Lytle Primary TAPS Into Learning
by Jo Ann Buchanan
February 11, 2008
Dear Pirate Families,
Lytle Primary prides itself on welcoming change. Reading First was
one of our first initiatives that required our teachers to change
teaching style and to enhance intervention into their teaching day.
Teachers worked hard to implement the 3 Tier Model to build fluent
readers.
Recently, Lytle Primary voted to implement TAP (Teacher Advancement
Program) next year at our campus. As a campus principal and
certainly as parents we all want the best possible education for
our children. Research shows that the single most important factor
in student success is having a talented teacher in the classroom.
The Milken Family Foundation created TAP to attract, retain,
develop and motivate professionals in the teaching profession.
TAP's goal is to draw more talented people to the teaching
profession—and keep them there—by making it more attractive and
rewarding to be a teacher. TAP provides the opportunity for good
teachers to earn higher salaries and advance professionally, just
as in other careers, without leaving the classroom. At the same
time, TAP helps teachers become the best they can be, by giving
them opportunities to learn better teaching strategies and holding
them accountable for their performance. TAP restructures the school
schedule to provide time during the regular school day for teachers
to meet, learn, plan, mentor and share with other teachers, so they
can constantly improve the quality of their instruction and hence,
increase their students' academic achievement. This collaborative
time allows teachers to learn new instructional strategies and have
greater opportunity to become more effective teachers.
The next months ahead will begin the process to begin
implementation. We hope that you will come by and visit if you have
any questions concerning this new initiative. We must always
remember: When you change the way you look at things, things
change.
Thanks again for your support.
