Angelica Adnan Provides Dyslexic Intervention at Lighthouse Public Schools

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We are proud to share this Teacher Tales guest post by Angelica Adnan, 504 Coordinator and Provider of Dyslexic Intervention (PDI) at Lighthouse Public Schools, sharing her perspective about growing as an educator and helping her students excel at reading.

I currently work at Lighthouse Public Schools in San Antonio as the 504 Coordinator and Dyslexia Interventionist. I love our students and the support of our parents and admins.

The mission of Lighthouse Public Schools is to develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically skilled students capable of functioning successfully in a changing world. This will be accomplished by providing an educationally challenging curriculum in a proper and conducive learning environment. The vision is that each student who comes to the school will be educated to his/her maximum potential, will have a positive self-image reflected in good citizenship and will have a positive view of the future. We believe this can be done in a safe, rewarding environment.

What Makes Lighthouse Public Schools Unique

What makes our school unique is that we are constantly going through a process of improvement. We are always looking for areas of opportunity and growth and our administration is always willing to listen to options and seek out a different perspective from our stakeholders

I can think of at least ten staff members who started out as parents of students and have now become part of our staff when opportunities arise.

We have a few different programs on campus where we provide clothing and toiletries to students and families whenever needed. We also have a strong relationship with the San Antonio Food Bank and routinely collaborate with them in different food drives.

Teaching, Leadership, and High Expectations

Our school is all about finding what works best and then working towards supporting teachers in their endeavors. We use High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) in all grades and give teachers the time to internalize lessons while at the same time allowing the freedom for teachers to add levels of enrichment however they see fit.

Our leadership has taken the innovative step of including me in our leadership team, even though I wouldn’t usually have this much voice on a traditional public school campus. I am a former first grade teacher that certified last year as a PDI (Provider of Dyslexic Intervention). Lighthouse sees the value in my perspective as a current interventionist and former classroom teacher.

Lighthouse Public Schools maintain a focus on high quality instruction and student achievement through high expectations and coaching. Our admin works with the teachers on student achievement expectations and we plan accordingly. The admin then follows through with observations and timely feedback.

The reason I have stayed with Lighthouse for seven years (and counting) is that they help me achieve my professional goals. They have always supported and invested the time and training that I want and need. I started as a second grade teacher my first three years and then after attending some academies I was moved to first Grade where I became focused on literacy. I then began the process for National Board Certification with the encouragement and financial support from Lighthouse. From there I completed two dyslexia certifications, one in Reading by Design and another two years later in the Wilson Reading System. These trainings were funded by the school. Anytime I wanted to attend a training they have always been supportive. They worked hard to become early adopters of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) for the benefit of teachers. I was designated as an Exemplary Teacher in 2022 and am able to receive the funds thanks to them going through the designation process.

We have high expectations but we have fun, too. Over my seven years of working here, my favorite school tradition at Lighthouse are the Fall and Spring Festivals.

The Importance of School Choice

The way I learned about Lighthouse Public Schools—I believe it was fate! I was going through alternative certification and was searching for a position. After applying to ISDs, I looked up charter schools in my area and Lighthouse popped up! I saw they had an opening and I applied. That led to my growth and becoming a provider of dyslexic intervention.

As teachers, we are very lucky that we have school choice and there are now a lot of options. Every teacher can choose to work at a place where you know you are valued, heard, and supported. I think this applies for parents and students as well.

School choice allows all stakeholders the opportunity to find what works best for them. Some options have more robust athletics, some focus on STEM, others focus on college prep, some have large student to teacher ratios, while some are smaller. Some have intense intervention programs and others have shorter school days. There is an option for any and all. You just need to look! Not all kids will benefit from a traditional public school and parents that seek choice know that.

Charter Moms Chats

Watch Angelica Adnan, 504 Coordinator and PDI at Lighthouse Public Schools, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on April 10, 2024 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.

Angelica Adnan Lighthouse Public Schools dyslexia interventionist

Angelica Adnan is a 504 Coordinator and Provider of Dyslexic Intervention (PDI) at Lighthouse Public Schools.

Mrs. Adnan graduated from St. Mary’s University where she originally majored in Business Marketing. In 2013, she began her teaching career in South Korea and taught for three amazing years. She came back to the United States in 2016 and became certified to teach in Texas. She has been with Lighthouse for her entire Texas teaching career, and is now in year seven.

Just this school year, Mrs. Adnan moved out of the classroom as a teacher and into a new role as a PDI (Provider of Dyslexic Intervention) as well as 504 Coordinator. She has been trained in Build: K-1 intervention and completed Reading by Design dyslexia training. Additionally, she has been certified as a Wilson Reading System Practitioner to provide intervention for students with dyslexia.

In 2022, Mrs. Adnan was designated by TEA as an Exemplary Teacher under TIA. When off the clock, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her one-year-old son.

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