| Everyone loved her! I have been a principal and staff developer for almost twenty years, and I have never seen teachers so enthusiastic about new learning. After one session, a teacher was walking and clutching Nancy's notebook of science and history/social science lessons to her chest as though it was a precious treasure. With great reverence, the teachers called it "the golden notebook". Our staff feels very fortunate to have had her here with us this year. Nancy's style and techniques affected teachers' professional development by introducing new ways to increase achievement and more effectively meet the needs of students of poverty. She has a clear, structured model that allows teachers to digest material, see it in practice, put it into action, and then reflect. The coaching piece is a wonderful, low stress model to support teachers with effective implementation of the new techniques. Teachers are focused on teaching a specific skill and seem welcome to Nancy's input.
Lois R. DeKock, Ed.D., Principal, Bancroft Community School,
La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. | Our achievement continues to improve. We have met our API and AYP since receiving the training. Results are evident as you visit classrooms and see student work on display. Teachers were more excited about improving their practices than I have ever seen them before! They couldn't get enough and felt they could immediately return to their classroom and implement the new strategies. Teachers loved the Nancy Fetzer's trainings and wanted to purchase many materials! Because Nancy could relate to what their needs were, they felt encouraged and motivated to implement her strategies. We continue to grow together as a professional learning community. I attribute a great deal of our success to Nancy's training.
Linda Sheehan, Principal, Ross Elementary School,
Anaheim City School District. | Nancy is a gift, an inspiration, and a true model of excellence. What a gift to a school that is ready to close the achievement gap. Spring Valley Elementary went from a low performing to a "10" in like schools and increased all achievement on standardized and criterion referenced tests. She raised standards for instructional strategies, supported long and short term plans, encouraged self reflection and data analysis, and set a standard for excellence. She is "a professional shot in the arm".
Jeanne M. Koelln, Assistant Superintendent, H.R.,
La Mesa Spring Valley School District. | Student achievement on the CAT6 LA has been raised approx. 70 points. Students have gained valuable comprehension skills and text analysis strategies. Students have consistently used her various graphic organizers, which have enhanced their writing skills.
Tamara Seleznoff, Resource Teacher, Franklin Elementary School,
Anaheim City School District. | Outstanding! Even our most resistant teachers to change embraced her strategies and best practices! The training is providing ongoing learning and practice. The structure of the professional development provides sustained change in classroom practices. Feedback has been very positive to improving reading and writing. Teachers say, "It works!".
Laraine Hair, Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction,
Menifee Unified School District. | It is difficult to find a presenter with strategies that are of value for the diverse student populations we serve at our school. Every teacher has found the strategies to be valuable whether with Title I, English Learners or Gifted Students. Nancy's trainings has energized our teachers and provided them with concrete strategies that fill gaps they had already identified in teaching writing. It also provided them with new strategies that enhance student learning and make explicit direct instruction have a new meaning. The teachers are even more excited and motivated to use Nancy's strategies as they see the positive effect the strategies are having on student learning. They are frequently sharing their experiences in using the strategies as they talk over lunch or after school. The teachers are eagerly anticipating Nancy's return to do additional inservicing and coaching.
Carol Anderson-Woo, Principal, South/West Park School,
Tracy Unified School District. | Wow! Can we keep her on our campus permanently? How often can she come back? Nancy's vitality and knowledge of curriculum make her traingings informative, useful, and easy to incorporate into our language arts program. Her graphic organizers are wonderful. Students are able to use them across the grade levels. Her Revise, Check, and Edit chart is fantastic! Nancy's training assisted us in our focus on the writing process. The continuity of language across the grade levels has been invaluable to improving our students' writing skills.
Cheryl Moore, Principal, Gauer Elementary School,
Anaheim City School District. | The staff loved her and they all wished they had more time with her. She offered two sessions and many teachers went to see her both times. Nancy has a way of motivating teachers to trey new ideas. She is funny, informative, and very well-received. Her reading and writing strategies make so much sense. "It's like why didn't I think of that!" Nancy has really organized our reading and writing programs for us. Teachers are using her materials regularly, particularly the charts!
Pam Gilmartin, Principal, Jack's Valley Elementary,
Douglas County School District. | Our 2002-2003 Grade 4 Writing Scores Improved! Teachers are excited about teaching writing across the curriculum because they are able to teach effectively the critical steps that lead to successful student writing. The materials are logical. Nancy models strategies while integrating and applying research.
Dana McClanahan, Principal, Westmont Elementary,
Anaheim School District. | Teachers report students' writing has improved. The energy following the training was contagious. Teachers have shared in English and Social Studies department meetings. It has been great to hear teachers say, "The kids like to tell the story and when they write it, it all makes sense!".
Claudia Bender, Principal, Spring Valley Middle School,
La Mesa Spring Valley School District. | The North Terrace staff responded very positively to Nancy's training and materials. They were particularly responsive to the writing connections made with the language arts adoption. As an administrator, my ability to quickly observe effective vs. ineffective instruction has significantly developed. I am keenly aware of how much time, in any lesson, students are using their oral language skills prior to a writing task.
Bob Rowe, Principal, North Terrace Elementary,
Oceanside Unified School District. | Outstanding! Our teachers are looking forward to Nancy's next training with anticipation. Our students' writing skills have become more detailed and descriptive. Most of our students love using the lecture notes to map out their ideas before starting on a writing project.
Nancy Franks, Principal, Roosevelt Elementary,
Anaheim City School District. | Nancy's style of presenting engages teachers, modeling how they can do the same with students. She builds on teacher's knowledge and experience enabling them to make immediate connections.
Jane Wheeler, Principal, Monte Vista Elementary,
Cotati-Rohnert Park USD. | Nancy has: 1) a thorough understanding of research on how students learn; 2) expert knowledge of the language arts skills and processes; 3) tools to support the teaching-learning process; 4) endless energy and; 5) a respectful nature for all individuals. This combination makes her an exceptional teacher of teachers.
Gina Bishop, Director of Elementary Education,
Temecula Unified School District. | Nancy's presentation style and manner are very engaging and help to get her message across. Unlike many presenters who offer materials, strategies, and programs in the abstract, Nancy willingly models lessons to real students--many picked at random. This "kid tested" approach is perhaps what lends her the most credibility with teachers. I am very pleased with the progress that she helped my staff make in areas of writing and English/Language Arts. To date, in our second year of implementing her writng program, we are beginning to see improvement in our students' writing as measured by our District's Direct Writing Assessment. Indeed teachers who assist in scoring Direct Writing have noted the improvement and have asked what program we are using and how they can bring this program back to their schools.Teachers have also reported that incoming students this year have a better foundation in writing skillls having spent the first year with her program.
Peter J. Dean, Principal, Casa de Oro Elementary School,
La Mesa Spring Valley School District | |