Christy Marana, a Title Reading teacher at Prather and Wilson Elementary Schools, has been recognized by Granite City Community Unit School District 9 (GCSD9) for her dedication to student learning. Marana has worked in the district for 23 years.
Marana holds an Associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College, a Bachelor of Science in Education from McKendree University, and a Master’s degree in Reading from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She also has a Reading Specialist endorsement.
When asked about her favorite part of being a title teacher, Marana said, “I love seeing the progress my students make throughout the year. Many students come to Title not feeling confident in their phonemic awareness and reading skills. I enjoy reading with them and playing fun educational games, which they do not realize they are actually learning from!”
She described her favorite memories as taking place during family involvement nights: “Our Title Family involvement nights are always some of my favorite memories. I enjoy the kids coming to school in the evening with their parents, grandparents, and siblings. It is nice to see them spending quality time together! These events may be a theatre play, science experiments, fall festivals, story tellers, and other experiences our students have never had a chance to be a part of before.”
Marana explained that she was inspired by one of her teachers: “I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was a student myself at Frohardt Elementary School. My kindergarten and 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Johnson was my inspiration to become a teacher. Reading was something I really did not enjoy in school, but as an adult I read about 30 books a year. I want to get kids excited about reading different genres and what they are interested in.”
Describing her daily routine as a title teacher, Marana said: “My day consists of 10 groups of students each day ranging from Kindergarten-5th grade, and they consist of 3-6 students in each group. I teach everything from letter recognition, letter sounds, phonemic awareness, fluency, reading comprehension, and more! On Thursdays, I travel to Holy Family and St. Elizabeth schools to teach about 30 K-3rd grade students.”
Outside work hours she enjoys watching her children’s activities as well as reading and spending time with friends and family.
GCSD9 serves Madison County through several schools including Prather Elementary School where Marana teaches. The district represents schools such as Coolidge Junior High School and Frohardt Elementary School among others (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), GCSD9 employed 320 teachers who earned an average salary of $67,898 before pension contributions during recent reporting periods; most teachers were women (77 percent) while men made up nearly 23 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The student body is diverse: about 65 percent White students attend GCSD9 schools along with Black (16 percent), Hispanic (12 percent), and Asian (less than one percent) populations (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
GCSD9 spent $17,739 per student during the 2020 school year for total expenditures exceeding $106 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In that same period there were approximately 755 chronically truant students enrolled—meaning these students missed five percent or more days without valid excuse—a rate higher than the state average but lower than some districts statewide (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
For those interested in nominating staff members for recognition within GCSD9’s ongoing spotlight program this school year can send nominations via email.
