.
Although I'm not a teacher, I have plenty of family and friends who have had some strong words about the school system. Too many hoops to jump through, the hurdles to actually teaching the material when they're bogged down with test-prep, the likelihood of burnout, the range of attitudes and capabilities of the teaching staff, and the abundance of frustrations with students and fellow staff. Adequate Yearly Progress addresses all these topics brilliantly, and with a healthy dose of snark.
I enjoy the wide range of characters - their approaches to teaching as well as life, what motivates them, and the bonds they form (or don't). The way Elden wraps up each storyline feels just right and balanced. Nothing too drastic, but not everything perfect in the end...just like life.
Overall, this is a fantastic satirical look at the nuances of a public school through the eyes of its teachers. It portrays the dichotomy of teaching perfectly: the moments of pride when you know you've made a difference in a student's life...that end up getting squashed by the things that completely suck the joy out of teaching.
Thank you to Atria Books for a complimentary copy of this advanced reader’s edition in exchange for my honest opinion.
ogreart's review against another edition
4.0
Adequate Yearly Progress
There were times when I taught when I was certain no one else knew what I was going through. It is strange that in a profession where you are surrounded by other humans all day long, that I could feel so lonely and isolated. Roxanna Elden gets it. Maybe because she taught for eleven years. That perspective I only get when talking to other teachers, I got here in this book as well.
The essential loneliness of the job came through to me. So many characters going through individual crises all by themselves, even when surrounded by colleagues. Lena Wright, the African American, spoken word artist, English teacher who wants so desperately for her students to see the power of language, touched me. Kaytee Mahoney, the young, overly-idealistic TeachCorps teacher, caught between the perfection of her goals and the reality of her students, embodies many young teachers I knew. Hernan D. Hernandez, the laid back science teacher, who was always tongue tied in Lena’s presence, was the teacher who pretty much ignored the testing insanity and really taught his students. Even characters that in other hands could be seen merely as antagonistic were given depth. The assistant principals were pretty much cut outs, but I have worked with so many who fit the two in this book to a T to feel disgruntled there.
Told with wit and understanding, rotating to a different teacher in each chapter, this is the story of a school in Texas that has a new superintendent, a man who has never taught but has written a best seller about how to fix education, who turns their school on its ear. Insane initiative after initiative being forced down the teachers’ throats—I thought that the continually increasing number of things they were required to write out on their boards throughout the book was a terrific metaphor for all the foolishness teachers are saddled with.
It was a story about people. Each in their own way a dedicated teacher. Each in their own way trying to survive another year in the classroom. Each in their own way reminding me of so many I have taught with.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who teaches, especially middle and high school. It was funny and sad at the same time. I think you’ll like it.
I received a free electronic ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out all my reviews at https://mrbsbookshelf.blogspot.com
There were times when I taught when I was certain no one else knew what I was going through. It is strange that in a profession where you are surrounded by other humans all day long, that I could feel so lonely and isolated. Roxanna Elden gets it. Maybe because she taught for eleven years. That perspective I only get when talking to other teachers, I got here in this book as well.
The essential loneliness of the job came through to me. So many characters going through individual crises all by themselves, even when surrounded by colleagues. Lena Wright, the African American, spoken word artist, English teacher who wants so desperately for her students to see the power of language, touched me. Kaytee Mahoney, the young, overly-idealistic TeachCorps teacher, caught between the perfection of her goals and the reality of her students, embodies many young teachers I knew. Hernan D. Hernandez, the laid back science teacher, who was always tongue tied in Lena’s presence, was the teacher who pretty much ignored the testing insanity and really taught his students. Even characters that in other hands could be seen merely as antagonistic were given depth. The assistant principals were pretty much cut outs, but I have worked with so many who fit the two in this book to a T to feel disgruntled there.
Told with wit and understanding, rotating to a different teacher in each chapter, this is the story of a school in Texas that has a new superintendent, a man who has never taught but has written a best seller about how to fix education, who turns their school on its ear. Insane initiative after initiative being forced down the teachers’ throats—I thought that the continually increasing number of things they were required to write out on their boards throughout the book was a terrific metaphor for all the foolishness teachers are saddled with.
It was a story about people. Each in their own way a dedicated teacher. Each in their own way trying to survive another year in the classroom. Each in their own way reminding me of so many I have taught with.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who teaches, especially middle and high school. It was funny and sad at the same time. I think you’ll like it.
I received a free electronic ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out all my reviews at https://mrbsbookshelf.blogspot.com