FACES OF ALIGNMENT NASHVILLE
Alignment Nashville is built on the foundation of collaboration and community. We could not do our work without dedication, support, and input from organizations, businesses, and leaders throughout the city. Faces of Alignment Nashville is an effort to share the stories of the many individuals who lend their talents and time to positively impact the lives of our city's youth and the success of the city as a whole.
Stacey Neiman, M.ed - President, Nashville Area Association for the Education of Young Children
Pre-K Alignment Team
Since its inception, the Pre-K team has developed tools and resources to promote kindergarten readiness. In 2013, the team improved and refined these tools and made them available online to families and educators through iTrails.org. Pre-K A-Team member Stacey Neiman answers questions about how iTrails helps families and educators prepare students for kindgarten.
How did you find out about iTRAILS?
My first exposure to the iTrails site was at the first Pre-K alignment meeting I attended in early spring, 2013.
"The literacy activities are great! They provide teachers with activities that extend the experience beyond reading. The fact that the activities are meaningful, active, and developmentally appropriate is terrific!"
Which features of iTRAILS do you think could be beneficial to day care providers and community pre-k sites?
The literacy activities are great! They provide teachers with activities that extend the experience beyond reading. The fact that the activities are meaningful, active, and developmentally appropriate is terrific!
What do you think is most helpful in preparing students for kindergarten?
The family piece is essential! Parents get to spend time with their children while reading, playing, and moving shows children that learning is fun. And the idea that parents are sharing in this experience helps children to see how committed to their education parents are. In turn this helps children become prepared for school and the foundation for school success is set.
What can we do to make iTRAILS even more useful for community educators going forward?
I would like to see more social and emotional activities and ideas shared. Parents are their child's first teacher, however, many times parents do not have the knowledge or skill to help promote healthy social and emotional skills in their children.
Melissa Spradlin - Executive Director, Book'em
Elementary Alignment Team
Melissa serves on the Elementary Alignment Team. In addition to service learning and character education, the Elementary A-Team has made literacy a focus of its work. National research has shown that increasing literacy rates in elementary grades has lasting effects, including higher graduation rates and college attendance and success rates. Melissa shares how her work at Book'em supports literacy in Nashville.
What literacy resources do you share with families the most?
Book'em provides thousands of books to economically disadvantaged youth in Davidson County for home ownership annually. There is a difference between borrowing books and owning age-appropriate books. Both are important. Unfortunately far too many households in Nashville don't have age appropriate books in them for their children. Every home should have wonderful books in it. These books can be shared with the entire family. Book'em encourages children and parents to read together. Through our Reading Is Fundamental program, Book'em also provides parents with reading tip sheets that offer some easy ways that parents and guardians can help their elementary children further develop their literacy skills.
"Community organizations are vital to literacy efforts in Nashville. Schools do not have the manpower, time, resources and funding to solve all of our literacy issues."
What excites you the most about improving a child's reading ability?
Reading is the door to success in our society. As a child develops their reading skills, more possibilities are open to them. When you are able to read well, you have the chance to pursue your dreams and have many more positive choices in life. What could be more exciting? Plus we know that reading enriches our lives no matter what age we are. Books make us feel so many emotions and help us navigate life..
How can community organizations best support families in the area of literacy?
Community organizations are vital to literacy efforts in Nashville. Schools do not have the manpower, time, resources and funding to solve all of our literacy issues. Parents and guardians can have a profound influence on the development of their children's literacy skills. We need to encourage our parents to read with their children every day, to model reading behavior by reading for pleasure on their own, to talk with their children and help them expand their vocabulary (sometimes expanding both the parent's and the child's vocabulary together), to make sure that parents have strong literacy skills themselves (and access to learning how to read), to provide easy access to library cards and libraries throughout the community, to provide workshops and resources for those families who need them, to provide reading role model volunteers for these children who can also encourage them to read and work hard at learning to read.
DeeGee Lester - Education Director, The Parthenon
Alignment Operating Board Member, Elementary Alignment Team, High School Alignment Team
DeeGee has been involved with Alignment Nashville since its inception 10 years ago. From chairing a team, to serving on the Operating Board, to responding to Invitations to Participate, DeeGee has contributed in many different capacities. As the Educator Director for The Parthenon, DeeGee has worked with students from every grade level and brings valuable input on the subject of experiential and project-based learning. We asked DeeGee how the work of the Operating Board supports the overall work of Alignment as well as her role at the Parthenon.
When you think about the role of the Operating Board, what stands out to you?
The collaborative and supportive spirit of the board is, I believe, a reflection of our city and the way in which people throughout Nashville work together to create a dynamic city.
"Operating Board brings together from across the community people with a passion for education in Nashville to explore ways to continue advancing educational opportunities"
What is most exciting to you about the Operating Board?
I am excited by the energy level and the speed in moving issues and areas of concern or discussion to action steps with follow-through and accountability.
Why do you come to Operating Board each month? How does serving on the Operating Board benefit your own work/benefit you personally?
As a museum educator serving all grade levels in Metro Schools, it is important to me to have (as Anthony Johnson says) "skin in the game." In order to better serve students and teachers, I need to know everything connected with the workings of Metro Schools—the initiatives, resources, services, and the people of influence across government, education, health, business, culture, and the diverse communities of Nashville
How would you describe the Operating Board to someone who is not familiar with Alignment Nashville?
The Operating Board brings together from across the community people with a passion for education in Nashville to explore ways to continue advancing educational opportunities and access to resources, and to build networks between educators, business partners, parents and students as we make education in Nashville a model for the nation.