Mrs. Emily Bartko’s journey to becoming a PA Distance 3-6 grade Math Interventionist is unique. Beginning as a substitute teacher for Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley School Districts and working part-time at a coffee shop lead Mrs. Bartko to PA Distance through a much-welcome stroke of fate.

Mrs. Bartko began her formal education at La Roche University, where she earned her B.A. and PA Certifications in Elementary Education K-6. Later, she obtained a Special Education N-12 certification from Slippery Rock University, where she also recently completed her M.Ed. in Special Education.

“My friend and I collected left-over worksheets to use as props when we played school at home,” she added. “I also had an out-of-date teacher’s manual and would play school using it.”

Before beginning at PA Distance, Mrs. Bartko worked at a small coffee shop. The shop happened to be right outside of the old PA Distance office and was frequented by teachers staff members during their lunch hour.

“I would talk to the teachers when they came to get coffee, and they found out that I was a PA certified teacher, too,” she said. “One day, the then PA Distance principal, Mrs. Rossetti (now the CEO), came out and asked me if I wanted an interview for a short-term substitute position for grades K-2 that they had at the time.”

She interviewed with Mrs. Rossetti, after her shift ended that day, and was hired. Now, after more than ten years at PA Distance, she hasn’t looked back.

“It was a wonderful fit,” she explained. “I’ve always had an interest in the technology side of education, and that combination of quality education within a virtual environment was the perfect blend for me.”

“At PA Distance, I also get to communicate a lot with parents, which I love doing,” she added.

Throughout her time at PA Distance, Mrs. Bartko has had the opportunity to teach various subjects and grade levels. She has taught Special Education classes, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade, 5th grade, and Title I Reading and Math for grades 3-6. She has also been the Math Interventionist for grades K-6 and now holds Grades 3-6 Math Interventionist position as she begins her 12th school year at PA Distance.

As a Math Interventionist, Mrs. Bartko focuses on students’ unique needs with various math concepts.

“We look at student needs based on their assessment result,” she explained.
“We use PSSA data, Scranton data, and STAR360 data. If a student needs extra support, I’m here to help.”

Within her virtual classroom, Mrs. Bartko tailors each student’s math intervention plan based on each assessment data. She uses some teaching strategies and math intervention software to help each student get back on track.

“I research and share evidence-based teaching strategies with our staff,” she said. “There are a lot of practices out there that can be adapted to our online environment.”

Mrs. Bartko used an intervention program called DreamBox to supplement her student’s lessons. She and her students meet, one-on-one, and in small groups, each week, but she will assign lessons in DreamBox for independent activities.

“Students are set to a grade level, and DreamBox assesses their skills through a series of math “games.” Then, they get lessons tailored to their needs,” she said.

“It gives the students opportunities to practice the concepts that they are working on,” she noted.

“We are constantly making changes and are improving the way we do things,” Mrs. Bartko said, of PA Distance’s administration, teachers, and support staff.

“My favorite part about PA Distance is the supportive environment,” she said. “Whether that is the teachers supporting the students and families or the administrators supporting the teachers.”

“We have the freedom to explore new techniques,” she added.