Baltimore City Public Schools
Leaders and educators in City Schools want their nearly 76,000 students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to pursue the future that calls them.
Recognizing that nearly two-thirds of students currently struggle with reading, they are making significant investments in bolstering teachers’ use of the science of reading through systemic professional development and a new fellowship with Leading Educators’ help.
About the Partnership
City Schools is partnering with Leading Educators to cultivate teacher expertise in the science of reading (SoR) so that all students have access to effective foundational skills instruction.
Baltimore’s students are filled with talent, dreams, and enormous potential. However, 60% of City Schools students still struggle with reading, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, writes:
We must ensure curriculum, professional development, and coaching are aligned to the science of reading. When we visit schools, we must look for that science in teaching practice… Our instructional leadership responsibility can’t be delegated to staff or deferred to preserve the status quo. It is at the heart of our mission to educate children.”
Few teachers are initially trained in scientifically-based reading instruction during their teacher preparation programs, so they unknowingly enter the classroom well-intentioned but inadequately prepared to teach kids to read.
The Approach
The City Schools Science of Reading Fellowship offers two differentiated pathways of development to bolster foundational literacy knowledge and practices.
- Pathway 1: Teachers receive ongoing cohort-based professional development and coaching.
- Pathway 2: Facilitators of adult learning get development on how to build the knowledge and skills of their peers.
Additionally, Leading Educators is designing systemic professional development for all K-5 teachers in the district, grounded in the five pillars of reading, with a specific emphasis on vocabulary and comprehension.
Maryland Leads Summary & GoalsWhat Is The Science Of Reading?
The science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of research about how proficient reading and writing develop, why some students have difficulty, and how teachers can most effectively assess and teach.
When reading, writing, speaking, and listening are part of learning in all subject areas, students gain complex knowledge, deep conceptual understanding, and the ability to write well and express themselves powerfully.
Helping Teachers Improve
In the first year, positive feedback grew as Fellows led Systemic PD Day tables, prompting a pilot for ‘extension sessions’ at school sites. Led by LE, the initiative garnered overwhelmingly positive responses from 10 Fellows, illuminating the need for a dedicated district-to-school PL and coaching system in City Schools.
Through a multi-pronged strategy, we’re helping City Schools ensure educators have many opportunities to practice what they teach and make their best even better.
Leading Educators collaborates closely with district leaders to provide strategic advice, align professional development with district goals, and support the fellowship’s design and implementation.
Leading Educators designs and delivers ongoing professional development, ensuring that teachers receive high-quality, research-based training focused on the science of reading.
Leading Educators supports the development of district-level coaches and facilitates ongoing coaching to enhance classroom practices, ultimately improving student literacy outcomes.
Partnership By The Numbers
Through a multi-pronged approach, we’re helping City Schools ensure teachers have the support to practice what they teach and make their best even better.
26 Schools
cultivating teacher expertise in the Science of Reading
8,906 Students
gaining access to effective foundational skills
30 hours of systemic PD
focused on the five pillars of literacy
43 K-5 teachers
received monthly SoR-focused professional development
Meet the Team
Dr. Mitchell Brookins
Olivia Bertucci
Jennifer Sierra
Dr. Heather Zuerblis
Brielle Brewick
About Dr. Mitchell Brookins
Mitchell has taught on the Southside of Chicago, been a district leader of RtI and literacy in Chicago Public Schools, and served as a school administrator in Chicago Public Schools and New Orleans. Mitchell’s professional engagements include: Literacy Content Reviewer for EdReports, Professional Learning Facilitator for the National Board Professional Teaching Standards, Professional Development Facilitator for UnboundEd, and a member of the Board of Directors for The Reading League.
Mitchell's instructional leadership as a school administrator has yielded the following results: 19-point growth in the School Performance Score, which moved ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy from a “D” to a “C” in one year, an average of 24% growth in Math and 16% growth in Reading over two years at ARISE Academy, and finally, Dwight Eisenhower was recognized for having the greatest growth gains of all open-enrollment charters in New Orleans and the School Performance Score increased by 12 points which resulted in the school’s letter grade moving from a “D” to a “C” in one year.
Mitchell has a B.A. in Elementary Education and Religious Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University, a M.A. in Teacher Leadership from Roosevelt University, and a PhD in Educational Administration at the University of New Orleans.
Dr. Mitchell Brookins in the news
About Olivia Bertucci
Prior to joining Leading Educators, Olivia spent the last decade as a kindergarten teacher, curriculum specialist, and instructional coach for New Orleans public schools. She also facilitates ELA and Leadership development centered on educational equity for UnboundEd. Her impact was most recently highlighted in supporting instructional initiatives that yielded Eisenhower Elementary's “highest gains” recognition for all open-enrollment charter schools in New Orleans.
Olivia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Louisiana State University and is nearing completion of a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Xavier University in New Orleans. Olivia lives just outside of the city with her husband and toddler. She enjoys festivals, boating, and makeup artistry.
About Jennifer Sierra
Jen holds a B.S. in Child Development and an M.A. in Teaching and Curriculum, both from Michigan State University. Before joining Leading Educators, she was a classroom teacher for 10 years in Godwin Heights Public Schools and worked as a coach for a non-profit focused on supporting school transformation. She is honored to be able to serve the students and educators in the districts that she both attended and taught in.
Jen lives in Grand Rapids, MI with her teenage twins. She loves traveling, baking, surfing, going to concerts and comedy shows, spending time outside, and cooking.
About Dr. Heather Zuerblis
Before joining Leading Educators, Heather spent over fifteen years as a classroom teacher, literacy instructional coach, and systems level leader in the DC area. While working at DC Public Schools, she served as an inaugural member of the LEAP team, working alongside LE partners to implement this groundbreaking initiative. In this role, she designed districtwide literacy professional development experiences, as well as provided leadership coaching to school-based instructional leaders. Most recently, she served as the Senior Manager of Literacy Professional Development Design at Amplify.
Heather earned her doctorate in Educational Policy & Leadership, with a concentration on Early Literacy Intervention, from American University. Her dissertation focused on centering the experiences of BIPOC school principals as they strategically implemented programing to align to Reading Science. She holds an M.Ed. from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. Heather also serves on the board of The Reading League’s DC Chapter. She enjoys spending time with her husband, a career Special Educator, her son James, and their new puppy.
Dr. Heather Zuerblis in the news
About Brielle Brewick
Previously, Brielle led strategic planning for partnerships in Oakland, Grand Rapids and Chicago. As the National Delivery Manager at Leading Educators she managed logistics and operations for national events. Before joining Leading Educators, Brielle supported teacher leadership initiatives with the Partnership for Los Angeles schools and managed several large scale professional learning opportunities for educators across LAUSD. Prior to joining the non-profit sector, Brielle worked as an elementary special education teacher at a turnaround school in the Bronx, NY.
Brielle holds an M.A. in Elementary Special Education from Hunter College and a B.A. in Sociology from Fordham University. She lives in South Bend, Indiana, with her husband, two kids and dog and spends her free time reading, hiking and traveling.
Brielle Brewick in the news
Learn About Our Math Work with City Schools
In addition to the science of reading, we are also partnering with Baltimore City Public Schools to support teacher professional learning toward rigorous and joyful math instruction.
