"Iunderstand diverse books are important. But where do the classics fit into all of this?" asked a participant in a recent professional learning session I attended about making curriculum more culturally relevant. The presenter, literacy expert Donalyn Miller, responded, "Classics to whom? Who decides something is a classic?" Fireworks began going off in my brain. Miller's question prompted me, a district curriculum coordinator supporting English teachers, to wonder: What is the purpose for requiring all students to read a specific text? Do the same texts need to be read in every classroom to ensure equity for all learners in a particular grade level or course? When does this help and when does it hinder equity?
展开▼
