ESU Assistant Professor of Reading, Rhonda Sutton, Named Director of Northeastern PA Reading/Writing Project

Posted by: admin on October 25, 2013, No Comments

Rhonda M. Sutton, Ed.D., assistant professor of reading at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) has been named the new director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Reading and Writing Project (NPRWP). The NPRWP, one of nearly 200 university-based writing project sites, is part of the National Writing Project, a federal grant-funded program whose mission is focused on the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of the nation’s educators. The NPRWP works in collaboration with the ESU Reading Department and the College of Education to share a national program model for teachers’ professional development.

The NPRWP works in partnership with area school districts to offer high quality professional development programs for educators. In addition to developing a leadership cadre of teachers through invitational summer institutes at ESU, the project also develops and designs customized in-service programs for local schools, districts, and higher education.  

As director of ESU’s program, Sutton will work closely with the regional NPRWP leadership team to carry out a variety of essential tasks for the site. Members of her leadership team include Jamilyn Husted, Karen Gordon, (Pocono Mountain School District), Beth Wheeler, (Northampton Community College), Beth Winschuh, Mary DeFazio (East Stroudsburg Area School District), and Cardelia Givens, (Stroudsburg Area School District).

The leadership team has planned the following workshops to take place on ESU’s campus this fall: a “Close Reading Workshop” on Saturday, October 26 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Lower Dansbury, and an “Argument Writing Workshop” on Saturday, November 16 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Lower Dansbury. Both events are open to the public at the following fee schedule:

  • NPRWP fellows: $55 each workshop
  • Non-NPRWP fellows: $75 each workshop

These Pennsylvania Core workshops will support K-12 teachers with the implementations of the Pennsylvania Core English/Language Arts state standards. The NPRWP will also host Continuity events for Teacher Consultants (TCs) that will support TCs with delivering professional development and keep them engaged in a professional community focused on investigating teaching and learning in reading and writing.

In 2005, the program started as the Northeast Pennsylvania Writing Project (NPWP) at East Stroudsburg University and has since provided professional development for over 70 local teachers and college professors through the annual Invitational Summer Institute. These institutes have occurred at ESU from 2005-2011.

For more information about the upcoming workshops, invitational summer institutes or professional development programs, contact Dr. Sutton at 570-422-3670.