Literacy Summit for Rochester Community Schools

Rochester Community Schools is hosting a literacy summit on Wednesday, March 22, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the media center at Van Hoosen Middle School, 1339 North Adams Road, Rochester Hills. The purpose of the summit is to share information regarding current research and best practices in literacy and promote dialogue between community stakeholders.

“Creating highly literate citizens is, first and foremost, the role of our public elementary schools,” said Executive Director for Elementary Education Michael Behrmann. “The district is grateful to have such an engaging community who welcomes the opportunity to share their beliefs regarding literacy.”

The keynote speaker of the literacy summit is Mary Lose, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of reading and language arts and the director of the Reading Recovery Center of Michigan at Oakland University.

”What it means to be literate has evolved over the years.  Our intent is to ensure that every Rochester Community Schools’ student is prepared for a lifetime of success and opportunity,” said Early Literacy Coach Wendy Beitel.

“We believe literacy is a fundamental, human right for all children,” added Elementary Program Consultant Danielle Smith. “Together, with our community partnerships, we can achieve this moral imperative.”

The elementary division of the curriculum department invited teachers, administrators, parents, educational consultants, and government and civic leaders to attend this by-reservation-only literacy summit.

“We continue to take a comprehensive approach to ensuring literacy across all grade levels,” said Superintendent Robert Shaner, Ph.D. “Teachers play a critical role, but we also value and appreciate family and community partnerships to ensure student success. The literacy summit brings those key stakeholders together to share their beliefs about what literacy looks like in our schools and creates dialogue to enhance a vision for a world-class educational system.”