Louisiana Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley, in part of his statewide tour of schools in review of literacy efforts, paid a visit of Winnfield Primary School on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
In his 45-minute stay at the school, the superintendent met with parish supervisors and superintendent to express his views and to hear their opinions on how the current literacy strategy is working. He also went into five different classrooms to personally observe teacher/student interactions and was quietly able to get input from several students themselves.
In an effort to improve literacy skills in students across Louisiana, the state launched a program entitled “Reading Revival.” Brumley, in his discussion with supervisors, explained that the initial program did not include math so a new component to the literacy initiative has been incorporated, called “Math Refresh.”
As the superintendent views classrooms around the state, he hopes to see both Reading Revival and Math Refresh in action.
In an effort to better understand Winn’s situation in relation to other Louisiana schools, Brumley asked principal James King if his school is fully staffed. “Yes, fully staffed, though maybe not fully certificated,” replied King. In perhaps a surprising response, the superintendent said, “That’s not necessarily bad. It’s a trend across the state.”
Then Brumley heard that the newer teachers effectively receive in-house in-service training from veteran educators to aid them in their professional training and goal-setting skills. Should issues arise, King suggested, “We will help them solve problems.” There are 519 students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 4 at WPS.
At the conclusion of his classroom visits, Dr. Brumley again met with supervisors for quick observations. “I saw that teachers are engaging the students,” he observed. “I feel that in our drive for literacy improvement, we’re moving in the right direction.”
The superintendent headed next to Natchitoches Parish.
