S6 E8: Love at the center of literacy with Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
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Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson, Deputy Chief of Curriculum and Instruction in the School District of Philadelphia, has played an integral role leading and sustaining a transition to the Science of Reading in the Philadelphia public school district. But making such a change across a large district is difficult. In this episode, Dr. Francis-Thompson (who goes by Dr. Ny) talks with Susan about Philadelphia\\u2019s experience. She also talks about her own experience learning about the Science of Reading, and offers tips to other district-level leaders and wisdom about providing all students with the liberation that comes through reading and leading\\u2014all with love at the center.
Additional Resources:
- Dr. Ny\\u2019s LinkedIn profile
- Focused implementation: Doing less to do more with Dr. Doug Reeves\\u2014Podcast episode
- 2021 The Philadelphia Citizen story: \\u201cA Better Way to Teach Reading\\u201d\\xa0
- 2021 Chalkbeat Philadelphia story: \\u201cJust 32% of Philadelphia third graders read on grade level. Freedom Schools Literacy Academy could be a model to change that.\\u201d
- A 2017 Accountability Review Council report on Philadelphia: \\u201cPromoting the Science of Reading Instruction in Philadelphia Public Elementary Schools: Early Implementation Lessons\\u201d
- Video of Dr. Ny speaking: \\u201cEquity in Curriculum\\u201d
- Dr. Ny\\u2019s 2017 dissertation: \\u201cBeyond the Pink Sand: Case Studies of Experiences of Multi-Tier System of Supports Implementation in the Bermuda Public School System\\u201d
Quotes:
\\u201cI have never met a student that did not want to learn how to read or a family that did not understand the importance of their children knowing how to read.\\u201d\\xa0
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
\\u201cWe have to listen to our young people in order to be able to move with that sense of urgency.\\u201d\\xa0
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
\\u201cLiberation is connected to our students being literate\\u2026 In order for our students to truly be free, we [need to] understand the power that reading has in their future.\\u201d
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
\\u201cWe have to remember who we are serving and why we are serving them.\\u201d\\xa0
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
\\u201cA lot of times when you\\u2019re in a large system and you\\u2019re leading a large system, it can become very robotic-like a machine. You do this, you get this, you do this, you get this. But there\\u2019s a human aspect that if you have not considered that human aspect, you could very well end up in the same place that you\\u2019re trying to move away from.\\u201d
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
\\u201cAnd while it\\u2019s a five-year strategic plan, we do have a sense of urgency and I\\u2019m sure within that there are gonna be benchmarks and hundred-day plans and smaller plans to make sure that we are actually doubling down again on the things that truly matter, that are gonna lead, outcomes for our students here in the school district.\\u201d
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson
\\u201cIf we\\u2019re only in the business of educating some students, then what are we really doing? It\\u2019s important to look at the students that are not benefitting and really identifying the things that work for that population of students rather than continuing with practices that aren\\u2019t meeting the needs of the students we\\u2019re serving.\\u201d\\xa0
\\u2014Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson