Janee McCrate

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Janee
  • Bachelor in Human Development and Family Sciences
  • Masters in English as a foreign language/English as a second language
  • Graduate coursework in Reading and Literacy
  • Certified in Mild/Moderate Disabilities, ELL, Secondary English, Deaf Education, Elementary Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Sign Language Interpreter

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Galatians 6:2

Dear ILCA Families,            Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Janee’ McCrate, and I am the parent and aunt to five ILCA students. Outside of that, I am currently an English Language teacher at Union Freshman Academy, and over the years, I have taught several subjects ranging from pre-kindergarten to special education to pre-AP secondary English. This school year, I served on the ILCA board, and now I am transitioning to working in a new capacity as the Crusader Resource and Support Services Coordinator. Alongside me, Tina Sparks, a new Immanuel teacher, will be the school’s Crusader Resource and Support Services Interventionist and Reading Specialist. She has a rich education background teaching in surrounding schools serving both students who struggle and students who are gifted and talented.            The new Crusader Resource and Support Services (CRSS) initially has four primary goals. First, it will provide direct instruction (one-on-one or small group) to students in Kindergarten through fifth grades who may struggle with reading and/or math. In grades six through twelve, students who are on Individualized Education Plans (IEP) from public schools and receive classroom accommodations and testing modifications will be provided with those services upon review. Second, the program will assist teachers and parents to understand their students’ academic needs and suggest resources available. Third, the program will work with students who are not be on an IEP from a public school, but they need additional support to be successful in the classroom. Fourth, students who need academic support will be given a Learning Plan much like IEPs that they can use both in the classroom and post-high school. In the coming years, we would like to expand this program to offer even more services, such as a Gifted and Talented program and in-house speech and occupational therapy.            Tina Sparks and I will launch this program in two different ways. First, Tina will be at the school part-time working directly with students. She will also stay after school to provide some intervention services to parents at no additional cost (be on the lookout for additional information regarding this exciting opportunity!) Second, I will begin going through current student paperwork and discussing with teachers their students’ needs. As I process the paperwork, I will create Learning Plans for each student on an IEP from a public school partnering with parents and teachers in the process (much like an IEP meeting.) Overall, Tina will be over instruction, and I will be over coordination.            Parents, feel free to contact both Tina and me with questions. Her school email address is tsparks@icaba.org, and my email address is janeemccrate@icaba.org. We are available Monday through Friday via email, and we will do our best to respond as promptly as possible.            We look forward to working with you and your students!                        Sincerely,                                                Janee’ McCrate and Tina Sparks