At the recent spring meeting of the National Writing Project in Washington, D.C., members of the Kean University Writing Project, Dr. Mia Zamora, director, and Ms. Kim Kiefer, co-director, had an opportunity to share their classroom successes with members of Congress.
Specifically, Zamora and Kiefer shared the accomplishments of the Kean University Writing Project at the offices of Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. During the meetings, both Senators agreed to sign an important appropriations letter pertaining to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in support of professional development for teachers and overall "teacher quality" in New Jersey.
"It was a great pleasure to have the chance to speak with legislators and colleagues about the work of the Kean University Writing Project in grooming teacher-leaders who are dedicated to the effective teaching of writing,” said Zamora. “The Senators and their staff are hit every day with statistics and numbers, but they always remember our stories of transformation – how effective teachers make a real difference by passing on to students a love for writing that lasts a lifetime.”
Kiefer, who also serves as an adjunct at Kean and a teacher in the Rahway (N.J.) School District, expressed the role of writing as a critical component of citizenship. “Writing is essential to communication, learning and citizenship. Writing helps us convey ideas, solve problems and understand our changing world,” she said. “Since writing is indeed a bridge to our future, we are proud to advocate for this crucial work.”
For more information on the Kean University Writing Project, please visit http://www.kean.edu/~kuwp/.
