VIDEO: MNPS Launches Literacy Reimagined To Give Every Student Opportunities To Succeed

From the Metro Nashville Public Schools:

March 12, 2021

MNPS’s Literacy Reimagined initiative promises to teach reading and writing in a more robust and accessible way by putting curricula designed around authentic texts for students in the hands of excellent teachers.

The district launched the initiative Friday with a virtual event on Teams Live that was open to the entire community and featured remarks from Director of Schools Adrienne Battle, Mayor John Cooper, and other MNPS and community leaders.

They spoke about the power of reading as a fundamental tool of educational equity that can change a child’s world and help young people find their voice.

“Whether you’re a teacher, a principal, a support staff member, a parent, a community leader, or a student, you have a stake in this work – because a student who can’t read at grade level represents a series of missed opportunities for all of us,” Dr. Battle said.    

“Our students deserve opportunities to learn and grow. They deserve opportunities to compete for high-impact jobs in an economy that is increasingly based on knowledge and the ability to absorb, process, and synthesize information. Simply put, our students deserve every opportunity to succeed. And reading is at the heart of those opportunities.”  

Mayor Cooper said literacy “is vital to our students’ success and ultimately the city’s success.”  

“Every student deserves a high-quality education that includes a rigorous approach to English language arts instruction,” he said. “By inspiring students to experience texts and ideas on a deeper level, we can foster the curiosity and passion for knowledge that shapes young thinkers into great leaders.”

Charity Quinonez, a first-grade teacher at Goodlettsville Elementary School, was part of a group of teachers who piloted the Wit & Wisdom literacy curriculum last year. She said she was amazed by what she saw her students do.

“One of the units that we worked on had to do with informative writing, which I’ve taught many times before,” Quinonez said. “But rather than just seeing my students check, did I introduce my topic, did I have enough facts, I saw my students really delve into their writing and ask questions like, was this interesting, and have I done enough to engage my reader in this writing?  

“I’m so excited for students all across the district to get to experience the deep thinking that I saw with my students as we did the Wit & Wisdom curriculum.”

MNPS will introduce the new literacy curricula for grades K-12 at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. Information on training for parents, community members, and educators is available at bit.ly/LitReimagined.

This press release was produced by the Metro Nashville Public Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.