Adapting Literacy Approaches for Unique Online Learning Communities

In today’s episode, host Jeff Pendleton sits down with Andrea G. Valadez, Director of Special Education and Support Services at Heartland Charter School in California. Andrea shares her unique journey from school psychologist to educational leader in an innovative virtual-home school hybrid environment.

Together, they dive into Heartland’s distinctive approach—where parents serve as learning coaches, students learn at home with guidance from credentialed teachers, and individualized, multisensory literacy interventions are delivered online.

Andrea opens up about the challenges and rewards of working in a nontraditional educational setting, how her team builds a strong literacy foundation for every learner, and why she believes early intervention and empowering parents are the keys to student success.

Key Moments

00:00 "Homeschooling with Learning Coaches"

04:38 Online Charter School Education Model

09:14 Tracking Literacy Progress with Lexia

13:11 Addressing Reading Gaps in Schools

14:18 Remote Reading Intervention Boost

17:46 Supporting Literacy and Education Gaps

22:04 Supporting Special Education Connectivity

24:54 Early Intervention in Learning Challenges

Why You’ll Love This Episode:

1. Be inspired by Andrea G. Valadez’s passionate approach to cultivating a literacy mindset—where reading is more than a skill; it’s a pathway to student identity, agency, and joy.
2. Hear powerful stories about reluctant readers turned book lovers—and the daily practices that helped shift those trajectories.
3. Gain insight into what it really means to be a literacy leader—from modeling vulnerability with your own reading life to co-creating space for every student’s voice on the page.
4. Hear powerful stories about reluctant readers turned book lovers—and the daily practices that helped shift those trajectories.

Connect with Andrea G. Valadez

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-valadez-ed-s-55a85010/
Website: https://heartlandcharterschool.com/

Follow Us On

Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-pendleton-2a614b26/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindplayeducation/

Company Website: https://mindplay.com/

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