MISSION:
read lead succeed consulting
Jesstina’s passion is empowering individuals who comprise the education community with the necessary tools and strategies so that any and all of our young readers can reach their full literacy potential. Building Literacy Leaders!
BIOGRAPHY:
jesstina, Dr. Jan Richardson Literacy Consultant
Jesstina Bushery is a reading specialist inPinellas County Schools, Florida, one of the largest school districts in America. Jesstina specializes in collaborating with otherteachers to build a strong guided reading program using Dr. Jan Richardson’s The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading and Reading Recovery. Jesstina is also the first instructional coach in Pinellas County to lead and implement the RISE intervention framework based on The Next Step Forward in Reading Intervention:The RISE framework. Due to the remarkable results at her school, Jesstina has since led district-wide professional developmenttraining on the RISE and RISE Up reading interventions. She provides a road map that ensures the fidelity of implementation of Dr. Richardson’s theory and practice.
Jesstina has served as a classroom teacher, reading teacher and a Response to Intervention (RTI) coach in multiple inner city Title 1 schools. She believes in the power of building relationships with principals and teachers through personalized professional development with the goal of improving student achievement and creating lifelong literacy learners. Jesstina’s passion is empoweringindividuals with the necessary tools andstrategies needed to allow young readers to reach their full literacy potential. Withthis approach, she builds capacity in schoolsby guiding and informing literacy leaders inher professional development sessions.
Testimonials:
“It has been my great pleasure to work with Jesstina Bushery. Her knowledge of Jan’s framework and her ability to coach teachers in implementing Jan’s theory and practice translates to results. Jesstina has implemented the RISE intervention with great results in Pinellas County. Sheprovides targeted, supportive and highly effective professional development for teachers.”
— Ellen Lewis – Literacy Consultant and coauthor with Jan Richardson of, The Next Step Forward in Reading Intervention: The Rise Framework, Scholastic, 2018.
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“What is the best intervention we can provide for students? Put an amazing teacher in front ofthem. How do we build amazing teachers? We coach them. Mrs. Bushery provides expertise as she helps teachers identify their “current reality” and get a clear picture of where they need to grow. She guides the teacher as they set improvement goals that are straightforward,reachable, and focused on students. She also helps instructors understand and develop their desired practice or improvement strategy. Mrs. Bushery’s way of work always involves modeling instruction, co-teaching, or observing other teachers. She helps the teacher integrate new strategies into their instruction, confirming progress along the way, “coaching in” when necessary, and always holding true to the vision. At the end of a coaching cycle, the teacher is left with the ability to adjust goals,make refinements in their practice, and plan next steps. It is always a great balance between advocacy and inquiry.”
— Principal Jessley Hathaway from Pinellas County Schools Florida
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“Teachers across our district have learned about small group guided reading under the influence of Jesstina Bushery. While leading professional development, Jesstina masterfully combines years of experience with her very latest thinking on goal-directed, purpose-drivenguided reading instruction – and she practices what she preaches. If teachers feel hopeless, lost, or uncertain about their practice, they need only watch Jesstina at work with a group of students and observe a simple, predictable routine embedded with targeted, specific prompting designed so that students read with more agency and independence.
Jesstina has a laser-sharp focus on essential student-centered practice, giving teachers precisely what they need to get started trying guided reading – or refining it - in their own classroom right away. Most recently, Jesstina led an initiative to become one of the first schools in our district to implement the RISE Framework. She opened the doors of her school so that colleagues from nearby schools could observe the teachers leading the key parts ofthe interventions. Because of Jesstina’s trailblazing efforts, students across our district are now reaping the benefits of this intense and fast-paced routine, accelerating progress and quickly catching up with their peers.”
— Holly Slaughter -Elementary Reading & Language Arts Specialist Pinellas County Schools