Thank You, Mrs. Petersen! (Note: Last names are hidden to protect the innocent.)
I taught first grade for five years in a school where the majority of students were second language learners who qualified for free and reduced lunch. After realizing I needed to know more about teaching reading more effectively, I took a leave of absence to pursue my master’s degree in reading/language arts. While finishing coursework for my degree, I tutored students (K-7) in a one-to-one setting. Personally, I believe that all the tutoring I did while getting my master’s was one of the best things I could have done. I think I learned more during that short time than I would have learned in many years in the general classroom.
Shortly after receiving my master’s degree and reading specialist credential, I worked as a reading specialist for four years in an affluent school district. I worked at two different schools. In the first school, the teachers had wanted a reading specialist for many years, but the opportunity never arose. When it finally did, they knew exactly what they wanted. They immediately flew the 50% contract position and began interviewing.
My first interview at that school only consisted of three educators (the principal and two teachers.) My second interview was made up of eight (the principal and one teacher from each grade level). Although it was slightly intimidating, I thoroughly enjoyed it because I could tell how passionate they were about finding the right person for their school and because they really made me TWRC (think, wonder, reflect, and connect). I was overjoyed when they chose me. I was also thankful that the principal had enough trust in me to design a program that I felt would be the most effective for their school. After a few months of working at the school, I was delighted when I was told that the upper grade teachers, who were infamous for complaining about everything, loved having me at their school.
After two years of working in this dream position, I realized I wanted more than a 50% contract. At a nearby school, one of my former university professors was teaching Read 180. When she was asked to work full-time at the district office, she found out that I was looking for another 50% position. She recommended me for the position. A short time later, I interviewed with the principal and she hired me. After my first year there, she retired and a first-year principal took her place. The new principal informed me that she was unfamiliar with the Read 180 program, but was eager to learn more.
Both schools used the Read 180 program. The first school also used the program I designed which consisted of using the QuickReads program in conjunction with a lot of work with Question-Answer-Relationships and the Nifty Thrifty Fifty. If you teach Read 180 with fidelity, students are pulled out of the classroom for 90 minutes, five days a week. In my program, students were pulled out of the classroom for 30 minutes, three days a week.
Although I am not a statistician, I did receive honors in the one statistics class I took for my master’s degree. After careful analysis, it seemed that the students in the QuickReads program consistently outperformed those in the Read 180 program at both schools. I think this is significant because the QuickReads students spent much less time with me per week than the Read 180 students did. More importantly, they were able to spend more time in their general education classes learning all about the content areas, which play a significant role in reading comprehension.
I mentioned this to the new principal at my second school several times and suggested ways I felt the Read 180 program could be improved. I even went so far as to print out spreadsheets so she could see the results herself. It seems that her position was that since I was hired to teach Read 180, I must teach it with fidelity. Keep in mind that I did not want to change everything about the Read 180 program, but I definitely wanted to incorporate the things I used at my first school that seemed so successful. One more thing to consider, is teaching a flawed program with fidelity always what is best for students?
This brand-new principal who admitted that she did not know anything about the Read 180 program observed me just once in the classroom when children were present. I chose to teach a complicated lesson for the Nifty Thrifty Fifty. On her evaluation, I met or exceeded expectations in most areas, but she gave me an unsatisfactory in one because I was not on a certain page in the program. In all my years in the education profession, I had never received an unsatisfactory mark before and it really bothered me.
I wrote a lengthy response to explain my rationale and asked that we meet in the spirit of professional learning. I also invited her to observe me again. She set up several meetings, but most of them were postponed and then canceled. Further, she never attempted to make another classroom observation. We finally met about two days before I was informed I would not receive a contract for the following school year. The reason given was that, “I was not a program match.” I can partly understand that, as I did not fully agree with the Read 180 program. However, I do not see how this decision should have affected my position at the first school, but it did and I lost that one as well.
After word spread around both schools, the teachers with whom I worked were so shocked they thought I was joking. I was shocked, too. I wrote a lengthy letter to the board explaining my thoughts about the Read 180 program, and about what had transpired between the principal and me. The teachers sent a petition to the board requesting that they reverse their decision. Both were to no avail. The decision stood. Ironically, the Read 180 program disappeared from the entire school district the following year. From my understanding, a rationale for this decision was not given to the teachers.
We'll Miss You, Mrs. Petersen! (Note: Last names are hidden to protect the innocent.)
I have been looking for a reading specialist position ever since, especially one where the principal understands that that no program is guaranteed to help every student succeed. I am looking for a school where the educators are true thinkers who do a lot of wondering, reflecting, connecting, and refining–a true Professional Learning Community (PLC.)
I have a master’s degree in reading/language arts and a reading specialist credential. I have served on my local reading council as registrar, vice-president, president elect, and currently as the president. I love to keep up with research in the field of literacy and have been to six International Reading Association conventions (Reno, 2004; Chicago, 2006; Toronto, 2007; Atlanta, 2008, Minneapolis, 2009; and Chicago, 2010); a four day institute at the University of California, Berkeley in July 2006 (Developing Tomorrow’s Thinkers: Comprehension and Beyond); and just recently, the United States Department of Education’s Reading Institute in Anaheim (July 2010). In addition to these conferences, conventions, and institutes I attend many literacy-related webinars, local conferences, and subscribe to “The Reading Teacher” and “Reading Research Quarterly.” While looking for a new position this past year, I created a Personal Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter and Facebook. The educators in my network consistently amaze me by the quality of resources they share, and by the amount of reflection they do together. The value of this new community is immeasurable and I am truly thankful I found them.
Overall, I would consider myself very well read in the field of literacy. I believe I have excellent rapport with students and teachers. I also believe I have had a great rapport with four of the six principals with whom I have worked. (One was taken away in handcuffs.)
So there you have it. That’s my side of the story. Now, I will get to the point of this lengthy post. I just found an opening for a literacy coach position. I have not been a literacy coach before and I know that different schools define the position in many ways. I am not looking for a position where the literacy coach is mostly a program fidelity monitor. From what I can tell, this position is not like that. Here is what it says,”
Under the direction of the Director of the Title I school site administrator, to provide peer coaching (consultation, staff development, and instructional support) to K-6 teachers and school site teams to promote students’ academic literacy.
Here are some of the requirements that I am not sure I meet:
Recent training and experience (minimum 2 years) in coaching/mentoring, such as Support Provider, Master Teacher, Program Specialist, or Resource Teacher.
I was the Title I Representative at my school for three of the four years, so I have a good understanding of how it runs and that should help. I was a master teacher and BTSA mentor when I taught first grade, but that is not recent. I also closely mentored a fabulous teaching assistant throughout my four years as a reading specialist at the first school. I am hopeful that together, they will meet the coaching/mentoring requirement.
Here are my questions for you:
- If you are a literacy coach, what are your primary responsibilities? What qualities do you think makes a good coach? If it were up to you, what would you do as a literacy coach?
- If you are a teacher, I would love to hear your experiences with literacy coaches (the good, the bad, and the ugly.) I would also love to hear what you think makes a good literacy coach. If it were up to you, what would they do?
- Finally, and most importantly, do you think I have the potential to be a good literacy coach? Why or why not? If you choose to answer this one, please be sure to explain how you know me. Generalities can be used (i.e. where you taught first grade, the first school, the second school, Facebook, Twitter, local reading council, etc.)
Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Literacy related job openings here in Southern California are rare these days and time is of the essence on this one.
Sincerely,
Julie
