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When the University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services set out to strengthen literacy preparation for current and future teachers, the work had broad agreement about its importance. But it needed funding.
A gift from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation provided it.
And that made it possible to move faster, convene more partners from schools and state government, and dig deeper into the practices that help all children learn to read.
As Dean Katharine Shepherd put it:“This is work we need and want to do anyway. But the donor’s gift gives us added capacity we simply wouldn’t have otherwise had. We’ve been able to support faculty release time during the academic year, provide summer funding for curriculum development, underwrite research that informs practice, and bring the community together around a shared mission.”From the outset, the gift was guided by a clear purpose: Transform literacy practice at the College of Education and Social Services in order to ensure Vermont teachers are delivering the highest quality instruction to students for generations to come. That purpose is now visible in concrete outcomes - curricular revision, faculty development, statewide collaboration - and a growing sense that UVM is helping to align Vermont’s educator pipeline around evidence-based literacy practices.
Building the Infrastructure for Change: The Literacy Hub
One of the first moves supported by the gift was the launch of the Literacy Hub, a cross-program working group of UVM faculty committed to coherence and continuous improvement in literacy preparation.
With philanthropic support, the Hub brought in professional facilitation to support faculty in their review of syllabi and program sequencing and identification of strengths, gaps, and steps toward alignment within and across educator preparation programs.
The Hub also supported professional development by sending groups of faculty to national conferences for shared learning - ensuring new ideas and emerging evidence are integrated to syllabi and classroom practice.
“We’ve done a lot of work looking at syllabi and the progression across students’ experiences,” said Dr. Katie Revelle, Director of Community Collaboration and a member of the Literacy Hub. “We want every graduate to leave with a solid understanding of how kids learn to read - and for those working with young children and struggling readers, the skill set to teach those components using the most effective practices.”
The Hub’s core values center literacy as a public good and moral imperative. As Revelle noted, “literacy is an essential human right.”
That north star is shaping how UVM’s programs define quality, coherence, and accountability to the children and communities they serve.
From Campus to Classrooms: Research and Partnerships
The gift also enabled UVM to expand beyond the borders of campus and gather information from around the state.
Faculty developed and distributed a statewide survey of K–6 literacy educators to understand current practices and needs. They conducted focus groups and interviews with 30 local educators and six principals/curriculum leaders, surfacing how to strengthen clinical partnerships so pre‑service experiences reinforce what’s being taught on campus.
“These recursive, iterative loops of partnership - with the Agency of Education, community stakeholders, partner schools, advisory councils, and mentor teachers - are central to the work,” said Kimberly Vannest, Professor and Chair of the Department of Education at UVM. “We’re engaging openly around a shared problem, even when people have different opinions about the path to a solution. That openness is something I’m really proud of.”
The work is unfolding alongside Vermont’s Act 139, which centers early literacy and has prompted the Agency of Education to develop recommendations for educator preparation programs. The timing has been serendipitous: the gift created capacity just as the state sought stronger alignment across preparation programs, districts, and policy.
“Our state partners’ confidence that UVM is working hard on this has increased,” said Dean Shepherd. “That’s important because the legislation is direct about what educator preparation programs must do. We’re taking it seriously - expanding our efforts, engaging deeply with partners, and seeking support to sustain the work.”
Convening the Conversation: “We Must End the Reading Wars…Now”
A signature moment of this work came on November 17, when UVM welcomed emeritus professor Dr. Claude Goldenberg, Nomellini & Olivier Professor of Education at Stanford University, for a public talk titled “We Must End the Reading Wars…Now.”
The event drew 140 attendees to the Davis Center Ballroom - undergraduates, faculty, teacher candidates, local educators, curriculum leaders, community advocates, and more.
His areas of research and professional interest have centered on promoting academic achievement among language minority children and youth.
His talk focused on how to use research-based practices to support all literacy learners and bring an end to the reading wars.
Goldenberg’s visit was more than a lecture. Throughout the day, he met with Vermont superintendents, engaged multilingual educators statewide, and joined an AOE‑organized meeting with faculty from educator preparation programs across the state - precisely the inclusive, evidence-oriented, statewide conversation that Vermont needs now.
Feedback from partners was clear: the field is eager for more opportunities to hear from national experts on evidence-based research and its implications for instruction - and to discuss how findings translate into local classrooms and program design.
The event also signaled UVM’s commitment to an open, collaborative approach to literacy improvement—one that bridges research and practice, campus and community, preparation and policy.
What “Transformation” Looks Like in Practice
Transformation can sound abstract. At UVM, it looks like specific, compounding shifts across the educator pipeline:
Coherent curriculum: Aligned syllabi, clearer sequencing, and stronger coverage of how reading develops and how to teach core components.
Field alignment: Teacher preparation experiences in the field that mirror evidence-based practices emphasized in the classroom.
Faculty capacity: Release time and shared professional learning that elevate consistency and rigor across programs.
Research for action: Surveys, interviews, and partner feedback loops that continuously inform program improvements.
Statewide convening: Events and working sessions (e.g., Goldenberg’s visit) that connect preparation programs, districts, and the Agency of Education to shared goals and a common language.
The stakes are educational and economic. As Kimberly Vannest noted, the quality of schools is tightly linked to economic development: families choose communities with strong public schools, businesses invest in regions with robust educational systems, and a literate citizenry fuels innovation, civic engagement, and long-term prosperity. Strengthening literacy isn’t just good pedagogy. It’s a growth strategy for Vermont.
A Seed That’s Already Growing
The Sidney E. Frank Foundation’s gift is both catalyst and seed - helping UVM do now what would otherwise take years, and planting the practices and partnerships that will sustain improvement long-term.
The outcomes are visible: aligned curriculum, stronger preparation, deeper partnerships, a statewide conversation re‑centered on evidence and children.
The vision is even clearer: Every Vermont teacher prepared to teach reading effectively. Every child seen, supported, and set up to thrive.
With philanthropy as a force multiplier, UVM is turning that vision into durable change.
Read More About How Gifts Help UVM
Gifts are critical to the success of our students, faculty, and staff on campus. Gifts open doors, drive innovation, and fuel ground-breaking research all across campus. Below are a few stories that showcase the important work our donors do for the University of Vermont.
UVM Is Supporting Statewide Literacy Transformation — and Philanthropy Is Accelerating It
Kevin Morgenstein Fuerst
Feb 23, 2026