Yo Miz!: 1 teacher + 25 schools = 1 wacky year

by Elizabeth Rose

What’s really going on in our public school classrooms?
Good question.
- Journalists are not allowed in…
- Teachers risk punishment if they speak out…
- School administrators will only share the good stuff…
- Most lawmakers? Clueless.
Yo Miz! has the answer.
Yo Miz! is the seriously funny memoir of an unconventional “edu-tainer,” ejected from her home school and assigned to teach at 25 Manhattan public high schools in one wacky year.
Yo Miz! is about the kids. From el barrio to Wall Street, they’re all present…speaking in their own voices.
Yo Miz! is a remarkable odyssey through the largest public school system in the US.
Want a front row seat in class? Then Yo Miz! = required reading. Fa real!


“Despite the fact that there's never been a sub quite like Miz Rose, she manages to capture what it is about NYC schools that that both of us love (and occasionally hate). I love this book. It's a masterpiece. I couldn't put it down.” Deborah Meier, In Schools We Trust"


"Elizabeth Rose's Yo Miz! is hands down the best book ever written about being a rotating substitute teacher. Following her journey from school to school is heartbreaking and infuriating, especially because this is an incredibly talented teacher who LOVES young people. Her portraits of the students she meets are filled with empathy, humor, and an incredible ear for dialogue. But the treatment she receives, along without thousands of others in her position, is a sure sign of an education policy that has gone off the deep end, at the expense of children as well as teachers. This book takes an awful subject and brings it to life in a way that will make readers laugh and will tug at their heartstrings. A must read!” Dr. Mark Naison, Badass Teachers Unite!

Genres: Nonfiction, Education

422 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

“Edu-tainer” Elizabeth Rose swore she would never follow the advice of her parents, both teachers, and become a teacher, too. But in between creating music and comedy for stage, film and TV, she took a gig teaching songwriting in a NYC public high school. Her students, mostly from the projects, ignited her with their energy and raw creativity. Frustrated by the school’s outdated technology and lack of a music program, she raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in tech grants enabling her kids to create DVD yearbooks and record original songs. When her job was cut, she was given the choice of substituting in a different school each week–or resigning. She almost resigned. Then she realized that this assignment would give her access to a unique story. So she stayed. And wrote it. She hopes her parents are having an unearthly chuckle.

Reviews

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book and how it looked at some of the really frustrating things about teaching: district decisions/mandates, moving schools, standardized testing, etc. Her message is sweet and touching. She reminds people everywhere that teachers are willing to put up with really crappy situations for the kids--it's all about the kids, and they deserve our very best.

[Michele Pfrogner · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a veteran public school educator for 35 years, teaching was my "A" job. And even as a retiree, I missed the classroom, so I became a first grade teacher's aide. Teaching is a vocation, a calling. For Ms. Rose, a self-proclaimed "ahrteeest," teaching paid the bills. Even while she was working at schools as an ATR, she was able to write, prepare and rehearse her one-woman show, read her e-book, and leave campus for lunch. It's very easy to judge a school, its staff and teachers when a "sub" is there for maybe one week, and maybe just for several classes during that week, but there is still a "big picture." Even with my many years of classroom teaching and now with my part-time aide position, I am not privy to the "big picture." Lesson plans and administrators may "disappear," an unplanned "duty" position MAY appear, but the adult in the classroom DEALS: Plan "A," Plan "B," etc. It ain't easy, but initiating a protest using students (307-309) is not the answer... even for a book.

This book is definitely aimed at educators, and many anecdotes reminded me of a few situations I encountered. I do admire how Rose engaged, respected, and related to students (when given the chance to interact with them in a classroom), and remained civil and humorous in some extremely uninviting, negative situations. Unfortunately not much has changed in education since this book was published: standardized tests are still the priority, and the arts are still the first to be cut when finances are.

Hopefully, Ms. Rose is happy in her current position at a university, and as the author of many novels.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revealing look at the NYC public school system through the experiences of a teaching who spent a year subbing at a different school every week, one of many processes the school system does that makes zero sense. The book is really funny at times, yet sometimes it seems the humor attempts are forced. The read got a little tedious in the last half, with one experience sounding like others, and I had hoped it would end with more than additional thoughts about teaching. I wanted to know what happened with the author after this experience. Maybe it was written too soon afterward. In any case, this was an eye opening look at the absurdities of education systems and I liked the glimpses at times when the author was able to make an impact on students even in a short time. Overall I am glad I read it. Recommend to my teacher friends (and fellow education journalists).

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can relate because I'm a fellow teacher.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

YO MIZ! by Elizabeth Rose sounded so fun, but it was ultimately disappointing. The disappointment originated in her writing. That makes or breaks a book for me. When you're an adult and writing a book for adults, please don't use OMG and BTW. "Fav" in place of "favorite" is very juvenile, and "fav" should really have an "e" on the end. I had to look up what an ATR was because it wasn't explained the first time the acronym appeared in the book. It was in a glossary and footnote at the end, and there was an appendix in my version, but "ATR (Absent Teacher Reserve)" should've been placed forthwith. She uses certain words very repetitively and that adds to the repetitiveness of the story.

It's much of the same thing each week at each school that she goes to. She rants a lot about the ridiculousness of the Regents, which is justified, but to me she needed to push it a little bit further to turn it from an angry rant into a strong political statement. She also does a really fantastic job of highlighting the main problems of the Manhattan public school system. Another thing that comes through very strongly is that she really cares for the students she teaches and tries her best to connect with them on a level they're comfortable with. I am not a teacher, and from some of the reviews I've read, this book might be more appealing to you if you're a teacher.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, and don't get me wrong there were many enjoyable anecdotes, but ultimately I have huge problems with the voice of the author in this book. I couldn't help but read privilege in every story. My head was imagining a white woman writing about teaching in some schools with students of different backgrounds. And for every accomplishment, every "yo, did you hear dat?" she was patting herself on the back. I couldn't shake the nagging "Look how relatable and diverse I am" message from my head enough to enjoy the stories. Maybe I'm too similar in privilege to the author and projecting, but either way the subtle tone drove me crazy.

Received as a galley from the publisher.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Rose has written a hysterical book loaded with truth about substitute teaching in New York cities schools From day to day different schools staff kids Her assignments of stuffing envelopes sitting in the cold room teaching subjects she knew nothing about charming the support staff no matter how tough they were Any child who had her for a teacher no matter how briefly benefited by her personality her caring her empathy.at the same time she wrote&'twas starring in an off Broadway play.She Is the type of teacher you wish you or your children were lucky enough to get,

[Becki · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there were a number of humorous anecdotes I found my self bored and annoyed by the student's amazement with the author's use of slang. I lost count of how many times I read 'Yo you hear that! She just said...' or some variation of this exchange. The encounters with the students are so brief that the reader is unable to make a connection with them or learn about their stories. Yes this was an interesting look into the life of a substitute teacher I did not feel like it was an accurate portrayal of daily classroom life.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a ATR (Absent Teacher Reserve), an excessed tenured teacher, who is rotated to a different school in the NYC Public Schools every two weeks. She comes across some reasonable and unreasonable expectations, required interviews, struggling students and eager learners. An interesting read.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

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