Mike Barney

Serving the educational community for 16 years, Mike Barney has been an elementary teacher, elementary mentor, district literacy and technology trainer, national literacy trainer, children's book author, assistant elementary principal, elementary school principal and a county K-12 reading coordinator. While teaching for the Palm Springs Unified School District, he received the American Literacy Corporation Outstanding Reading Teacher award.   This award is given to K-8 California teachers who's students show a high growth in reading scores using a nationally recognized measurement.

These years of educational service has provided him with extensive teaching and leadership experiences. As a teacher and a principal, he worked directly with English learners and low socio-economic students. As a district trainer and Riverside County Office of Education reading coordinator, he has provided teacher, site administrator, and district administrator services. These included observations, site coaching, in class modeling in standards based reading instruction, content comprehension strategies, writing in all content areas, looking at student work, and site collaboration strategies.

Since August 2001, Mike has served as a reading coordinator, Middle School Demonstration grant administrator and a secondary school grant coordinator for Riverside County Office of Education, working with five elementary schools, fourteen middle schools and five high schools.   His service to schools is focused on three research-based areas of school improvement, which are developing professional learning communities, focusing on state standards, and monitoring student achievement.