2023 Annual Conference
Unraveling the Strands: Digging Deeper into the Science of Reading
Come join us as we delve deeper into the Science of Reading. Learn from internationally renowned speakers including Jane Ashby, Nadine Gaab, Charles Haynes, Joan Sedita, Carol Tolman, Mitchell Brookins, Louisa Moats, Leslie Laud, Heidi Zollman, and Linnea Ehri.
Check out the Event Webpage Here.
Register NOW
New Vermont Digger Article: In education secretary search, a new issue rises to the surface: reading
As Vermont looks to hire a new secretary of education, Vermonters have weighed in with their preferred qualifications for a candidate. The state’s top education official, parents, educators and administrators say, should support public education, promote equity and opportunity for students, and revitalize what some see as an ineffectual agency.
Some Vermont advocates are pushing for a secretary with expertise in one particular area: teaching kids to read.
“We feel like there’s a tremendous opportunity for our state right now in appointing a leader who has the reading crisis high on their radar,” said Laurie Quinn, the president of the education nonprofit Stern Center for Language and Learning. “Who understands the opportunity that we have right now in Vermont to turn the reading crisis around for our kids.”
The push comes amid a nationwide reckoning over how kids learn to read, as a grassroots advocacy movement pushes schools to change their reading curricula to better follow scientific data.
Legislatures in dozens of states have implemented reforms intended to bring reading instruction in line with that research. Now, Vermont advocates are seeking a new secretary who will follow in their footsteps.
Too Many Vermont Kids Struggle to Read ~ What Went Wrong and Can Educators Reverse a Years Long Slide?
As Vermont seeks a new Secretary of Education, parents, teachers, an community members advocate to pass legislation to ensure effective dyslexia screening and structured-literacy curriculum and instruction.What Every Parent Needs to Know About Learning To Read
A presentation by IDA NNEA Board Members Abby Roy and Nicole Chick
What Every Parent Needs to Know About Learning to Read
by Abby Roy & Nicole Chick
Sponsored by the Vermont Family Network, The Reading League-Vermont, the Stern Center, and your own IDA-NNEA.
Your IDA-NNEA board members, Abby Roy and Nicole Chick provide an informative webinar on what families need to know about learning to read.
Improving Reading Performance:
Exploring the Mississippi Miracle with Dr. Dorinne Dorfman
Mississippi’s extraordinary reading gains over the past decade have received national attention. Efforts to train principals and teachers and adopt curricula and assessments in the Five Components of Reading stemmed from a shared belief among political, business, and education leaders. IDA-NNEA Board Member Dr. Dorinne Dorfman has researched the “Mississippi Miracle” and spent several days interviewing teachers and other leaders and observing literacy instruction in six high-poverty schools, from Pre–K to high-school seniors. She returned with powerful findings and fresh ideas to share with all those who care about student reading in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
View her presentation on youtube here. Access the slide presentation and check out the executive summary too.
Letter Writing Campaign
Dear Fellow Vermonter,
We are currently awaiting the appointment of a new permanent Secretary of Education.
Now is the time to organize efforts to encourage Governor Scott and members of the State Board of Education to choose a Secretary that is knowledgeable in the Science of Reading and supportive of structured literacy instruction in our Vermont classrooms.
Please consider writing a letter to Governor Scott and the State Board of Education members, urging them to appoint a new Secretary that will prioritize improving literacy instruction in our state. The next State Board meeting is on June 21st, so act fast!