ABSTRACT
Zaida T. Rodriguez Early Education School serves 48 preschoolers and 44 transitional kindergartners. It is one of ten stand-alone preschools in the San Francisco Unified School District. A majority of students are from immigrant, Spanish-speaking families living in San Francisco's Mission District. Zaida Rodriguez's overall goal in transforming the school was to promote the intentionality of teaching. The two lead preschool teachers and their assistant teachers collaborate on their observations, documentation, and reflections. Oscar Chavez, a veteran lead teacher, is a Spanish/English bilingual teacher with a long-time interest in supporting the needs and talents of children from immigrant communities. LayLay Eung first volunteered at the school, then worked as a paraprofessional with Oscar who served as her first mentor, and has taught as the lead teacher of the school's second preschool classroom for the last 4 years. The school has now reached the point where there is a more seamless connection between curriculum, assessment, inquiry, and collaboration.
