NWP Sites and Directors, New and Renewed

By: Art Peterson
Publication: The Voice, Vol. 8, No. 5
Date: 2003

Summary: In an ongoing series, The Voice profiles directors of new writing project sites. Here we introduce Kevin Sue Bailey, director of the Indiana University Southeast Writing Project, and Jo Galle, director of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Writing Project...

In an ongoing series, The Voice profiles directors of new writing project sites. In this second installment on the leaders of the ten new sites in 2003, we introduce Kevin Sue Bailey, director of the Indiana University Southeast Writing Project, and Jo Galle, director of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Writing Project.

Kevin Sue Bailey, Director

Kevin Sue Bailey, the director of the newly established Indiana University Southeast Writing Project at New Albany, Indiana, and current coordinator of secondary education at the university, is not one to make unstudied moves.

Before this former teacher of English and 1987 "Hoosier Teacher of English" agreed to take the helm at this new Indiana site, she spent three years thinking about it. In the process, she met with state network directors, site directors, and writing project teachers. She attended the National Writing Project Annual Meeting and traveled to Berkeley to interview the national leadership. Her legwork made her a convert. "I was convinced the writing project was the right direction for southern Indiana."

She had a lot of reasons for concluding that her corner of Indiana needed the writing project.

"For one thing," she said "with so many teachers retiring, the schools are going through a period of transition. Whole schools are faced with more new teachers than veterans for the first time in decades. The project can also allow mature teachers a way to hone their skills and provide entering teachers a network of colleagues who want to develop into writing teachers who exemplify best practice."

Also, Indiana's high-stakes testing program will require writing in most subject areas including science and social studies. "There is increased pressure for writing skills across the curriculum," Bailey said.

She further explained that the establishment of the new site in Southeast Indiana is in line with the NWP goal of making writing project sites geographically accessible to more teachers. "Until now, many of our constituents would have to drive four or five hours to Indianapolis."

Another reason why the writing project feels right for Indiana University Southeast, Bailey said, is linked to the academic atmosphere at her campus. The English education faculty and the English faculty meet on a regular basis and maintain positive working relationships. "The decision to move ahead with the application involved representatives from each of these departments."

Bailey's instincts were right: her new project filled a need. "There were more inquires and applications for our first summer institute than there were spaces. The quantity and quality of applicants surprised even us," she said.

Most of the elements of her first summer institute followed the NWP playbook, but at end of institute celebration, she pulled out all the stops. "We held an old fashioned picnic—a red, white, and blue color scheme and a patriotic salute to writing. Over 100 family members, friends, administrators, colleagues, and university personnel came to see the walls filled with writing and a poster tribute to each fellow. Stations were set up so that supporters could experience author's chair and read-a-louds. And, of course, there were writing centers for kids."

Bailey is full of plans for the future. This fall, there'll be an IUSWP "Supper Club" event at which participants come together at a local restaurant for dinner and an author's chair and a reflection on progress in classrooms. Her new teacher-consultants will be presenting at the Indiana Teachers of Writing Conference. Plans are underway for an advanced institute next summer, and a young writers camp to help teacher-consultants keep NWP's ultimate clients in focus.

Though Bailey may have taken a few years to test the waters before diving into her writing project work, now that she has taken the plunge, she won't be getting out any time soon.

Jo Galle, Director

One of Jo Galle's reasons for taking on the directorship of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Writing Project was a pretty visceral one: Directing a writing project seemed like so much fun. She had observed her friend Richard Louth, director of the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, having a very good time, and a part of her was asking "Where can I sign up?"

But Galle also realized she was well suited to head up the University of Louisiana at Monroe Writing Project, which had been dormant for four years, since the previous director's retirement. For 15 years she has been teaching Southern literature, modern American literature, and advanced writing at the university. "I've loved teaching the Advanced Writing class," she said. "I enjoy getting involved with each unique writer as he or she explores a writing situation. I saw the writing project as a way of going further with this work."

Galle has recently completed her first summer institute and is pleased to report all participants claimed that their love of writing had been renewed. "After all," said Galle, "it's a love of writing that probably inspired these folks to go into the teaching of writing in the first place."

That is not to say that that for some of these teachers this rekindled enthusiasm did not come without a struggle. Galle tells the story of Molly: "During the first week, Molly, who is an excellent writer and a former journalist, asked me to read her draft. As I read it, she watched me closely and then asked, `So how was it?' It was a very good draft, and I told her so, but I also said it seemed to me the tone of the last few paragraphs wasn't in keeping with the rest of the paper."

The next week Molly returned, her paper—particularly the last two paragraphs—much improved. She explained. "When Dr. Galle suggested I rewrite those paragraphs, I went home, locked myself in my bedroom, and told my children not to disturb me until I came out. I had to admit to myself that even good writers sometimes have to be willing to sit down and make `deep revision.'"

That last statement, according to Galle, became the motto for the summer, "Even good writers sometimes need to engage in `deep revision.'"

Despite the successes of this past summer, however, Galle understands that much of the work of the NWP sites is about keeping up with the cycle of work. "Soon the recruiting for next year's summer institute participants must begin."

And there are, of course, the usual new site struggles for which the national organization can provide some assistance. Galle mentions particularly her efforts to establish an inservice program and the continuity programs that will "encourage each participant to stay involved with our project."

Galle was right: directing a writing project can be fun. But no one ever said it would be easy.

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