Robert C. McOuat

Learn more

Lucy Calkins: New scapegoat for public school ills

Lucy Calkins has been defrocked, and her group dissolved by Teachers College, Columbia University. What happened? For 40 years, Lucy Calkins, a professor of education at Columbia University, developed one of the nation’s most widely used reading instruction programs. Suddenly, cognitive scientists declare her methods to be ineffective. Her Columbia training program was shut down. Calkins is now blamed for siphoning millions of dollars from public education programs and for developing an unsuccessful curriculum. Why did it take 40 years to realize her program did not work? Why is she the scapegoat? How many school districts, state departments of education, and university departments of education blindly followed? Why did we suddenly decide her approach was wrong and she should be vilified?

Now, North Carolina finds itself back at square one. In a grand display of legislative enthusiasm, state lawmakers have allocated $114 million to provide LETRS training (Lexia® LETRS®, for those keeping track of trademarks) to over 44,000 K-5 educators. What a coincidence that American education has unearthed a new hero (Lexia® LETRS®, The Reading League®) while simultaneously crafting Calkins as our scapegoat du jour? It’s amusing how every school district and college of education has been cheerfully supporting her views for years, only to flip the script faster than you can say “educational reform.”

So what gives? Why did Calkins go from being the beloved superhero of literacy instruction to the villain in this educational saga? Is the Lexia® LETRS® The Reading League® trademarked-reform-complex an elaborate game of educational charades? As we navigate this whirlwind of so-called educational change, it’s essential to keep our eyes peeled for misrecognition masquerading as ambition—because sometimes it feels like we’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic while pretending it’s all part of a grand renovation project.

Lucy Calkins was just an idealistic, over-educated white woman with a heart brimming with good intentions, determined to help teachers and kids alike. But let’s be real: whose fault was it really for following her blindly for a staggering forty years? It’s almost comical to think about it. After all this time, isn’t it a bit strange to suddenly point fingers at her when everyone else seemed perfectly content to go along for the ride? Now we’re left scratching our heads, pondering whether the hefty $114 million will actually save NC public schools or simply perpetuate the same old status quo that has been dragging us down. And what if—dare I say it—we’ve just managed to burn out our already frazzled teachers with yet another round of overbearing staff development? Will teachers slip back into those teacher-proof curricula that feel more like educational purgatory than actual learning experiences? Or perhaps they’ll be subjected to institutional programs that reduce education to mere checklists—because who needs creativity and critical thinking when you can have standardized tests and scripted lessons instead?

Let’s be honest—when it comes to educational training, there’s a fine line between “game-changer” and “how did I end up here?” Teachers and students everywhere are holding their breaths, secretly hoping that this could be the magical potion we’ve all been waiting for. So here’s to LETRS! May it truly be the game-changer we’re all banking on—for our hardworking teachers who deserve every bit of support possible and for students eager to dive into an exciting world of reading and writing. Fingers crossed this might just make teaching feel the impact of their hard work and leading to win-win classroom production!

Further reading and citations:

Leave a comment