The Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) is celebrating a milestone in its mission to elevate literacy outcomes for all students.

Educators in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District sit in a classroom. They are among nearly 400 teachers who have been part of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. (Courtesy photo)
Some 400 educators in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District have been part of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. (Courtesy photo)

Since the program’s 2023 implementation, nearly 400 SMBSD educators have engaged in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS), an intensive, two-year professional development grounded in the science of reading and evidence-based instructional practices.

By the end of next school year, almost 500 educators will have participated in the program since its inception.

LETRS is rooted in brain science and empowers educators with the tools and knowledge necessary to teach reading with greater impact and precision, according to SMBSD.

What sets LETRS apart is its blend of rigorous reading, online coursework, in-person training, and immediate classroom application, allowing teachers to put research-based strategies into practice in real time, the district said.

“The course includes more than 100 hours of comprehensive study and 48 hours of in-person sessions (often held on Saturdays), a reflection of SMBSD’s unwavering commitment to high-quality instruction and equitable literacy access for every student,” the district said.

Beginning next school year, even more SMBSD teachers will embark on this learning journey. By the end of the 2025-26 school year, 10 SMBSD school sites will have fully implemented LETRS, with every campus across the district having at least one LETRS trained teacher on site.

“This is more than professional development, it’s a movement,” said Cindy Grennan, SMBSD teacher on special assignment (TOSA) for literacy. “We are aligning our instructional practices with what research and cognitive science tell us about how children learn to read.”