|
The Northern Regional meeting is a thing of the past. The close of that meeting brought to a formal end the fourth-year schools' official involvement in the meetings of Cornerstone Initiative… until Foundation status is achieved. As I look back over the past four years, I am awe-struck. I ponder the incredible work that has been done in the name of children. The Continuous Professional Development model that was presented by Dave Younkin at the regional meeting seems to be a good way to summarize the work of the past four years. The Cornerstone Initiative: Stage 1: What and Why? In the summer of 2000, many strangers and I came together with a common vision: that all children reach an acceptable level of literacy by the end of third grade. That vision was restated, reinforced and revisited at each and every event that Cornerstone sponsored. Throughout the four years, the Literacy Framework was unlocked ever so carefully as each key component was scrutinized. The framework, grounded in research-based best practices to ensure credibility, guides the work and is updated, as new research is unveiled. I was often overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy, frustration and uncertainty. I often thought that the Cornerstone staff had no idea what they were doing! Did the left hand really know what the right hand was doing? I sincerely doubted it! However, I knew I had made a serious commitment and this was serious work. I remember a quote by J.F.K. given at one of the first meetings, "We do this work not because it is easy, but because it is difficult." I didn't realize at the time just how difficult this work was going to be. But I was committed to working to make an impact to improve literacy instruction for children, so I persevered. The Cornerstone Initiative: Stage 2: What Does It Feel Like? Through rigorous---and I do mean rigorous---adult learning experiences, I was challenged to question, inquire and discover important issues that profoundly affect literacy teaching and instruction. The Socratic seminars allowed me to examine some really tough issues --- issues that cannot be overlooked in the overall picture of education. Seminars featuring Brown Eyes – Blue Eyes; High Expectations-Low Expectations-Issues of Race, Class and Culture; and Counterfeit Teaching provided the basis for inquiry. I was fortunate to gain the perspectives of colleagues from many different locations with various levels of expertise and to appreciate the differences of opinion. The seminars opened my eyes, raised my consciousness, and broadened my schema. Although these sessions made me feel a bit uncomfortable, they expanded my thinking and helped me to synthesize my thoughts. The Cornerstone Initiative: Stage 3: What Does It Look Like? I was exposed to a multitude of experiences to observe the best-of-the-best at their craft. Modeled lessons, intense discussions, and cognitive coaching sessions led to a better understanding of crafting effective literacy instruction. Steve Prigohzy, Kevan Collins, Ellin Keene, Lu Lewis, Debbie Miller, Bruce Morgan, Edna Varner, Sara Schwabacher, Dave Younkin, as well as principals, coaches, critical friends, district strategy managers and nameless other experts throughout the network, walked me through the stages of the literacy framework, patiently, one step at a time. They shared their passion for children and for literacy so powerfully that their passion soon became mine as well. These colleagues experienced my frustrations, my triumphs, and my challenges side-by-side with me. They were there to soften the pain and guide me to work out the problems collaboratively. I was fortunate to observe colleagues in my school, our colleagues' schools, schools within the Cornerstone network as well as classrooms in London, England. Because of those opportunities, I truly realize how universal the struggle is to educate children successfully. The school review process allowed me the opportunity to be a neutral observer of the big picture of school reform. It taught me to prioritize, and how to focus on a few important issues for a long period of time in order for sustained change to be effective. It showed me how to look for evidence that shows that progress is being made in areas other than standardized tests. Through reflective discussions with colleagues at all levels of the educational hierarchy, I was able to assist in making recommendations for improvement. I witnessed the beginning of a metamorphosis at Scranton school. I watched as teachers went through the stages of denial, (we don't need to change anything), acceptance, (well, maybe that would work), and action (I want to be a part of that success.) A spirit of collaboration has been achieved, where staff members are open and willing to assist in the planning, implementation and reflection of literacy lessons. I have seen the school climate dramatically improve as we chipped away at building trust and confidence in each other as peer professionals. Students have been transformed from passive, reluctant readers and writers to motivated, eager, enthusiastic learners. These events did not occur overnight, nor have they reached their full level of capacity for effectiveness. However, Scranton School is definitely a different place than it was four years ago because of the implementation of the Cornerstone Initiative. The summer institutes provided a forum for me to celebrate my successes and present a professional development session for my Cornerstone colleagues. It helped me to gain experience and confidence in my role as a Cornerstone Coach. The institutes further allowed me to network with colleagues and express my concerns and frustrations in a non-threatening environment with others having similar encounters. Using various forms of communication and current technological methods enabled me to keep abreast of new information. I was able to share my areas of success, concerns, and questions with other educators throughout the Cornerstone network. Using videoconferences, email, newsletters, professional articles, book studies, and visits by the experts, I was able to polish my craft. With the collaboration of the team, I shed blood, sweat and tears for the common goal of students everywhere: to reach an acceptable level of literacy by the end of third grade. The Cornerstone Initiative: Stage 4: What Now? What Next? I consider myself one of the true cornerstones of this initiative, a piece of the firm foundation that Cornerstone is building. I am honored to be a part of the Cornerstone Initiative, a colleague with the best-of-the-best literacy experts. I have appreciated being treated with the utmost respect and professionalism that so often is missing in the educational arena. Cornerstone has left an indelible impression on me. I am challenged to leave that same indelible impression on Scranton School---our staff, our students, and our parents---that will last a lifetime. I am proud to call myself a Cornerstone Coach. Cornerstone is a work in progress, ever evolving. My charge is to continue to do the work, which so diligently and painstakingly began four years ago, and do it well. I need to keep the vision with which we began this process first and foremost at the center of everything my colleagues and I do to educate children "to read, to write, to think critically, to reason, to analyze and evaluate information, to communicate effectively in a variety of forms, and to inquire systematically into any important matter." It has been a tremendous four-year adventure, one that I wouldn't change for a minute. To the new team members coming on board, you're in for one wild ride! To the second, third and fourth year teams, please don't forget my first-year colleagues and me. We've set the foundation; it's up to you to continue to build on it and insure that educators receive the professional development needed to insure successful literacy education for all children - one school at a time. As Kevan Collins so succinctly stated, it's our moral responsibility to do so. The challenge is there---are you up to it? |
