Jackie Bilotta is only in her second year as an ECE classroom teacher at Bloom Elementary, but she is no stranger to working with students鈥攕o much so that she just received her Rank I designation this past December. 鈥淭his is my 20th year in Kentucky public schools, but [the Rank I] was my ultimate goal,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 wanted to have a little more flexibility in what I do, and to do intervention outside just special education.鈥�
Bilotta has the kind of well-rounded background schools love: she has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in music, but then she pursued psychology. That history, along with a love of teaching discovered after a seven-year stint substituting in Bullitt County beginning two decades ago, is the basis of a toolbox that she gets to dip into extensively throughout her week. 鈥淚 do more music therapy with my 鈥榣ittle bitties鈥� (kindergartners), doing a lot with song,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd psychology gave me a much better idea of where my students are coming from and how their disabilities can impact their lives in school and out of school.鈥�
The literacy leadership coursework offered at Bellarmine appealed to Bilotta鈥檚 love of teaching and its various modalities. 鈥淚 want to be a better teacher,鈥� she says of her decision to pursue her Rank I here. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want a program that I was going to coast through, get the paper and not really learn anything. I wanted to have some sense of effort and say, 鈥楾his is my new knowledge base and this is how I鈥檓 going to use it鈥� ... not just get the pay raise. I have students who really struggle with reading, and [the literacy training] really helped me make a good impact on students.鈥�
As a person who has observed education as a teacher and assessor, teacher trainer, ECE implementation coach, and parent (she has a kindergartener and a 3rd-grader at Bloom), Bilotta reaps the benefits exponentially. 鈥淚t was well worth the time and effort. I can see every day the impact it鈥檚 having on my kids鈥攈aving a new and deeper understanding of literacy and how reading and writing work together. I really felt I got that with Bellarmine.鈥�
Even though Bilotta has no plans to get another degree, she is considering sitting
for the literacy specialist endorsement test. Regardless of yet another official designation
beyond Rank I, she is glad to have learned what she did at Bellarmine鈥攅ven if it was
not in person. 鈥淚t was challenging,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was very rigorous and challenging
and I learned so much. I loved Bellarmine. Even the online experience was phenomenal.鈥�