Spring Break
MU prof helps write new educational book
Amy Picard, For The Miami Student
Issue date: 11/16/04 Section: Campus
Helping educators communicate their ideas to policymakers is the objective of a new book, co-authored by Allen Berger, the Heckert professor of reading and writing at Miami University.The book, Educators on the Frontline: Advocacy Strategies for Your Classroom, Your School, and Your Profession, was also co-authored by Jill Lewis and Kathleen Stumpf Jongsma. Berger has a background in newspaper reporting and has written approximately 400 articles on reading and writing education."It is important for educators to share their ideas with the public because politicians have to have good, clean information on which to make laws - it is almost our responsibility as citizens to do so," Berger said.He said that although many educators want their ideas known, few of them know how to go about doing it. "Lots of times there is anger and frustration, but there are very little specifics on how to do it; this book gives those specifics," Berger said. Berger emphasized that the book was meant for all types of educators. "It is not just for reading teachers, but for science or math or social studies, and it's not only for teachers of those subjects but principals and other administrators - anybody that loves education and wants to do the best for children."The book was sponsored by the International Reading Association (IRA), a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting literacy and the issues associated with it worldwide. "Education policies are things every teacher needs to deal with, this book is truly a starting point for teachers to look at education issues and analyze them," said Matt Baker, editorial director of the IRA.The book also includes small vignettes in which educators from all over the United States share their ideas in a few paragraphs about things that worked or did not work for them as far as communicating ideas. In addition, Berger said they wrote to all the governors of the United States asking them for ideas on how their citizens could communicate their ideas better to policymakers. The writer of one of the vignettes, Randy Overbeck director of instructional services for Xenia Community Schools, said he contributed to the book because "unless teachers and administrators become politically active and use their voice, decisions will be made other than what is best for children's education.""The book contains a wealth of information," Berger said, "I don't think there is anything like it."
