Ms. Wolfe: I had to prioritize.

THAT’S THE JOB OF LEAD TEACHER ROSEMARY WOLFE.

Ms. Wolfe: I wish we could do every piece right now. But I’ll be totally honest with you. Getting the appropriate books in the classroom, making all of our concerns, everything we’re doing, mesh, you’d better do a lot of thinking in it. You’d better look. Then you look, oh my God, this costs so much, I gotta prioritize. From the get-go you know, you have to prioritize.

EVERYONE AT THE TABLE HOPES BARKSDALE WILL CONTINUE TO STAND BY BEARDEN.

Ms. Palmertree: We will make this initiative work, we will, we will do that… because we do want to have all of our children reading, because we have accountability on us, too. We, we’ve been on probation before, and we never want to be on probation again.

Greene: Are we ready for our lesson?

IN LATE JANUARY, TORI GREENE, THE DEVELOPER OF PROJECT READ, COMES TO BEARDEN TO MODEL THE PROGRAM FOR MS. TODD AND HER COLLEAGUES. IT’S A CHANCE FOR TEACHERS TO SEE HOW PROJECT READ IS SUPPOSED TO BE TAUGHT.

Greene: So a jellybean word has one vowel that talks. What is this vowel saying when it – Kathleena, give it to me.

Kathleena: /o/

Greene: You got it. Who wants to eat up this word? Eat it up, Jamie. Read it for us.

Jamie: Box.

Greene: Perfect.

Ms. Todd: Sometimes I blame myself and think, I can’t do this, I’m not a good teacher, when really, I think they could learn, it’s just the way, you know, I’m teaching them.

IT’S THE SCHOOL’S RESPONSIBILITY, SAYS TORI GREENE, TO PREPARE TEACHERS BETTER FOR A VERY TOUGH JOB.

Greene: It’s very difficult to be a teacher who cares, and you are up nights worrying about the children that you’re teaching, and you don’t know what to do. It is about dignifying the teacher as well as dignifying the children.

AND YOU DIGNIFY TEACHERS, SHE SAYS, BY GIVING THEM THE SKILLS THEY NEED.

Greene: You know what I’m liking about what you’re doing? Not only are you listening, not only are you watching and thinking, but you’re saying things out loud with me and that helps to record it in our memory.

Jill: One thing that has surprised me is how well they have paid attention and responded to her – or, you know, really been involved in the lesson. I think one thing that she does is really builds their confidence.

Greene: Would you please – somebody – point to the talking vowel in this word?

Greene: Awww … I thought I – I didn’t get ya! I just thought I would get you!

Ms. Todd: You learn so much, it’s just kinda like it’s been an awakening. It’s been real meaningful because they’re my children… I see so many things and I think, ‘Now I really wanna get in here and get going. And then I think, now I hate to leave ‘em.’

Act 5 You’re Reading!

Walton Elementary Fort Worth, Texas February

IT’S A COOL SUNDAY MORNING IN FORT WORTH. TAVARES AND HIS SISTERS HAVE MADE IT TO CHURCH WITH THEIR AUNT SHELLEY.

THEY ATTEND THE SAME CHURCH AS TAVARES’S HOMEROOM TEACHER, MS. MORGAN. LIKE A LOT OF TEACHERS AT WALTON, SHE GOES TO CHURCH TO REVIVE HER SPIRITS.

Morgan: There are a lot of times I want to quit, but I know that I need to be there for the children. I usually ask God to help me so that I will be a good teacher for them. He helps me get through it. He really does.

AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM, MS. MORGAN IS NOW WORKING TOWARD A MASTER’S DEGREE IN COUNSELING.

Morgan: I still want to work with children – just not with so many. [Laughs]

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Photo Credit for Bearden Elementary: Maude Schuyler Clay
Photo Credit for Walton Elementary: Chris Hamilton