Supporters of The Learning Alliance gathered at an Appreciation Celebration Dinner at the Moorings Yacht and Country Club last Tuesday evening, lauding the organization’s groundbreaking achievements, and championing its role as the booster rocket for the Indian River County School District’s Moonshot Moment goal of having 90 percent of third-graders reading at grade level by 2018.
Joining the philanthropists and community partners in attendance were Master Coaches in the program – committed educators who oversee the training of their fellow classroom teachers and the dedicated tutors in after-school programs and summer camps.
“After-school programs and education for teachers are the keys to success in educating kids,” said Don Riefler, a Learning Alliance founder, adding that they have already received nationwide recognition. “I think that if we focus on doing a great job here in Vero Beach others will learn about it and they will emulate it.”
The theme of the evening, “It Starts in the Heart,” was echoed throughout the evening, beginning with heartfelt thanks by TLA co-founder and executive director Barbara Hammond to all who have contributed to its remarkable accomplishments in just four short years.
“Solving this literacy problem is not a spectator sport,” said Hammond, paraphrasing a comment by Ralph Smith, of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. “Everybody in this room is a player; everyone is out on the field.”
A video montage featured smiling children immersed in the various programs and singing with gusto to the song, “It Starts in the Heart,” interspersed with comments by Ray Oglethorpe, TLA board chairman, TLC co-founder Liz Woody, Hammond and others.
“In kindergarten to third grade, you learn to read. Thereafter, you read to learn,” said Oglethorpe.
Quoting the inexcusable statistic that 69 percent of the nation’s fourth graders are unable to read proficiently, Oglethorpe noted that children unable to read by the end of the third grade have only a one in seven chance of catching up.
“I became passionate about getting kids to learn how to read, because I believe that we as a nation cannot afford to allow, socially or economically, so many of our young people to fail at such an early age.”
Woody echoed that sentiment commenting that we rise and fall together as a nation and noting,
“The insight that guides and drives all we do at the Learning Alliance is to put the best interests of children at the center of every decision we make; every effort we undertake.”
“We realized, schools can’t do it alone,” said Sue Curtis, TLA educational consultant. “It takes a community.”
Hammond credited the passion of teachers with igniting the Moonshot Moment vision of Indian River County School Superintendent Fran Adams to have third graders reading at grade level as they enter fourth grade.
“And when Fran used that vision and asked the community to dream, the community said yes. And so that’s how the magic has begun.”
The video highlighted the many memorable Moonshot Moments – among them, the Moonshot Academy at Gifford Youth Activity Center, Moonshot Doctors piloted by Drs. Susie O’Toole and David Griffin, and Moonshot Sports launched by Glendale Elementary Principal Adam Faust.
Leslie Connelly, Literacy Coach at Pelican Island Elementary School touched hearts with a moving success story about a little third-grade girl struggling and kept back a year, who with Connelly’s dedicated coaching has since passed FCAT and is now at grade level.
Connelly said that the joy on the girl’s face as she realized she could actually understand what she was reading was priceless.
“She was so proud of herself and how far she came in less than a year,” added Connelly. “It’s moments like this that count. It’s moments like these that drive us as educators. It’s moments like these that make everything we go through as teachers, coaches, administers, community leaders, worth every minute.”
“As a school district, as a community and as a nation we simply must provide these fundamental skills for our children,” said Adams.
“If it were easy to solve, we wouldn’t have a national problem. The complexity and combination of poverty and reading poorly, has put many of our children in double jeopardy. Tonight I’m lifted up by the fact that I live in a community that works together to break that cycle. It’s no wonder that this community is developing national recognition.”
Adams received laughter and applause when she said, “As your superintendent, I believe that only the brave should teach!”
Toasting the educators in the room she added, “Your love of learning touches the hearts of children. To our teachers – who transform hearts and minds.”
Master Coaches boogied into the room, led by energetic Saint Edward’s School seventh grade dancers Kristi Beckett and Andrew Hurwitz, before being congratulated and recognized for their efforts.
“It is through these Master Coaches and future Master Coaches that we can create sustainable change in our school system,” said Woody.
“This impact is going all the way,” said Oglethorpe. “It really does start in the heart; way down in the soul.”
