Local educators to serve on Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation council

TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL) — Several educators from Northeast Tennessee will serve on the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GLEF) 2024-2025 Educator Advisory Council to strengthen early literacy across the Volunteer State.

The advisory council will serve as a consulting body for the GLEF’s literacy initiatives, a release from the foundation said. Various initiatives include the statewide K-3 Home Library program, which has placed more than 4.4 million books in the homes of elementary school students and teachers.

Twenty-four Tennesseee educators representing the western, middle and eastern regions of the state were selected to serve on the 2024-2025 board.

The board will help direct the GELF’s K-3 decisions aimed at meeting students and families where they are with the resources needed to strengthen early literacy and combat learning loss statewide.

The following local educators will serve on the board:

• Executive Council
  • Angie Sybert – Rising First Grade Leader, Second Grade Teacher, Ketron Elementary, Sullivan County Schools
• Members
  • Jessica Drinnon – Special Education Teacher K-5, Mooresburg Elementary, Hawkins County Schools
  • Misty Mercer – District Literacy Specialist, Greene County Schools
  • Carrie Smith – Fourth Grade Teacher, Woodland Elementary School, Johnson City Schools
  • Laura Tipton – Reading Interventionist, Mt. Carmel Elementary, Hawkins County Schools

“As a 2nd-grade teacher, I am excited to serve on the Educator Advisory Council’s Executive Team to share my genuine love of reading with Tennesseean families,” Angie Sybert, GELF council member said in a news release. “My hope is to change children’s mindset from “having” to read to “wanting” to read. My wish is for every child to develop a love for books and to consider reading an enjoyable experience.”

For more information on the GLEF foundation, click here .

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