School-district funding cuts threaten WriterCoach Connection at Albany Middle School with extinction for next year and beyond. For writer coaches to be available to work with Albany Middle School 8th graders next year, it'll be crucial for AMS parents, especially in 6th and 7th grade families, to mark WCC as a high priority on the spring site surveys being distributed to all AMS families. The results of these surveys heavily influence Site Council and SchoolCARE allocations, which will be crucial for the continuation of WCC for 2011-12. It's up to the AMS community to save a program that has helped develop the writing and critical thinking skills of its 8th grade students for the past five years, and that the school's administration and teachers regard as invaluable. Teacher Abby Skrivan says, "I can't imagine doing the I-Search without the writer coaches."
The message to AMS 8th grade families: If you want writer coaches for the students coming up behind you, as you had for your 8th grader, mark WCC as a high priority on your site survey. The message to 6th and 7th grade families: If you want a writer coach for your son or daughter when he or she hits 8th grade, do the same!
Put your son or daughter in this picture. Do you want a writer coach like this for him or her? Say so on the AMS site survey!
Bob Menzimer
