Hannah Brooks, M.Ed.

June 7, 2026

Dear Dr. Castillo,

A child who reads below grade level in the fall and walks out in June reading above it has changed the trajectory of their whole school career — and that is the work I have built my career around. Across eight years in EC–6 classrooms on diverse, Title I campuses, I have moved the average reader up 1.4 years in a single school year through structured literacy and daily small-group instruction. I would be honored to bring that same growth to the 3rd-grade team at Sunset Valley Elementary.

The numbers I am proudest of are the ones that mean a student finally believes they are a reader. As a 3rd-grade teacher and grade-level lead at Maplewood Elementary, I raised the share of students meeting STAAR Reading standards from 61% to 88% over three years, and designed a guided-reading curriculum that all four 3rd-grade classrooms now use. Earlier, at Cedar Park Elementary, differentiated literacy stations moved 92% of my class to grade-level reading by year-end, up from 58% at fall benchmark.

Just as important to me is the climate that makes that growth possible. My SEL-anchored classroom system cut office referrals by 40% and earned campus "Climate Champion" recognition two years running, and as an ESL-endorsed, SIOP-certified teacher I have lifted a cohort's TELPAS composite a full proficiency band. As grade-level lead I facilitate weekly PLC data meetings and mentor first-year teachers — the kind of quiet, collaborative work a campus like Sunset Valley runs on.

I would welcome the chance to talk about how my literacy and data experience can support your students and your team. Thank you for considering my application; my resume is enclosed, and I would be glad to share references or sample units whenever it is helpful.