“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” ~Frederick Douglass~ To Whom it May Concern, I am writing to express my sincere interest in continuing my career in education. I served as the English Consultant in the Curriculum and Instruction Department at the NC Department of Public Instruction, and I am eager to utilize my skills and expertise in greater capacity where I can have a direct impact on positive change to improve student achievement. As English Consultant with the Curriculum and Instruction Department at DPI, I created instructional support documents aligned to the ELA Standard Course of Study, as well as, the Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. I created and provided professional development in all 8 regions to district leaders and educators across the state. As requested by schools and districts, I customized and provided professional development based on needs assessment. I also had the opportunity to conduct Comprehensive Needs Assessments in low performing schools based on School Improvement Plans and Assessment Preparation Forms and write reports on findings. I was the lead for the State Honors Review Committee and have evaluated portfolios in over 60 districts. I have been a mentor for the Governor's Teacher Network and Kenan Fellows. I reviewed test selections and items for EOG / EOC's, as well as, the NC Check-In for grades six and seven. And, I supervised the Standards Review Committee per the Legislature to revise the Standard Course of Study for English Language Arts, K-12. (And, other work as assigned by the legislature and state department) I have extensive experience with developing and coordinating services for at-risk student populations. In my previous role as Director of Secondary English and Literacy for Durham Public Schools, I developed a district wide multi-tiered reading intervention model at the middle and high school level. In addition, as project manager for DPS’ Strategic Plan, I managed the orchestration of a comprehensive Pre-K-12 Literacy Framework that included job embedded coaching, building a network of 21 literacy leaders, administering universal screeners, and redesigning a system of progress monitoring to respond to student academic needs in a targeted, timely, and ongoing basis to improve student achievement. With twenty-one years experience in education, I am confident that the schools and teachers I could possibly serve will benefit from my diverse educational experiences and leadership skills. I have first-hand experience providing job embedded coaching, developing and facilitating literacy professional development at the school, district, and state level, developing standards based curriculum aligned to formative assessments and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and, most importantly, developing relationships with educators to build capacity in teacher leadership and delivery of verified research based instructional practices.

Highlights:

• English Language
• Facilitator
• Mentor
• Instructional Improvement Coach
• Professional Development
• Literacy Specialist