A review by bbailey10
Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanna Elden

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