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wenklar's review
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
gfarrell's review against another edition
5.0
Roxanna Elden's writing abilities are enviable. This was a standout book of the year (and on my bookshelf as a whole for that matter). Anyone with experience in public education or who knows some of its workings will have a laugh-out-loud read to the tune of Elden's fabulous satire.
shannanhicks's review against another edition
4.0
Until recently, I worked as a school librarian in a Title I school with few resources. This book was so spot on in terms of describing that experience that I wondered if the author had a video of a day in the life of my school. This book is excellent, and I definitely look forward to what is next from this author. I think my favorite character was Hernan D. Hernandez. I would have loved a science teacher like him.
whitneyc's review against another edition
4.0
really enjoyed this! funny yet realistic look at a school year through the eyes of a group of high school teachers.
bbailey10's review against another edition
5.0
This book made my teacher heart laugh, cry, rejoice, and hurt with its accuracy. The book follows Lena Wright, a spoken-word artist and Language Arts teacher, Hernan Hernandez, a science teacher with a shyness problem, Maybelline, a math teacher who wants to be perfect, and Kaytee Mahoney, a second-year history teacher trying to make a difference, among others. The shift in point of view introduces new characters, and each character has their own unmistakable voice. The book takes you through an entire school year, the first year after a new superintendent takes over and starts implementing new policies and procedures for underperforming schools. This novel offers a uniquely accurate view into the lives of teachers in America, versus the motivational, uplifting message that is usually offered in novels about teachers. I absolutely loved and hated this book. I loved its realness, its accuracy, the writing. I hated its realness and its accuracy. It shines a light on aspects of education and teacher expectations that isn’t really shown elsewhere.
*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review
*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review
knunderb's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
3.5
It was entertaining and I enjoyed the characters and how their relationships developed. I sort of thought that there were too many main characters to really get to know any of them super well.
jenlisy's review
4.0
Adequate Yearly Progress is a wildly funny novel about teaching in a large district. The book is complete with three sets of standards required to be written on the board each period, a new superintendent savior with no real classroom experience or expertise, and the whole range of teachers that you have seen in any building. I laughed so hard I cried in parts. If you have ever been involved in a large district with myriad initiatives, you will love this book. If you have ever thought about teaching, you will love this book. If you like funny, you will love this book. While the book is hilarious, it highlights the key challenges of working in a large bureaucracy trying to serve low-income students. It is an entertaining story and critique of the system, which can fail students.
jonaibclc's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting a light, funny, end-of-summer book - and this ended up being a bit more depressing than I'd hoped. Maybe because it hits close to home, especially as we head back into another school year? It wasn't a bad read, I just found it more sad than funny, in the end.
jelisela's review against another edition
3.0
I’m so torn on this book. On one hand, it’s a pretty good look at the frustrations we deal with as teachers: stupid educational policies that take time away from teaching, the focus on data collection, the realization that nothing ever comes from the data collection because we’re onto the next educational policy written by someone who spent no more than one year in a classroom, and administrators who want nothing more than power. On the other hand ... there’s no joy in this book. There was nothing about the school or the students that would make anyone want to return. I feel like, in her desire to show how frustrating working for a failing school can be, the author either forgot to show the bright spots or intentionally left them out, which made the whole thing feel incomplete.