In 2012, Fletcher Miller Special School in Lakewood applied for a grant from Jeffco Schools Foundation’s Salazar Literacy Initiative to host one of the country’s most renowned educators for children with special needs, Dr. Karen Erickson.
Educator and trainer Dr. Karen Erickson with Vicki Swenson, Fletcher Miller instruction coach.
Fletcher Miller students have significant speech and physical impairments, which means that typical literacy instruction isn’t always enough to help them learn to read and write.
When the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) learned of Erickson’s visit, they enthusiastically provided additional funding and sent representatives to the training. CDE went on to provide a million dollar grant to continue the training process at the school and elsewhere in Jeffco schools.
Fletcher Miller Special is changing the way its students with significant speech, physical and intellectual disabilities learn to read and write, because of initial Salazar Literacy Initiative funding.
Find out how your Jeffco Public School can apply for a $2,000 to $5,000 grant for classroom projects that address identifiable literacy gaps. 2014 Salazar Literacy Initiative Grant applications are due on March 31. Visit http://www.jeffcoschoolsfoundation.org/salazar-literacy-initiative.html for full instructions, and to download an application.www.jeffcoschoolsfoundation.org