New York City Department of Education P.S. 199

270 W 70th St, New York, NY 10023
November 15, 2007
Re: Our work with ALL
Dear Susan,

When I arrived at PS 199 in September, I was very pleased to hear that A.L.L. would be providing Professional Development to our teachers in writing. As a new principal, I had reviewed the school’s Quality Review Report, as well as other data, and believed that we needed to implement the Writer’s Workshop and ramp up our writing program. While it is only November, I am amazed at how fast our teachers have embraced the Writer’s Workshop model and the progress our students have made in writing. I believe this is in large part due to A.L.L. and the excellent Professional Development provided by your consultants.

Rachel and Bebe have provided direction, resources and modeling to our teachers in a way that is rigorous and supportive. We established a rigorous schedule early in the year so that teachers would get intense support that would allow them to implement the Writers Workshop quickly in their rooms. On a weekly basis, both Rachel and Bebe modeled lessons in lab site classrooms and then debriefed with teachers to help them plan and give them the tools they need to succeed. They are continuing their work with our teachers over the course of the year.

Thank you and I look forward to expanding our work with A.L.L. in reading next year.

Sincerely,
Rosalia Bacarella
Principal P.S. 199