This paper critiques the impact of neo-liberalism on postprimary education, and in particular on the teaching of English. The paper explores the implications of performativity and exam-driven schooling on the teaching and learning of poetry. The authors argue that meeting the demands of an education system dominated by technicism and…

Standards-based reform of education is a dominant political discourse in many nations. In this paper we argue that the type of standards-based reform that is enacted has important implications for teacher agency and teacher professional development. Teacher professional development and identity is explored through theories of the teacher's role in…

The argument that we need content standards in public education often ignores a fundamental question: Even if teachers have a list of standards, will they use them? In the case of California's self-proclaimed "world-class" content standards in Literary Response and Analysis, the answer to this question is an emphatic "No". As…