Using Whole Texts to Foster Student Agency and Critical Thinking

Presented by Rebecca Israel, Director of Literacy Achievement, KIPP New Jersey (NJ); Katie Gribben, District Instructional Lead for ELA/Literacy, Upper Schools, Cambridge Public Schools (MA); and Emily Wojtusik, Experienced Educator, Senior Director of Implementation, Fishtank Learning
Moderated by Jim McVety, Managing Partner, First Step Advisors

Sponsored by Fishtank Learning

Watch the RecordingListen to the Podcast

Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.

In a world of short clips, excerpts, and isolated passages, the ability to engage with a complete, complex text is a superpower. While passages have their place in assessment, research shows that immersion in whole books is what truly transforms students into critical readers, writers, thinkers, and global citizens.

In this edLeader Panel, Emily Wojtusik from Fishtank Learning is joined by Katie Gribben, District Instructional Lead for ELA/Literacy at Cambridge Public Schools, and Rebecca Israel, Director of Literacy Achievement for KIPP New Jersey, two leaders with frontline experience building reading culture across entire school systems. Together, they explore how centering ELA instruction around whole texts serves as an act of equity: what it looks like to implement at scale, how it shifts teaching practice, and why they believe every student deserves access to the full power of a book.

View this session to discover:

• The Equity of Excellence: Why providing every student, regardless of their starting point, access to complete, high-quality books is essential for closing opportunity gaps.
• Cultivating “Change Agents”: How whole texts build the background knowledge and empathy students need to solve critical problems in their communities.
• Moving from Compliance to Integrity: Strategies for using high-quality curriculum materials to plan deep, text-based discussions that shift the cognitive heavy lifting from the teacher to the student.
• Intentional Support & Scaffolding: How to navigate complex whole texts with diverse learners while maintaining the “joy of reading” and instructional rigor.

This recorded edLeader Panel is of interest to K-12 school leaders and district leaders.

Katie Gribben (she/her) is the District Instructional Lead for ELA/Literacy, Upper Schools for Cambridge Public Schools in MA. Katie’s role is to lead, support, and empower excellent ELA and literacy instruction in grades six and up. Prior to taking on this role, Katie was a building-based Literacy Coach and a seventh- and eighth-grade ELA teacher for Cambridge Public Schools. Katie has also taught ELA and history in NYC and Phoenix, AZ.

Emily Wojtusik is a Senior Director of Implementation at Fishtank Learning with over a decade of experience driving instructional excellence across K–12 schools. A former principal and humanities leader, she specializes in supporting schools and systems to implement high-quality curricula with integrity while centering equity and rigor. She has led professional development, coached leaders and teachers, and built systems that improve outcomes for all students. Her work bridges strategy and practice—translating ambitious academic vision into strong classroom instruction. Emily has taught and led schools in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Connecticut. She is passionate about literacy, critical thinking, and ensuring all students have access to meaningful texts and learning experiences. Outside of work, Emily is a girl mom and a Connecticut native. She can be found at the softball field or cheering on her daughter at a field hockey game on the weekends.

About the Moderator

Jim McVety is the Managing Partner of First Step Advisors (founded in 2009), which delivers strategy, communications, and executive growth services to education providers worldwide. Jim and his team advise global brands, early/mid-stage innovators, and leading investors who share a commitment to improving educational outcomes. Jim holds degrees in secondary education and English from Boston College, has served on numerous advisory boards, and works with a range of strategic partners around the globe.

Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.

Join the Literacy and Critical Thinking community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Fishtank Learning creates High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) for ELA and Math, grounded in best practices and built around rigorous objectives. Both their Math and ELA curricula are highly rated by EdReports for standards alignment, with their ELA materials further recognized by The Reading League.