Boogart, a doctoral education student at George Washington University, was picked for the Emerging Leaders program sponsored by ASCD (formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), an Alexandria education nonprofit. The program pairs young educators with mentors to guide their development. Boogart previously taught in Kansas City and Alexandria. What is the Emerging Leaders program?
ASCD is trying to target people who are early in their education careers. They’re trying to help those people develop leadership skills that they can then take into their communities. I felt this program might open up some doors to me. I’m really interested in D.C. Public Schools and federal efforts.
What kind of changes do you want to see in education?
My big passion is helping older kids succeed in reading. I feel like there has been a lot of attention on early reading skills. But I was a fifth-grade teacher and I really didn’t get any training in reading. I feel like these teachers [of older grades] don’t know how to help their kids read better.
How do you see those problems play out in D.C. schools?
A lot of the national problems we’re seeing are compounded once you get in an inner-city district like DCPS. Students in these schools are not getting the exposure to books outside school that can help them. In DCPS it’s even more important that the teachers are able to target reading for kids when they are in school.
How did your teaching experience influence your goals?
The first school [in Kansas City] was a high-poverty area in the inner city. In the Virginia area, it was a really affluent population. That really showed me the stark differences that exist in education in our country and inspired me to make changes in high-need environments.
Why is reading so important?
Reading is the central skill that all other skills revolve around. If it’s not mastered, students really struggle with everything in their life. – Liz Essley
