What happens at the intersection of law and literacy? 

In this All for Literacy episode, Dr. Liz Brooke breaks down literacy policy at the state level with Dr. Kymyona Burk, a longtime advocate of establishing the science of reading in schools across her home state of Mississippi and beyond. 

Burk currently serves as senior policy fellow for early literacy at ExcelinEd, an organization dedicated to advancing a broad range of student-centered policy solutions nationwide. Previously, Burk served as executive director for the Jackson Public School District’s Office of Teaching and Learning in Mississippi and as the state literacy director at the Mississippi Department of Education.

Brooke and Burk dive into how state policy affects classroom-level activities, how to best implement new changes in educational law, and the differences between literacy instruction in early education versus at the middle or high school level. Walk away with the knowledge of how to best empower teachers and educators to implement and adapt to changes in state and countrywide policies on literacy instruction. 

Episode Breakdown

(00:52) – Kymyona Burk’s journey into education

(04:48) – How literacy instruction shifts for middle and high school students

(11:13) – Burk’s experience as state literacy director

(13:59) – Effective policy implementation

(21:27) – The science of reading as a genuine literacy movement

(26:28) – Empowering educators to implement new policy

(34:34) – Literacy assessment and reporting

(41:23) – Policy and older students

(43:54) – The future of the science of reading

About Dr. Kymyona Burk 

As senior policy fellow for early literacy at ExcelinEd, Kymyona Burk helps states establish comprehensive approaches to K–3 reading policies. Previously, Burk served as executive director for the Jackson Public School District’s Office of Teaching and Learning in Mississippi and as the state literacy director at the Mississippi Department of Education. Bringing classroom experience to policy development, she began her career as an elementary reading teacher and taught middle and high school English. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Dr. Kymyona Burk, Twitter, @kymyona_burk

Dr. Liz Brooke, Twitter @LizCBrooke

ExcelinEd

Mississippi's Literacy-Based Promotion Act

Florida’s Third-Grade Literacy Law

Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS)

“Hard Words: Why Aren’t Our Kids Being Taught to Read,” Emily Hanford, APM Reports

“Sold A Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong,” Emily Hanford, APM Reports

“Why Some Teacher’s Unions Oppose ‘Science of Reading’ Legislation,” Sarah Schwartz and Madeline Will, Ed Week

“Kentucky is stuck in an early literacy crisis: What it can do to change course,” Mandy McLaren, Louisville Courier Journal

“After Courier Journal investigation, lawmakers vote to ax contract with literacy center,” Mandy McLaren, Louisville Courier Journal

Virginia’s Literacy Act

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Is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) the latest fad in education or is it a crucial element of the success and well-being of students and educators? We’ve all seen the SEL methods Ted Lasso uses to inspire his soccer players on the hit TV show, but do they really contribute to long-term learning and success?

In this episode, host Dr. Liz Brooke speaks with Trisha DiFazio and Allison Roeser about the now-popular idea of SEL and how it fits into the educational environment. DiFazio and Roeser are the authors of Social Emotional Learning Starts with Us, an essential resource that guides teachers through strategies to implement SEL into everyday instruction. 

Dive into how the relationships, mindsets, and emotional regulation fueled by SEL contribute to the long-term success and empowerment of students, teachers, and administrators. 

DiFazio, Roeser, and Dr. Brooke discuss how to use SEL to guide social media use, cultivate mindsets that lead to success, and encourage students to make the kind of mistakes that fuel growth. They also walk listeners through the neuroscientific research at the heart of social-emotional well-being. 

Does social-emotional learning have staying power? Is it as important as people say? Listen in to find out.

Episode Breakdown

(00:30) - Is social-emotional learning a fad or part of a political agenda?

(04:53) - Making time for SEL in the classroom

(09:44) - Assessing teachers’ social and emotional well-being

(12:24) - Using technology to support SEL

(17:53) - Modeling a growth mindset for students

(19:35) - Social Media, SEL, and the brain

(24:35) - How SEL affects academic performance

About Trisha DiFazio and Allison Roeser 

Trisha DiFazio and Allison Roeser are the authors of Social Emotional Learning Starts with Us, an essential resource that guides teachers through strategies to implement Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into everyday instruction. 

DiFazio is a former classroom teacher and adjunct professor of education. Currently, she’s an education consultant, speaker, and award-winning screenwriter. Roeser has more than a decade of experience in leadership coaching and curriculum and program design. She currently works as a leadership and life coach.

Mentioned in this Episode

Social Emotional Learning Starts with Us by Trisha DiFazio and Allison Roeser

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Ted Lasso: 12 Lessons on Social and Emotional Learning

Trisha DiFazio, Twitter @TrishaDifazio

Allison Roeser, Twitter @AllisonRoeser

Liz Brooke, Twitter @LizCBrooke

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Host Liz Brooke and educational speaker and consultant Carl Hooker walk listeners through the thoughtful integration of technology into classrooms and schools. An educator for 21 years, Hooker’s career has been guided by one core belief—students need to drive their own learning. And he sees technology as the path forward. Are educator jobs being replaced by technology? Or is technology a powerful tool that must be integrated into classroom instruction? This episode provides an insightful look into how literacy tech tools can help students feel confident, assertive, and empowered to drive their own learning. Brooke and Hooker also explore the hot-button issue of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and their place in the classroom. What does conscious, effective implementation of tech tools look like in your school?

Episode Breakdown

(03:26) – How technology fuels student independence

(05:28) – Gathering and using data to improve classroom instruction

(08:30) – Are educator jobs vulnerable to automation?

(12:38) – How technology supports professional learning and development for teachers

(15:51) – Technology as a classroom orchestration system

(18:42) – Technology and the science of reading

(23:20) – Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, and the classroom

(28:51) – Creating safe-to-fail environments for students and teachers

About Carl Hooker 

An educator for 21 years, Carl Hooker has had multiple positions in education from first-grade teacher to virtualization coordinator to director of innovation and digital learning. As a speaker and consultant, he offers a wealth of practical tools and ideas that teachers can use to thoughtfully implement technology in their classrooms today.

Mentioned in this Episode

Will Robots Take My Job? Website

Wings of Fire book series

K12 Leaders

“Top 5 EdTech trends for 2023” – Kevin Martin, Cambridge Flip

“ChatGPT banned from New York City public schools’ devices and networks” – NBC News

ChatGPT from OpenAI

https://carlhooker.com/

Carl Hooker, Twitter, @mrhooker

Carl Hooker, Instagram, @hookertech

Liz Brooke, Twitter @LizCBrooke

“We’re trying to get all kids to read and do it as quickly as possible, but as sustainably as possible. So that they have a fighting chance,” Kareem Weaver, co-founder of FULCRUM-Oakland, says in the latest episode of our All for Literacy podcast. 

Join host Dr. Liz Brooke and Weaver for a passionate discussion about literacy as a civil right and the importance of literacy as a foundational skill that shapes a child’s future. 

Dr. Brooke and Weaver dive right into the crucial issues that arise at the intersection of literacy, race, and opportunity—key topics of conversation for educators and leaders today. 

Ready to feel fired up and more prepared to bring long-term solutions to your classrooms, schools, and districts with literacy instruction that works? 

Kareem Weaver, Twitter @KJWinEducation

Liz Brooke, Twitter @LizCBrooke

Episode Breakdown

(6:58) Morgan State becoming IDA certified

(12:49) The economics of literacy

(14:28) The “Wait to Fail” model of assessment

(21:02) This is not political

(30:38) The three next steps

About Kareem Weaver

Kareem Weaver is co-founder and executive director of FULCRUM which partners with educational institutions to improve reading results for students. 

He also serves as the Oakland NAACP’s 2nd vice president and chair of its Education Committee, and his advocacy is featured in the upcoming film, “The Right to Read.”

Mentioned In This Episode:

FULCRUM-Oakland

The Right to Read film

NAACP Education Innovation

The Marva Collins Story

Podcast Episode—Literacy and Teacher Prep with Dr. Simone Gibson

Black and Dyslexic Podcast

The Right to Read Commission

International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 

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 Lexia® Chief Learning Officer Dr. Liz Brooke interviews Emily Hanford, education journalist and host of “Sold A Story,” and Dr. Tiffany Hogan, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, about Hanford’s 2022 groundbreaking podcast series exposing decades’ worth of failed strategies to teach children to read. They discuss the intense national reaction to “Sold A Story,” continued media and community reaction, and a candid view into how to make the science of reading “stick” after decades of research and data.

Episode Breakdown

(0:44) — The why behind the Emily Hanford podcast “Sold a Story”

(8:19) — The national educator response to “Sold a Story”

(12:38) — How kids are held back when schools teach habits of struggling readers

(16:15) — Teacher preparation program shortcomings and what needs to change

(20:37) — The real components of language comprehension

(32:21) — Grade 4-12 teachers response to the literacy conversation

(36:52) — The breakdown between data and research and the classroom

(44:37) — The next steps to making the science of reading “stick”

About Emily Hanford 

Journalist Emily Hanford brought the literacy conversations into American homes with the serial podcasts, “Hard Words: Why Aren’t Our Kids Being Taught to Read?” and “Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong.” 

Hanford is a senior correspondent and producer for APM Reports, the documentary and investigative journalism group at American Public Media, and her work on education has appeared on National Public Radio and in The New York Times, Washington Monthly, Los Angeles Times, PBS NewsHour, and other publications.

Episode Resources

The Hechinger Report — “OPINION: A call for rejecting the newest reading wars”

Reading Rockets — “Teachers Won’t Embrace Research Until It Embraces Them” by Margaret Goldberg

APM Reports — “Hard Words: Why Aren’t Our Kids Being Taught to Read”

APM Reports — “Sold A Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong”

Emily Hanford, Twitter @ehanford

Tiffany Hogan, Twitter @TiffanyPHogan

Liz Brooke, Twitter @LizCBrooke

Curious about the whole season?

Our next episode features Kareem Weaver of FULCRUM-Oakland.

Join our community of listeners and never miss an episode. 

Subscribe to “All for Literacy” today!