The school's literacy lab, the centerpiece of the program, helps teachers in planning their lessons and assessing students' reading skills. Dozens of other schools have also opted for their own plans. At least two teachers left the school, where whole language was previously a common instructional approach, because the new plan conflicted with their own philosophy, she adds. But the programs seem to be geared toward the masses, and progression is made for all children rather than on an individual diagnostic basis. Teacher advocates, while praising the district for attending to professional-development needs that are often ignored, say that some of the programs, when applied too strictly or in lieu of other strategies, fail to capitalize on the skill and experience of the teaching corps.
Many teachers say they like the predictability of the structured programs.
Programs like the one at Wesley Elementary School may add to the problem of teacher turnover, according to Gayle Fallon, the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, the local affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. But Fallon says it is better to have more structure than not enough. A Balanced Approach to Reading' stabilized the reading program and put the focus on making sure it is research-tested. Many teachers say they like the predictability of the structured programs. Abdelsayed, who has been at Wesley for four of her nine years as a kindergarten teacher, says she prefers direct instruction to the whole-language approach she used elsewhere.