“Are We on the Same Book and Page?” The Value of Shared Theory and Vision

Looking at literacy teaching across classrooms at the urban Mill City Charter School provides an opportunity to explore the importance of coherence within a school. This work was informed by teachers’ voices and classroom observations over several months. Findings suggest that when teachers and school leaders share a common theory and vision for literacy education and work in the context of a professional learning community, teachers’ opportunities to act as knowledgeable professionals, and children’s opportunities for success and empowerment through literacy may be enhanced.