
Overview
The BTC K-3 Literacy Academy is a 2-year professional development experience designed for elementary teachers in the South focused on K-3 literacy theory, effective literacy instructional practices, and BTC’s Black Liberatory Pedagogy. Participants will receive a $4,000 stipend for 2-year participation.
Teachers will be accepted into the Academy as pairs or trios from each school site, providing peer support and collaborating as a school innovation team. A letter of commitment from a school Principal is also required for participation.
Academy Components

ORIENTATION
Teachers will receive an overview of the academy components/platforms. We will explore Black Liberatory Pedagogy and understand how it can impact literacy instruction in K-3rd grade classrooms. Participants will also receive an overview of the TORSH platform.

THE GROUNDING
Participants will work together to build relationships through activities that center healing and joy, reflect on our literacy journeys and uncover how our identities as Black Literacy Educators influence our instructional practices, our relationships with our students, and explore theoretical models that support Structured Literacy and how these models can be used to enhance literacy instructional practices for Black students.

PRACTICE
Participants will have multiple opportunities, virtually and in-person, to engage in hands-on enriching experiences in order to develop a deeper understanding of the foundational skills, knowledge, and mindsets and BLP elements. We will practice the integration of the BLP elements into instruction and implementation of the Foundational SKMs in community. Practice will be supported by coaching and online modules as well as tools and resources, in-person and recorded modeling, concentrated time for planning sessions, role playing and feedback sessions to scaffold practice.

COACHING
Participants will experience 1-to-1 coaching and small group coaching. There will be a minimum of 1 in-person and 1 virtual visit per month. The coaching sessions will serve as a support for integrating Black Liberatory Pedagogical and content specific instructional practices, providing feedback, modeling, and other various forms of support.
We have expanded and will be partnering
with school districts and charter
organizations in the following regions:

MEET THE K-3 TEAM

Katrina Smith-Paggett
Director of Professional Learning
