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dawnpruyn1023's review against another edition
2.0
Mildly entertaining but never really grabbed me. A little disappointing.
nickscoby's review against another edition
4.0
In truth: this rating is more like a 4.5. I enjoyed this book IMMENSELY right from the first page. The author pulls off some very tricky feats, especially juggling multiple characters while making each of them compelling in their own ways. (While I enjoyed the chapters about Lena and Hernan, I think the writing is downright exceptional when it comes to Maybelline). I am not and have never been a K-12 public school teacher but I laughed out loud at some of these situations because they were just so relatable. I definitely think this should be mandatory reading for those bright eyed undergraduates who want to change the world and become teachers, especially those who feel called to Teach For America (insert eyeroll here). Elden presents an unflinching look at the realities and complexities of the profession. And did I mention that this book is FUNNY? So much.
erinreynoso's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
book_concierge's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
3.0
This book was fine. It was a light, enjoyable read that was pretty predictable though.
24marsha's review against another edition
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.