Thanks in part to supporters of the HP Literacy Coalition, great progress has been made in Highland Park ISD. In November of 2021, a group of parents gathered together to discuss concerns and that led to six months of intense work with trustees and educators. In May of 2022, HPISD trustees announced that Lucy Calkins' Units of Study and similar Balanced Literacy instructional materials would be removed from classrooms over the summer. It was also announced that two literacy consultants would be hired to guide educators in adopting more effective literacy instruction. Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, Highland Park ISD began utilizing instructional materials aligned to the Science of Reading.
The HP Literacy Coalition looks forward to a continued partnership with HPISD to ensure teachers have the resources they need so that every student can reach their full potential with regard to literacy
Open Letter to Highland Park ISD's Board of Trustee and Administrators
Read past updates and newsletters by clicking the dates below:
10/19/22, 9/20/22, 6/23/22, 6/15/22, 5/20/22, 5/16/22, 4/21/22, 4/14/22, 3/31/22, 3/30/22, 3/22/22, 3/8/22, 3/4/22, 2/24/22, 2/15/22, 2/11/22, 1/17/22, 1/13/22
The HP Literacy Coalition advocates for effective and proven literacy education aligned to the Science of Reading in Highland Park ISD; this includes the removal of Balanced Literacy instructional materials, such as Lucy Calkins Units of Study and Fountas & Pinnell.
The Science of Reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research. This research has been conducted over the last five decades, and it is derived from thousands of studies from developmental psychology, educational psychology, cognitive science, and cognitive neuroscience. This body of work gives us a clear picture of how students learn to read and write.
Members of the coalition include a diverse group of parents, educators, and community members committed to respectfully engaging with HPISD leaders.
The HP Literacy Coalition is NOT associated with any political action committee (PAC), school board candidate, or political party.
HPISD Parent Leaders
Carolyn Chapman, Rebecca Holmes, Elizabeth Longo, Lindy Pierre, Brooke Rojas, Ashlie Seabolt, Brook Thompson, Alex Wagner, and Angelique Whitehurst
Educational Advisory Team
Anne Wicks: Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education Reform at the Bush Institute, former Associate Dean at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education; B.A American Studies and M.A. Education from Stanford University, M.B.A. from the University of Southern California, former Classroom Teacher; also HPISD Parent
Christine Pacioretty: Owner of Pacioretty Academic Support Services and doctoral candidate, former Classroom Teacher, Interventionist, and 504 Coordinator; B.A. Cognitive Psychology from Lehigh University, M.A. Special Education from Fairfield University
Kathleen Kaminsky: Former Classroom Teacher and Learning Specialist; B.A. Elementary Education from Boston College, M.A. Learning Disabilities from Columbia University; also HPISD Parent
Michelle Roy: Owner of I Heart Learning and former HPISD Teacher; B.A. Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M, Masters of Education in Reading & Writing from Southern Methodist University, Dyslexia Therapist (LDT), Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), Reading Specialist (K-12)
Community Meeting Resources
On March 7th, over 150 community members joined together to discuss literacy. For those that missed the meeting, links to the presentation and handouts can be found below:
Slide Presentation, Literacy Umbrellas, Balanced Literacy vs Science of Reading, Resources for Home