"Thank you for one of the most productive weeks
I have had in the field of education."
District Title One Coordinator

Contact Us tmuncy@myfairpoint.net l meet our coaches

WHO WE ARE
VTSRI activities have been ongoing since the late nineties. In this time period much has changed. Originally, we were a small group of individual coaches working independently in different geographic areas of the state. Now we are a collaborative group of eight veteran national level facilitators who:

• meet regularly in center retreats and meetings
• have agreed upon and use standards of practice
• use the tools of our practice to conduct center meetings
• have developed a colaborative coordination structure

Our Core Beliefs

This is an exciting time in the development of SRI work in Vermont. We see increasing movement away from individual educators taking summer training to teams and whole schools taking training within districts. We are actively developing and evaluating the school coach model and we have secured funding to move ahead. Perhaps most importantly, we have increasing clarity about our hopes and dreams for the future of SRI work in Vermont. We believe that our founder Faith Dunne would be pleased with her legacy in Vermont.

"Our coach has helped us to look at things that are possible, rather than “we’ve always done it this way.”
Administrator, Vergennes High School

WHAT WE DO
VTSRI offers half and full-day sessions to introduce participants to Critical Friends Group (CFG) practices. These are offered through supervisory unions or leadership groups (e.g. Vermont Principals‚ Association). We also offer an internship experience for those interested in working as coaches.

We host annual colloquia open to trained coaches as well as host a listserv for Vermont CFG coaches. We have generally offered support via supervisory unions. VTSRI is excited by our work with school coaching and the opportunity it brings to furthering the depth of change of practice in Vermont schools. School Support Process

In places with good administrative understanding of implementation, ongoing arrangements have been established between VTSRI and supervisory unions to provide regular support to local coaches and ongoing coaching to groups.

"I tap our coach for a number of types of conversations that I really have
a hard time talking about with others. Our coach is safe for me."
Vermont High School Administrator

We orginally piloted a school coaching project at Theford Academy and have since expanded our school coaching work to additional schools. The core of our work since 1999 has been scheduling and conducting coaching seminars for Vermont educators. Information on our various support offerings along with program details is available on this web site. learn more

	Meet Our Coaches
	Marc Chabot—is a science teacher at Thetford Academy in Vermont and has taught high school chemistry and/or physics for twenty years. His curriculum includes several excellent examples of service-learning, among them the Physics Problem-Solving Unit. He was a Christa McAuliffe fellow based on his project “Reaching Mainstreamed Students in Chemistry using Computers.” Marc was awarded the Radioshack National Teacher Award in 2004 and was a state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2002. email: mchabot@vtsri.org
	Becky DiFrancesco—is a special educator of 25 years, with a masters in Curriculum and Instruction. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at Thetford Academy, she serves as Thetford Academy’s Colleague Coach, a role that was defined by the Vermont SRI five years ago, supported by David LeoNyquist, Thetford's School Coach. Reflective practices are an integral part of her role as teacher and Colleague Coach. Becky resides in Thetford, VT, enjoys time with her two grown sons, other family and friends, and continues to be passionate about her duties as an educator, using best practices that contribute to  students’ successes in learning. email: bdifrancesco@vtsri.org
	Edorah Frazer—has coached Critical Friends Groups in schools and trained Critical Friends Group coaches nationally. She taught science and math at Thayer High School and English and wellness at Souhegan High School in New Hampshire and was Dean of Students at The Gailer School in Shelburne, Vermont. All three of these high schools are members of the Coalition of Essential Schools. Edorah currently coordinates a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership for the University of Vermont and supports professional development efforts in Addison County, Vermont schools. She is currently writing a dissertation on unlearning racism. email: efrazer@vtsri.org
	David Leo-Nyquist—David Leo-Nyquist is a former high school teacher, teacher-educator, and VISTA program director. He's currently involved in a variety of whole-school reform efforts as a School Coach with a focus on teacher collaboration and teacher leadership, and on the application of SRI practices in a variety of school settings. He also serves as the professional development coordinator for the Addison/Rutland Consortium (ARC), and leads educator renewal retreats for teachers and school leaders for the Vermont Courage to Teach program. David has a PhD in Secondary Education from the University of North Dakota. email: dnyquist@vtsri.org
	Margaret Maclean—has been an educator for over 30 years. During this time she has taught at all grade levels from Pre K to grade 6. Margaret was educated in England and taught in Great Britain and several European countries including the USSR before coming to the US in the 1980’s. Most recently Margaret was the principal of Peacham Elementary School and in 1996 was named Vermont Principal of the Year. Margaret currently works with several organizations, including the Rural School and Community Trust, Vermont Rural Partnership, and Teacher Collaboration, in addition to VTSRI to provide professional development to teachers, administrators, school boards and community members. email: mmaclean@vtsri.org
	Tina Muncy—works for the Vermont Department of Education (VTDOE) as a School Support Coordinator. Prior to this position, she taught in nearly all grades K-8 in both Michigan and Vermont. Tina also served as principal of Washington Village School in Vermont. Her diverse experience through many years in education has enabled Tina to understand the crucial nature of collaborative work between educators. As a part of her position at the VTDOE, she has organized Principal Learning Communities for the coming year to help support collaborative work between principals. email: tmuncy@vtsri.org
	Martha Rich—has been Head of School at Thetford Academy in Vermont for the past nineteen years.  Thetford Academy is a National Service-Learning Leader School and national headquarters for Operation Day’s Work USA (www.odwusa.org) as well as a Vermont Rural Partnership member and pilot site for Vermont’s High Schools on the Move program.  Martha’s collaborative approach to leadership, based on SRI principles and practices, has fostered a strong professional community at the school. As an administrator and facilitator, her interest is finding ways to foster a culture of shared responsibility for both students’ and colleagues’ learning. email: mrich@vtsri.org
no photo available	VTSRI EVALUATOR Melissa Kagle—taught middle and high school science and math for 12 years before going to Harvard graduate school of deducation to earn her doctorate in education with a research focus on the relationship between professional development and teacher practice. She was trained as a CFG coach in 1996 and became an SRI National Facilitator in 2001. Along with her work with VTSRI, Melissa was a Senior Research Associate at WestEd where she worked with various schools, districts and state agencies to improve learning for all students. Melissa is now an assistant professor of education at Hamiliton college in NY state. email: mkagle@vtsri.org
	Faith Dunne—In Memoriam:  Before her death in 2001, Faith Leah Dunne was the guiding spirit of VTSRI.  As a professor of education at Dartmouth College, she conducted pioneering studies of rural schools and fostered close ties between the College’s Education Department and school practitioners. Convinced that teachers could play a central role in reform efforts, she joined the Annenberg Institute of School Reform at Brown University in 1995, where she was a co-designer of the Critical Friends model and later a founding director of the national School Reform Initiative. In 1999, after consulting in schools and districts around the country, she decided it was time to “bring the work home to Vermont.” The Vermont Center today carries on her legacy, committed to the belief that sustained positive change begins when people in schools learn to share their practice, look closely at student work, and build a common understanding of school culture.  Faith Dunne’s vision continues to evolve through the Center’s work, as increasing numbers of Vermont schools establish the habits and practices of learning communities designed to meet the changing needs of today's students.