Principals Play
a Critical Role in Promoting Early Childhood Literacy
 Maybury
Elementary School is one of Detroit
Public Schools’ “turn-around schools” working
with Michigan’s Reading First team to improve early literacy
achievement. The school serves approximately 657 pre-kindergarten
through fifth grade students. Five hundred and thirty five of
Maybury’s students receive free or reduced-price lunches.
Maybury’s principal, Ellen Snedeker, works with literacy
coach Ernestina Iglesias to improve early childhood literacy.
Leading Change asked the literacy coach about the principal’s
role in promoting literacy at Maybury Elementary. Here’s
what she had to say.
What
is the principal’s role in promoting early literacy?
At Maybury Elementary, the principal supports the literacy growth
of all students by promoting fundamental partnerships among teachers,
parents, students, and the community. The principal is approachable
and welcoming, provides a role model of excellence, and is one
of the primary forces who communicates with all stakeholders to
form the ties that bind everyone together around one central goal—student
achievement.
How does the principal support teachers?
Teachers at Maybury know that the principal expects continuous
growth and improvement in instruction. The principal supports
this growth in a number of ways:
- Provides opportunities for teachers to strengthen their practices
by providing them time to collaborate weekly. Together, teachers
look at student work and teacher practices.
- Models good instructional practices at teacher meetings.
- Identifies areas of strength and weakness, then supports
and scaffolds teacher growth.
- Assists teachers in analyzing data to target areas of need.
- Provides staff development opportunities for all.
The principal regularly visits teachers in their classrooms and
debriefs them formally and informally regarding their practices.
At Maybury, teachers are monitored and supervised and understand
that accountability is expected.
How does the principal involve parents
in meaningful ways?
Our principal tries to make parents aware of their role in their
children’s literacy. Monthly parent meetings provide parents
with key knowledge regarding literacy. Programs such as Lightspan™
bring the curriculum to the home, and parents are given the opportunity
to support that curriculum. We constantly invite parents to participate
and volunteer in the classroom. Monthly letters from teachers
let parents know what is being taught. The principal encourages
and supports staff to use “teachable moments” with parents
whenever possible to help them foster literacy in the home.
Meetings with migrant families provide information about the
importance of limiting school-year vacations. Maybury provides
kits for students who must leave so they can practice skills while
they are traveling with their working families.
How does the principal work with students
to improve literacy?
Our students know that everyone is accountable—even the
principal—to grow, behave well, be responsible, and do his/her
best. Students understand that excellence is the goal. The principal
and all staff members are there to support students.
The principal makes sure that teachers at the early grades are
skilled at using multiple assessment tools to identify problems
early. If early efforts in the classroom are unsuccessful, the
teachers refer students to the school’s resource coordinating
team. The principal works with parents and teachers to create
an intervention plan, and then we revisit the plan regularly to
ensure that it is addressing the student’s needs. Maybury
uses programs such as Lightspan™, Accelerated Reading®,
and Reading Is Fundamental that support literacy schoolwide to
provide students with sound, research-based practices aimed at
increasing early childhood literacy.
What role do principals play with community
partners?
Our principal networks with community representatives to allocate
manpower, money, and resources for
the students and parents. Community partners such as Empowerment
Zone, Communities in Schools, Reading Is Fundamental, Reading
First, UAW, Adcraft Read Aloud, Wayne State University School
of Education, and Western High School ROTC provide services or
resources to support literacy at all grade levels.
What’s the key to improving early
literacy?
At Maybury, the principal strives to create a relationship-based
atmosphere centered on supporting excellence. This culture filters
down to teachers, students, parents, and even community partners.
Each year, that message becomes stronger and the focus more centered.
For more information, contact Ellen Snedeker at Maybury
Elementary, 4410 Porter, Detroit, MI 48209, (313) 849-2014,
ellen.snedeker@detroitk12.org.
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