6/6/2023

S1E5 Where Literacy Meets the Law With Dr. Kymyona Burk

“We have to draw our line in the sand somewhere to say that yes, we want [teachers] to have autonomy, but not when it's at the expense of students and the rest of their lives.”

—Dr. Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow for Early Literacy at ExcelinEd

52 minutes

What happens at the intersection of law and literacy?

During this All for Literacy episode, Dr. Liz Brooke breaks down literacy policy at the state level with Dr. Kymyona Burk, a longtime advocate of implementing the science of reading in schools across her home state of Mississippi and beyond.

Burk currently serves as senior policy fellow for early literacy at ExcelinEd, an organization dedicated to advancing a broad range of student-centered policy solutions across the country. Previously, Burk served as executive director for the Jackson Public School District’s Office of Teaching and Learning in Mississippi and as the state literacy director at the Mississippi Department of Education.

Brooke and Burk dive into how state policy trickles down to classroom-level activities, how to best implement new changes in educational law, and the differences between literacy instruction in early education versus at the middle or high school level. Understand how to best empower teachers and educators to implement and adapt to changes in state and countrywide policies on literacy instruction.

The pair also addresses the burning question on many educators’ minds: Is the science of reading a genuine literacy movement or merely a trendy buzzword?

Tune in to gain a better understanding of the legal side of literacy—including recently passed policies—and how what happens at the state level can affect districts, schools, and classrooms.

Episode Breakdown

(00:52) – Kymyona Burk’s journey into education

(04:48) – How literacy instruction shifts for middle and high school students

(11:13) – Burk’s experience as state literacy director

(13:59) – Effective policy implementation

(21:27) – The science of reading as a genuine literacy movement

(26:28) – Empowering educators to implement new policy

(34:34) – Literacy assessment and reporting

(41:23) – Policy and older students

(43:54) – The future of the science of reading

About the Guest

As senior policy fellow for early literacy at ExcelinEd, Kymyona Burk helps states establish comprehensive approaches to K–3 reading policies. Previously, Burk served as executive director for the Jackson Public School District’s Office of Teaching and Learning in Mississippi and as the state literacy director at the Mississippi Department of Education. Bringing classroom experience to policy development, she began her career as an elementary reading teacher and taught middle and high school English.