An Open Letter to ULit Reading Coaches

Dear Universal Literacy Initiative reading coaches,

We have known some of you since 2016, and have gotten to know each of you in dozens of professional development sessions over subsequent years. Your passion for Reading Rescue meant that many of you found time - even when your schedules seemed impossible - to work with a student whose foundational reading skills are intact because of you. You know that without those foundational reading skills - like recognition of phonics, the ability to blend sounds - these students would have a more difficult time throughout their academic careers and beyond. You creatively apply these skills to your coaching for K-2 literacy across your building. The impact you have on students is immeasurable. 

Your expertise, enthusiasm for evidence-based intervention, and best practice-sharing have made Literacy Trust a better community partner. Year upon year, you recommend that we work directly with your schools, and you advocate for Reading Rescue because you care about access to programming that works for students who need it. As community members and your partners, we appreciate that you believe in the possibility of capacity-building in your school, and work hard to craft early literacy programming that meets the needs of your communities. 

Like you, we believe in the transformative power of literacy. Students in every school deserve rigorous, robust, evidence-based literacy instruction. It is a key component of education equity. 

Come what may, we are here to support you this school year in bringing excellence and equity to our city schools. Thank you for your dedication to your students, your school communities, and to your own health and safety. 

In solidarity,

Literacy Trust

(PS- In case you missed these, here are articles in Chalkbeat, The NY Daily News, and Ed Week about literacy instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic)