The pedagogical coordinator and the continued training of early grade teachers

Abstract

This article discusses the work of pedagogical coordinators at public schools in the city of São Paulo facing two models of continued teaching training: the Special Action Project (Projeto Especial de Ação (PEA)), designed by the local school system itself, and the National Pact for Literacy at the Right Age (Pacto Nacional pela Alfabetização na Idade Certa (PNAIC)), a federal program adopted as a public local policy from 2013 through 2016 and directly implemented for teachers by external agents. Both models took place concomitantly in the city´s public schools along the mentioned period, which led to a questioning about how pedagogical coordinators dealt with teachers working with literacy cycle (1st to 3rd grade). The research is qualitative and the methodology consists of a bibliographical review on teacher´s basic training and educational counseling, of documental studies, and semi-structured interviews with initial grades teachers in Elementary School, pedagogical coordinators and formative professionals from two Regional Instruction Departments in the city´s school system. The results reveal that educational counseling represents an important link between the public policies for continued teacher training and their school practices, either on local or federal level, so that pedagogical coordinators must be involved in their implementation. It is considered that the two models are potentially transforming, provided that they engage the practices that are conducted in the classrooms, offering an opportunity to be absorbed together with the teachers´ knowledge, and provided that they get, for such, constant and systematic support from the managing bodies when resolving impasses, overcoming shortages, and sustaining the advancements achieved.