Eastchester draws educators from 3 states for literacy workshop

Educators from Connecticut, New Jersey and Texas traveled to Eastchester for a two-day literacy coaching workshop Oct. 20-21, hosted by the Eastchester Union Free School District.

The institute was run by The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower, a literacy education organization that has partnered with schools for more than 40 years, according to the district.

EUFSD has used the Mossflower curriculum as a core part of its K-5 reading and writing instruction for several years.

Instructional Specialist Maria-Elena Barbuto said the event gave Eastchester a chance to show visiting coaches what the district's literacy program looks like in practice.

Barbuto said she was able to try out coaching techniques with students in real time while experts led discussions.

"We had instructional leaders come from Connecticut, New Jersey, and even Texas to learn, discuss, and try out best coaching practices," Barbuto said.

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Assessment and Student Success Dr. William Meyer said hosting the institute was valuable on several levels.

He pointed to a growing concern: as artificial intelligence tools become more available to younger students, strong reading and writing foundations matter more than ever.

Meyer said the district is already seeing the effects. "As students get more access to AI tools, all of these things that are part of cognitive development begin to be outsourced," he said.

Six Eastchester administrators participated in a panel during the institute. They discussed how the district has adjusted schedules, added WIN periods and supplemented the Mossflower curriculum with other programs to serve a diverse student body and maximize the school day.

Panelists included Barbuto, Meyer, Superintendent Dr. Alison Villanueva, Greenvale Principal Joanna Sanese, Waverly Principal Caitlin Mondelli and Anne Hutchinson Assistant Principal Dayna Orlando.

Barbuto said the multi-program approach is central to the district's elementary literacy strategy, noting that no single curriculum covers every component of reading and writing research.

The institute was promoted on Facebook by The Reading and Writing Project at Mossflower ahead of the event, inviting coaches to practice and learn new coaching methods in Eastchester.