Supporting Educators
School Impact Stories
Committed to a Brighter Future for All Learners
These stories celebrate the vision of our school partners and support the work of our dedicated fellow teachers as they bring the best possible knowledge and methods to all students, class by class, year after year. Educators’ commitments to literacy, social-emotional learning, and safe, supportive, equitable, and engaging learning environments are changing lives in our communities.
OnTop educator, a student, and Julie Erdelyi (on the right), the Stern Center’s Director of Social Learning and Communication.
This partnership has helped us design a school that truly meets the needs of our students.
Principal Bobby Riley
OnTop and Horizons Schools
Burlington’s alternative high schools, OnTop and Horizons, are partnering with the Stern Center to foster their students’ social-emotional and literacy capabilities.
What kinds of challenges do your students face?
Principal Riley: OnTop and Horizons teens know trauma all too well. Some may have grown up with needs around mental health and substance dependency, while others experienced the adversity of abuse, intergenerational poverty, or neglect. Many arrive at school without the emotional and academic skills necessary for learning.
How has the Stern Center partnership changed your school?
Principal Riley: Our work with the Stern Center makes a difference on many fronts. The targeted literacy work has documented growth for 98% of students in reading and writing. Additionally, students are making great gains in social-emotional well-being and cognition measures.
Baird School educators Kim McNamara, Sandra Limoge, and Kate Pollen
We’ve always been committed to academic rigor. Literacy, reading, and writing are priorities for us.
Special Education Director Sandra Limoge
Baird School Educators
The Howard Center’s Baird School—a K–8 school for students who need therapeutic intervention as well as intensive academic support—is working with the Stern Center on a Lead to Read literacy initiative.
What has it been like to launch a schoolwide literacy initiative?
Kim: Our teachers started with the Stern Center’s Comprehensive Reading Course and monthly coaching sessions. The content was so good and comprehensive. The ongoing coaching has been amazing, encouraging growth and accountability for everyone.
How does the Baird School help students thrive?
Sandra: Many of our students come to us having significant gaps in their skills or being so far below grade level because of their social, emotional, and behavioral needs. We are highly committed to closing gaps and having our students step away from us with more academic skills. For many of our students, school has been a painful experience. We strive to make it a very positive experience and to get them excited about learning again.
Addison Northwest School District Superintendent Sheila Soule
This is not just a small population of people struggling with reading in the U.S. We have a true crisis.
Superintendent Sheila Soule
Addison Northwest School District
The Addison Northwest School District in Vermont is bringing the structured literacy approach of Orton-Gillingham into its schools.
Why did you shift your approach to literacy instruction?
Melissa Haggett, Addison Northwest Third-Grade Teacher: My district adopted the Orton-Gillingham Approach because we had been looking at data in years before and noticed that across grade levels, we had students not meeting our benchmarks, and they were really struggling to decode and spell words.
What do schools and teachers need to make change?
Superintendent Soule: We need to be coherent and strong in our messaging and provide support for teachers. Every elementary teacher I’ve ever met wants to do the right thing—they are eager to get it right and actively participate in professional development. They just need the right support.
Amanda Rickard (top), Laura Payson (bottom)
Structured literacy not only accommodates diverse learning styles but also enhances comprehension and retention through its comprehensive and scientifically supported approach.
Literacy Specialists at Chamberlin School in South Burlington
Laura Payson and Amanda Rickard were drawn to the Stern Center for its effective teaching methods.
How does structured literacy differ from other teaching methods you’ve used in the past?
Amanda: In balanced literacy, teaching often feels accidental, based on what comes up, rather than intentional. Structured literacy provides a clear scope and sequence, which can be adjusted for individual student needs, ensuring they learn necessary skills systematically for spelling and reading.
Laura: Another key aspect of structured literacy is teaching students the rules behind reading, which they can understand and apply. Teachers might hesitate to explain these rules, fearing students won’t grasp them, but they do. Additionally, students read books that match the skills they’ve learned, boosting their confidence because they know they can read the material.
What attracted you to pursue professional learning opportunities with the Stern Center?
Amanda: The Stern Center was contracted with my school, introducing me to MindPlay and phonics assessments. I took an introductory Orton-Gillingham course and immediately wanted to pursue the associate level. The Stern Center’s offerings have been crucial in providing targeted, effective methods that have significantly improved my teaching practice.
Laura: I pursued learning opportunities with the Stern Center because of its established relationship with South Burlington and its reputation for providing targeted and intentional teaching methods. The instructors are outstanding educators who have guided me toward a deep understanding of structured literacy. Their support ensures continuous improvement in my teaching.
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