The View from the Front of the Room: Lessons from Leaders for Literacy
“I’ve always admired teachers. I had no idea what it was truly like until after participating in this program.”
Today’s educators are more than instructors of math and reading. They manage complex lesson plans, guide students through frustration, support families, and build trust, all while driving academic growth. Teachers make roughly 1,500 decisions every school day, about four per minute while students are in the building. It’s demanding, high-skill work.
Through Leaders for Literacy, Valley Leadership alumni are experiencing this firsthand. By stepping in as substitute teachers, they aren’t just filling a gap. They are creating something schools rarely have enough of: time.
And time is what makes improvement possible.
Investing in Teacher Expertise
Only 39% of Arizona third graders are reading at grade level. That statistic is urgent, but not inevitable.
States like Mississippi and North Carolina dramatically improved literacy outcomes by committing to the Science of Reading and investing deeply in teacher training. Their progress was the result of sustained focus on evidence-based instruction and building teacher expertise.
Arizona teachers are doing that same rigorous work through Science of Reading professional development, including LETRS training. But meaningful professional learning requires protected time.
Leaders for Literacy helps create it.
By providing high-quality classroom coverage, Valley Leadership alumni give teachers the space to strengthen their practice. Leaders enter as respectful guests — not as outside experts looking to fix a system, but as partners supporting the professionals who know their students best.
As one participant shared:
“A moment that shifted my thinking was seeing the classroom full of kids that are all not at the same, or close to the same, level in their abilities. That time in the classroom really helped me understand the challenges we face.”
The Impact of Time
Our partnerships with Mesa Public Schools, Roosevelt Elementary School District, and Phoenix Elementary School District ensure this work connects directly to student outcomes.
As one teacher shared:
“Students were able to improve on their decoding skills, which has improved their reading fluency.”
District leadership underscores the broader impact:
“Mesa Public Schools values its partnership with Valley Leadership, whose support in providing substitutes enables our teachers to participate in LETRS training. This collaboration strengthens our district’s commitment to high-quality literacy instruction by empowering teachers with the knowledge and skills to bring effective instructional practices back to their classrooms.”
Time for teachers becomes stronger instruction for students.
A Perspective Shift
This work is strengthened through partnerships with Teach For America and All In Education, whose alumni also participate in this Driven to Do programming.
There is unique power in being a beginner again, especially after building expertise in your own career. Serving in the classroom offers leaders a clearer view of the systems shaping our state and forces an important question: What does it truly take for a child to succeed in Arizona?
Through reflective Lunch and Learn sessions, participants unpack what they observe in Title I schools, classroom management, and literacy instruction. They leave not just with admiration for educators, but with a deeper understanding of the policy, funding, and community supports required to improve outcomes.
Literacy Is Foundational
Literacy is not simply an education issue. It is a foundational Social Determinant of Health. A child who struggles to read faces barriers that extend far beyond a report card, affecting long-term health, economic mobility, and earning potential.
As one participant shared:
“This reinforced my belief that both Arizona’s societal and economic futures are dependent on successfully educating all children, including those who are literacy challenged.”
When we invest in literacy, we invest in Arizona’s civic and economic future.
Ready to See the Classroom From a New Perspective?
Leaders for Literacy is built on a simple idea: investing in teacher expertise requires time. By giving teachers that time, and giving leaders firsthand perspective, we are strengthening the foundation for Arizona’s future.
Join us in making a direct impact.