Supporting Literacy Change in Our Largest Districts: An Interview with Dr. Nicole Mancini of the Council of the Great City Schools

I never stopped loving reading. What I read became more technical as I got into high school and college. For example, I have no problem reading a neuroscience textbook. I find the brain fascinating. It is one of my favorite topics to talk about, and for a long time, I wanted to be a neurosurgeon. 

While finishing my master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology (SLP), I interned at a hospital, working with people who had a traumatic brain injury or stroke. Part of my job was to work with them to rewire the circuitry in their brains so they were able to speak, read, and write again.

That inspiration became very instrumental in where I ended up. I’ve built upon those experiences and taken them with me on my journey.  

Thank you for sharing your personal story. Does literacy still serve as a refuge for you now as an adult?

It does! I am actually writing two books; one is about my puppy, called The Bailey Chronicles. Bailey is a trained service dog.

During the pandemic, I worked on getting him where he needed to be a service dog. As a beagle, he is quite the character and very smart, so I would post the “Bailey Chronicles” on Facebook, chronicling his endeavors from his perspective. I am taking all of the posts now and putting them together into a children’s book series.

The second book is about my life. I was born with a severe heart defect. Because of this, I was told I couldn’t do a lot of things, but I’m very proud of proving the naysayers wrong.

I was born with a severe heart defect. Because of this, I was told I couldn’t do a lot of things, but I’m very proud of proving the naysayers wrong.

All my life I have faced challenges—fighting to live, fighting against being bullied, fighting for my place in society—so I am writing a book about my personal journey to get to where I am today. I hope the book inspires others to persevere even when life gets tough.

How does your speech-language pathology background play into what we know—and what you know—about the science of reading?

I have a passion for language. When I taught fifth grade in Broward County, FL, three of my students were still in speech/language therapy. That was shocking to me, and I went on a mission to help. I thought, “How can these children still be in language therapy? What is going on?”

I had one student, a young boy, who never attempted to read in class. I used the strategies I learned in my SLP training during some of the small-group reading instruction that I was doing. He was finally able to sound out words and read fluently for the first time. Eventually, he was brave enough to raise his hand and read aloud, with the whole class rallying around him.

I feel like I’ve been doing this work my entire life and the entire time I worked in Broward County. I knew nothing other than the research behind how the brain learns to read. So for me, it just made sense. I didn’t go through a teacher prep program. All I knew is if I could teach you to speak, I could teach you to write, and I could teach you to read.

I witnessed first-hand how all those strategies really help kids. In fact, those strategies actually accelerated their learning because when you focused on the areas these students really needed, their abilities to acquire the necessary linguistic skills for reading accelerated as well.

If students’ brains and bodies are not in a state of readiness to learn, it doesn’t matter how good you are as an educator or how much of an expert you are.

I’m also a big advocate for social-emotional learning, as it is a major component in creating the optimal conditions for learning. If students’ brains and bodies are not in a state of readiness to learn, it doesn’t matter how good you are as an educator or how much of an expert you are.

So by taking a step back, I was able to take five steps forward at a more rapid pace.  I think that’s a challenge for a lot of teachers, especially as schools are shifting to instructional practices grounded in the science of reading. 

The science-first narrative is so important and valuable for folks to hear, and it is really encouraging for us. Who have you looked up to when it comes to research about the science of reading?

I think I have every edition of Dr. Louisa Moats’s Speech to Print. When I was an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University, I taught the language development and intervention class and used Speech to Print as a supplemental resource. 

I don’t think college students going through any other program got what they got when they came through my class, because I focused so heavily on the linguistic aspect and then the transition to reading and writing.

My question for other professors teaching at the university level is, “Why aren’t more students getting this content in their reading course? Or, why are these courses being taken at the end of the degree and not earlier?” We definitely have a lot of work to do at the university level.

If we’re going to make systemic change at the district level, at the state level, and nationally, we must think hard about teacher preparation in our university systems. 

I’m passionate about this. If we’re going to make systemic change at the district level, at the state level, and nationally, we must think hard about teacher preparation in our university systems. 

First, universities must grasp the reality facing teachers in today’s classrooms. And two, they need to make sure that our next generation of teachers is well prepared to meet that reality with tools grounded in the evidence and research about effectively teaching reading (and math as well). When it comes to reading, we’re literally reeducating an entire workforce, and that’s a lot for school districts.

I’m also a big fan of Mark Seidenberg. I had his book, Language at the Speed of Sight, before it was popular. I was also fortunate to participate in a book study on this book  with his research assistant  and individuals from around the world.

Also, I’m a fan of Stanislaus Dehane. When I saw his book Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read, I downloaded it immediately and read it on the plane back from Boston. I like to read books from researchers who can also translate the evidence into practice.

You’ve shared a little bit about your journey in Broward County Public Schools, the sixth largest school district in the country. During your time at Broward, you held a multitude of different roles: speech and language pathologist, preschool special education teacher, district coach, elementary school teacher, curriculum supervisor, then director of Head Start, then director of elementary learning, and then your final role as Chief Academic Officer. Specifically in regards to Broward and the science of reading, what are you most proud of?

I am most proud of helping to steer that massive ship in the right direction. Even though I’m no longer at Broward, the district continues to move in the right direction. 

Specifically I am proud of putting the necessary systems in place and making the really difficult decision to remove materials that were not aligned with the research and evidence around reading instruction.

We also had three departments in Broward working on literacy. We eliminated the one department that had a different philosophy, which helped us eliminate some of the strategies that were being used in our classrooms that weren’t, in fact, aligned with the science of reading. This also sent a consistent message to our schools. These decisions were tough for a lot of people, but we had to do it.

To succeed in this kind of large-scale literacy change, it is crucial to have support from everyone, starting with the superintendent and the board, all the way to the teachers—making sure everyone is on the same page.

To succeed in this kind of large-scale literacy change, it is crucial to have support from everyone, starting with the superintendent and the board, all the way to the teachers—making sure everyone is on the same page.

You cannot do this work without having the structures and systems in place, ensuring that everyone understands what those structures and systems are, in order to reinforce what needs to happen in our classrooms. That was one of the biggest challenges. 

When I was Chief Academic Officer for Broward, I was actually able to make a lot of those decisions. For example, we originally had 375 software programs in our district! There’s no way that you can have high-quality teaching and learning occurring when you’re using so many different programs. 

So we narrowed that down to a managed menu of 68 programs across all content areas, including special education, English language learners, and career/technical education. They were all vetted by teachers, principals, and the community. 

We also struggled with the capacity of people who knew what to do. We didn’t have a large support team that followed through with teachers who were coming to professional learning to make sure things were implemented with fidelity. 

We decided to leverage technology to do that. We started with any willing teacher who had a Polycom camera in their classroom. They would invite us to observe them teaching through the Polycom, and then we would debrief with them after school or during their planning time. 

We saved on time driving out to one school, and we could support several teachers in one day all from the central office. We also leveraged that same technology to provide footage of exemplar content-expert teachers teaching the lessons, so that we knew that the students were getting high-quality instruction. The teachers became facilitators of learning as they should be in their classrooms while they were connected to the master content-expert teachers. Finally, we supported teachers during Professional Learning Communities by pushing in via this technology. 

We did that for ELA, math, and then we wove in science and social studies. It was pretty amazing. That’s the legacy I’ve left behind. The work continues without me there.

Collaborative Classroom’s relationship with you started about a year ago when Broward partnered with us to provide the SIPPS accelerative foundational skills program in 100 elementary schools. Can you share a little background on that decision?

It’s very exciting. I pushed for SIPPS to be the tool we use in a competitive grant we applied for.  I was the one who said, “This is what we’re going to use.” Before engaging with SIPPS, we had done the research and knew what works and what doesn’t. 

Implementing a program with fidelity, especially in a large district, can be challenging, but we did it. It is great to see that SIPPS is now in over 100 schools and it is a testament to the sustainability of efforts, since this growth happened after I left Broward. It is gratifying!

Tell us about your new role as Chief of Academics at the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS). What are you learning so far, and how are you thinking about literacy initiatives going forward?

There are a lot of inspiring things happening and a lot of schools that need help. There are a lot of teachers who want to do the right thing and just need the right guidance. I’m glad to be part of an organization that can have such a large impact. 

Going from supporting 256,000 students in Broward to close to 8 million through my work at CGCS is a big jump. But I work with a wonderful team, and we work collaboratively, especially around reading and writing. 

Since I have the most recent large district experience, I am often asked to speak to the reality of the work in schools, the struggles and challenges, and the feasibility of various approaches. 

I get to work on the actual systems and processes in my role with a number of different individuals, making sure there’s collaboration, cross-collaboration, and that they’re not working in silos. 

I also work to make sure the messaging is clear and concise, and that there is a plan that comes from the very top—the superintendent surrounded by their bosses (their school board members or trustees)—which is then disseminated to the representatives from all the different content areas, whether it’s the chief academic officers, special education, or early childhood. 

We started working with early childhood leaders this school year. Our CGCS district partners were very excited, and I relate to their excitement because when I was working in early childhood, we were always left out.

We started working with early childhood leaders this school year. Our CGCS district partners were very excited, and I relate to their excitement because when I was working in early childhood, we were always left out. Kudos to the CGCS executive director for recognizing that our work starts a lot earlier than kindergarten and supporting this new endeavor.

This work is even more critical, since there will be a massive shift come September of 2024 when childcare facilities in our communities and our school systems lose ESSER funding and the resulting issues will hit the public school systems in a multitude of ways.

So what are we doing now to help districts prepare and be ready? They need the right curriculum to make sure that they are well prepared to get students ready for kindergarten. And then, we need to be sure that those transitions to kindergarten are seamless.

We are making sure that even with typical classrooms, there are ways you can open up more classrooms by blending or braiding funding sources with existing funding sources outside of ESSER/ARP.

I work a lot with districts that are looking at their organizational structure.

I work a lot with districts that are looking at their organizational structure. They are figuring out how best to structure themselves and how to ensure the right people are in the right places. I truly believe there is always a place in an organization for good people, and that might not be the position they’re in. Sometimes they just need to grow and be given time to do so.  And other times there are other positions where you know that the person is going to just take it to a whole other level, but you need to help them understand and realize that. 

It is also important to recognize that every state is different. Policies  and laws are different state-by-state, so what can we leverage? What can we change immediately that is going to have a return on investment? We help districts leverage those types of things to give children the best educational experience.

So is it fair to say, one of your major roles is looking at what is impacting these districts and then thinking about how to give them proactive support?

Yes, that is part of it. There’s actually a lot that we do that many people aren’t aware of. 

We are there to support the districts. We hold monthly or bi-monthly meetings with content area leaders. We provide professional learning and publish excellent documents based on the research and evidence of what works. Based on what we’re seeing in districts, we identify needs, and then coming up with either guidance, a document, or professional learning.

[B]ecause there is so much going on at the administrative level across any district, leaders don’t get time to talk to like-minded individuals in other districts.

In some cases, we actually have a team that goes to the district and sits down and has conversations with them. Our goal is to serve as thought partners and help them navigate the work that they’re doing, saying, “Have you tried this? This is what I’m seeing. Have you thought of this?”

I think because there is so much going on at the administrative level across any district, leaders don’t get time to talk to like-minded individuals in other districts. So we carve out time for that and guide them through it.

That sounds so exciting and impactful! Thinking about five years out, what are you hoping is true in the literacy space? What do you hope is true across districts in America?

We need to eliminate the issue of fifth graders going to sixth grade unable to read. We should be working ourselves out of jobs by the time the kids go to middle school, and make it so there is no need for intensive reading intervention at the high school level. 

The key is getting all the districts on the same page to do the work and understand what they need to do. I think some of the data that has been coming out recently is promising. We need to look at what these districts are doing to see what can be done in other districts. 

I know that the recent data from the county I just left (Broward County, FL) is promising. When we came back from the pandemic, we really focused on accelerated learning, which is part of the reason we closed the achievement gap in Broward in two years post-pandemic, outperforming our neighboring districts for the first time in 12 years.

Broward’s successes didn’t happen overnight. The “Mississippi miracle” didn’t happen overnight. Tennessee’s improvements didn’t happen overnight. Years of work went into system-wide changes. It takes time. I think we have a good groundswell, but we have to keep fighting for what is in the best interest of our children. 

About Dr. Nicole Mancini

Chief of Academics for the Council of the Great City Schools

Before joining the Council of the Great City Schools as its Chief of Academics, Dr. Nicole Mancini served as the Chief Academic Officer for Broward County Public Schools, the sixth-largest district in the nation, providing strategic communication and support to school and district administrators, coaches, and teachers on effective teaching and learning practices. Her goal was to ensure instruction is integrated and transitions are seamless between grades and school levels, so all students (Birth – Adult) are successful and life-ready. She continues her passion and work in the literacy, early childhood, and special education spaces in her new role by collaborating with key national leaders in those fields. 

Dr. Mancini has been implementing practices grounded in the science of reading for over 20 years and firmly believes all students have the capacity to learn. Dr. Mancini has a B.A. in Psychology (Cum Laude), Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and certification in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University. She has a Doctorate in Education with a focus on Child and Youth Studies: Early Literacy and Reading from Nova Southeastern University. She also holds her Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and her Speech Language Pathologist Professional License from the State of Florida Department of Health.