LANGUAGE ARTS-NEW MEXICO

Schools in England Do Away With Some Standardized Testing

Yesterday the Guardian newspaper reported that new education policy in the U.K. will do away with a high-stakes test given to 14-year-olds.  The reason?  In part, a failing of U.S.-based ETS to administer the exam.  Read more here Guardian Education 

Come to the NMCTE Conference

If you haven't already registered, consider attending the New Mexico Council of Teachers of English Fall Conference, to be held at the Nativo Hotel in Albuquerque, October 24 and 25, 2008.  The cost of registration (which includes continental breakfast, snacks, and lunch on both days) is $150.  You can print a registration form at http://www.nmcte.org.  You may disregard the late registration fee listed on the form.  

The keynote speakers are two of the foremost national authorities on adolescent literacy and the teaching of English language arts in middle school and high school.

Carol Jago has taught middle and high school English in Santa Monica, California for 32 years. Her books include With Rigor for All: Teaching the Classics to Contemporary Students and Papers, Papers, Papers: An English Teacher’s Survival Guide.  Carol knows the language arts classroom inside and out and will share her wisdom and common sense with New Mexico teachers.

 Sheridan Blau, author of The Literature Workshop, is a past president of the National Council of Teachers English, a member of the National Writing Project Task Force, and teacher of literature for two generations of students, He directs the South Coast Writing Project and the Literature Institute for Teachers at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Sheridan is always an entertaining and compelling speaker.  Don't miss him.