Staff Qualifications

Summary

Our program delivery staff is primarily comprised of former classroom teachers who have a combined 450 years of teaching experience between them. They are highly trained, compassionate, and mission-driven and provide quality programming in an age-appropriate, culturally sensitive manner.

In addition, each staff member focuses on engaging the children and their families to grow a trusting relationship that will have a positive impact on the child's life.

Executive Director

JACQUE DAUGHTRY

Jacque received her bachelor’s degree in Business, with an emphasis in Personnel Management, from the University of Houston and has 25 years’ experience in accounting and business management in the for-profit sector. Her passion for serving children and her community as a church volunteer and in multiple volunteer capacities at each HISD school her children attended, paved the way for her to help launch Making It Better in 2006. Jacque considers it an honor and privilege to serve the organization’s students, their dedicated staff and board of directors, and their Houston ISD partner schools.

Once Hired

New staff members receive comprehensive training immersing them in the organizational culture at Literacy Now and in-depth training on the program delivery model and curriculum. Each fall and ongoing throughout the school year, all staff receive intensive professional development from experts at Neuhaus Education Center, TEACH, Center for the Collaborative Classroom, and The Afterschool Professional. Best practices are shared in program delivery, building relationships, improving equity in education, teaching children with poverty in mind, and parent engagement.

Reading Interventionists

Our Interventionists are trained on the Collaborative Classroom SIPPS curriculum, a research-based foundational skills program proven to help both new and struggling readers build skills and confidence for fluent, independent reading. Professional development instructors are highly qualified in key content areas and best practices to help our interventionists meet the needs of our students.
Reading Interventionists provide small group instruction where they continually observe and evaluate student progress. They demonstrate a high degree of self-efficacy, advocating for their students and holding themselves accountable for learner outcomes. They provide additional assistance to students as needed to guarantee their success for the year.
Monthly meetings give program delivery staff a chance to collaborate and address concerns at their campuses. The collective knowledge and experience of our team, combined with the commitment to continuous learning, provide an optimal learning environment for our students.