The Mentors, Leaders and Teachers of The Big Sky Literacy Summit 2024

John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, speaker, coach and leader who has sold more than 34 million books. He is the founder of Maxwell Leadership a leadership development organization that has trained tens of millions of leaders in every nation. Having been recognized as the #1 leader in business and as the world’s most influential leadership expert, Maxwell continues to influence individuals and organizations worldwide from
Fortune 500 CEOs and national leaders to entrepreneurs and the leaders of tomorrow. For more information, visit maxwellleadership.com.

Dr. Yaacov Petscher is a Professor of Social Work at Florida State University, an Associate Director of the Florida Center for Reading Research, and the Director the Quantitative Methodology and Innovation Division at FCRR. Yaacov’s work is focused on measurement, causal modeling, the study of individual differences in reading using complex methodologies, and the development of screening assessments and computer adaptive tests. He is the recipient of the 2011 Rebecca Sandak Young Investigator Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, the 2012 Article of the Year Award from Assessment for Effective Intervention, the 2014 Dina Feitelson Research Award from the International Literacy Association, the 2014 Educational Researcher of the Year Award from the Florida Educational Research Association, and a 2017 FSU Innovator Award from Florida State University. He has co-authored nearly 200 peer reviewed articles, book chapters, and technical reports and co-edited The Fluency Construct and Applied Quantitative Analysis in Education and the Social Sciences books.

Dr. Catts is Professor of the School of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University. His research interests include the early identification and prevention of reading disabilities. He is a past board member of the International Dyslexia Association and past board member and President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading.  He has received the Samuel T. Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association and the Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for his career contributions in each of these disciplines. His current research concerns the early identification of reading and language disabilities and the nature and assessment of reading comprehension problems. 

Ann P. Kaiser is the Susan W. Gray Professor of Education and Human Development at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on early language interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. She is the primary developer of Enhanced Milieu Teaching and author of more than 175 articles, on parent and therapist implemented early intervention. Her current research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Education.

Charles Hulme is Professor of Psychology and Education in the Department of Education and William Golding Senior Research Fellow at Brasenose College. He has broad research interests in reading,
language, and memory processes and their development and is an expert on randomized controlled trials in education. He has also explored the role of wider language skills (particularly vocabulary knowledge and grammatical skills) and their influences on the development of reading comprehension. Dr. Hulme's publications include a number of assessment materials including the Phonological Abilities Test (1997), the York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC, 2009) and Sound Linkage (2014), as well as several books dealing with various aspects of reading development. He is the former Editor-in –Chief of the journal ‘Scientific Studies of Reading’ (2007-2009) and a former Senior Editor of the Association of Psychological Science’s flagship journal, Psychological Science (2012-2019).

Dr. Nell is the chair and co-moderator of The Summit, the founder of The Transformative Reading Teacher Group, and the current president of The Reading League Montana.  She is an educational consultant, certified high performance coach, teacher of teachers, and is insatiably curious about all things that make people’s lives better.  She is an inspired human and an agent of positive change working to revolutionize the way teachers think and apply their knowledge for the benefit of all children in their classrooms.  She began her career as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned her bachelors and masters degrees in Speech-Language Pathology.   Her first journey in becoming a teacher of teachers was as a National LETRS trainer and then she went on to obtain a Literacy Studies doctorate at MTSU.

Tim Odegard, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and holds the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. He also leads the efforts of the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Dyslexia, as a consulting editor of the Journal of Learning Disabilities, and is a former editor at large for Perspectives on Language and Literacy. In addition to being a research scientist, Tim is a reading therapist, having completed a two-year dyslexia specialist training program at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. 

Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan is President of the Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas and a research associate with the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics at the University of Houston.  Elsa has dedicated 25 years working in national research projects sponsored by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, the Institute of Education Sciences, a research arm of the United States Department of Education and the Office of Special Education Programs.  Her research interests include the development of language and literacy skills among Spanish-and English speaking students. She has also worked with teams of researchers designing assessments and interventions for this diverse population of students.  Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan serves as the Chairperson of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, and is a Past-Vice- Chairperson of the International Dyslexia Association, . Elsa was honored to receive the Margaret Bryd Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Dyslexia Association and the Luke Waites Award of Service by the Academic Language Therapy AssociationHer book entitled: Literacy Foundations for English learners: A Comprehensive Guide to Evidence-Based Instruction was published to help educators implement Structured Literacy among English learners.

Laura Stewart is an educator and organizational leader.  She has served as a classroom teacher, building and district administrator, adjunct professor, and director of numerous professional development initiatives around the country.  Before joining 95 Percent Group, Laura was the Chief Innovation Officer with The Reading League and the Chief Academic Officer for Professional Development at Highlights for Children.  Laura presents nationally and internationally and has written for numerous organizations and publications, including co-authoring The Everything Guide to Informational Text K-2; Best Texts, Best Practices.  She hosted the podcast “Teaching, Reading, and Learning: The TRL Podcast.” Laura serves on several advisory boards and is a certified LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) facilitator. Laura’s  position as the Chief Academic Officer at 95 Percent Group suits her perfectly, as her passion is empowering educators to positively impact ALL students and ultimately change the course of literacy achievement in this country.

Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP is a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, Director of the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab and the Center for Translational Research: Implementation science, and Dissemination for Equity, (cTIDE), and Research Associate at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hogan has published over 100 papers on the genetic, neurologic, and behavioral links between oral and written language development, with a focus on improving assessment and intervention in schools, especially for neurodiverse children with Developmental Language Disorder, Dyslexia, and/or Speech Sound Disorders. Her advocacy for children with language, speech, and literacy disabilities has led her to co-found a DLD informational website: www.dldandme.org, host a podcast (www.seehearspeakpodcast.com), organize an annual conference on implementation science, and contribute information for articles in numerous news outlets including the New York Times and the Boston Globe.

Dr. Washington is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of California – Irvine (UCI). She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and is a Fellow of the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Dr. Washington directs the Learning Disabilities Research Innovation Hub funded by the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute on Child Health and Human Development. She is also director of the Dialect, Poverty and Academic Success Lab at UCI. Currently, Dr. Washington’s research is focused on the intersection of literacy, language variation, and poverty. In particular, her work focuses on understanding the role of cultural dialect in assessment, identification of reading disabilities in school-aged African American children and on disentangling the relationship between language production and comprehension on development of reading and early language skills for children growing up in poverty. 

For 27 years, Dr. Terrie Noland has put her energy into leadership and literacy; first as a teacher and administrator and now as a national  Literacy Leader. Terrie mentors leaders about the latest research around the science of reading and the leadership characteristics to leave a lasting legacy. Terrie speaks to crowds to hear captivating stories, leadership principles, research, and best practices in literacy, which she always delivers with inspiration. Terrie is a Certified Academic Language Practitioner and has a Ph.D. in Literacy. She is Maxwell Leadership Certified and a member of the President's Advisory Council. She has experience building award-winning communities of educators to lead large in literacy as well as
professional learning experiences that drive high-leverage growth for administrators and educators.

Dr. Fierro is the Chief Impact Officer for Educator Preparation with the Barksdale Reading Institute out of Mississippi and a former Texas State Teacher of the year. He has been a member of the national LETRS cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats for almost 20 years.  Antonio has contributed to several literacy curricula for English learners and, along with his colleague, Dr. Mary Dahlgren, co-authored Kid Lips ® , a curriculum that teaches the articulatory features of English phonemes to young children. His areas of interest include early literacy instruction, improving the learning experience of pre-service teaching candidates, and early research and practice that impacts English learners.
Antonio is also dedicated to advancing the knowledge base and understanding of dyslexia and other reading disabilities as his son, Antonio Jr., has dyslexia. 

 Dr. Dahlgren has more than 35 years of experience in the field of education, having served as a dyslexia therapist, elementary classroom teacher, international literacy consultant, and author. Additionally, Dr. Dahlgren served as a national LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) trainer for 18 years. Since founding Tools 4 Reading in 2010, Mary Dahlgren, Ed. D., has focused on offering practical tools and training opportunities to bridge the gap between the science of reading and classroom practice. ​Tools 4 Reading have been recognized nationwide for their innovative classroom products. The impressive achievement has led to the acquisition of Tools 4 Reading by 95 Percent Group, LLC in 2023, a notable addition to their expanding lineup of top-tier educational products. Dr. Dahlgren will maintain an advisory position and offer her expertise in supporting and strategizing the integration of Tools 4 Reading solutions with the 95 Percent Group's existing offerings. Additionally, she will offer guidance on issues pertaining to the science of reading, professional development, training, and other related matters.

Kelly Butler is Senior Advisor to ReadingUniverse.org, a large-scale legacy project of the Barksdale  Reading Institute (BRI), where she served as Chief Executive Officer. The Institute concluded operations in June of 2023 having contributed significantly to Mississippi’s rise in reading scores on the  National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP 2019, NAEP 2022). Reading Universe is housed at  WETA, PBS’s flagship station in Washington, D.C. amidst a suite of award-winning literacy websites supporting evidence-based practices for teachers of reading and writing. During her tenure at BRI, Kelly initiated the original Reading Universe concept to provide high-quality professional development to educators in Barksdale schools and educator preparation programs.  Butler authored three statewide studies on Teacher Preparation for Early Literacy Instruction which propelled The Path Forward, a multi-state initiative focused on preparation and licensure. Kelly is an advisor to the Mississippi Reading Panel, the Mississippi Reading Clinic, The Path Forward, the  Southeast Region’s Education Laboratory, and the Evidence Advocacy Center; and is a board member for Springboard to Opportunities and Deans for Impact. She holds a master’s degree in administration,  planning, and social policy from Harvard University. She lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

Daryl Michel, PhD, consults with organizations nationally and internationally in areas such as instructional coaching, teacher education, disciplinary literacy, learning and lesson study, and curriculum design. He is the founder of Be A Change, LLC, and coauthor of Student-Focused Coaching: The Instructional Coach’s Guide to Supporting Student Success Through Teacher Collaboration (Brookes Publishing, 2022). In addition to his educational consulting, he serves as a project manager for The University of Texas at Austin’s Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Daryl began his career in the education profession nearly three decades ago and, today continues to follow his passion for learning with and from others and advocating for voices and perspectives to be heard.

For 34 years, Jeanne Schopf, M.Ed, NBCT, C-SLDI has dedicated her life to improving the lives of children as an educator and a state and national literacy leader. She is an experienced K-9 teacher, Literacy Coach, Reading Specialist, and Certified Dyslexia
Interventionist with a demonstrated impact of working in the primary and secondary education populations. Jeanne is a dynamic, fun, engaging individual who puts her heart and soul into education and literacy leadership. Her vast experience and knowledge of literacy, leadership, and systems change add value to the teachers she mentors and school leaders she guides as they transform their schools. As a Certified John Maxwell speaker, trainer, and coach, Jeanne strives to add value to the people she serves by seeing their potential, making connections, and inspiring lasting change. Jeanne has a personal mission to support all teachers and leaders in building pathways towards literacy in their schools.

Dr. Leslie Laud has taught students how to write for nearly 20 years as a classroom teacher. She has researched and developed writing instruction methodology, and now serves as a nationally recognized writing-staff instructor and consultant to hundreds of schools.  Dr. Laud holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Columbia University, where she also taught teacher education courses. She conducts empirical research studies on the most effective ways to teach writing, publishes her findings in peer-reviewed journals, and presents at prestigious conferences such as Learning & the Brain, Society for Scientific Studies of Reading, International Literacy Association (ILA), National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), and locally at Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA). In addition to authoring Releasing Writers: Evidence-Based Strategies for Developing Self-Regulated Writers (2017), she also published Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction (2012). She is currently conducting an empirical research study about structured ways to teach sentence writing. She is the author of multiple journal articles.

Amy Siracusano, MS Ed., worked in public education for over 20 years before becoming a national literacy consultant. Her career has included many positions: classroom teacher, learning specialist, Title I teacher, vice principal, literacy specialist for the board of education, and an adjunct professor. She has presented nationally on various literacy topics including assessment, dyslexia, reading, and writing. Amy is a member of Decoding Dyslexia Maryland, the Interim Vice Chair of The Reading League National, a former National LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator, an Acadience Training Specialist, and a Teacher Preparation and Literacy Review Specialist for The Barksdale Reading Institute. She is determined to support national efforts in making sure teachers are equipped with deep knowledge of language systems and teaching approaches to ensure all students leave second grade with proficient reading and writing skills. Amy lives in Southern Maryland with her husband Joe and their two daughters: Lucia (15) and Isabella (13).

Linda Farrell is a founding partner at Readsters.  She presents workshops around the country about effective instruction for beginning and struggling readers. She also works with schools, helping them design and implement effective reading instruction in all grades.   Much of Linda’s work is modeling effective instruction in classrooms and helping teachers use assessment data to design instruction for the students that puzzle them most. When advising about best reading practices, Linda combines her knowledge of research with her experience teaching students from age 4½ to age 81 to read. 

 Margaret Goldberg is a literacy coach in a large urban district in California. She's held a variety of roles including district Early Literacy Lead, site-based literacy coach, reading interventionist, and classroom teacher. In every role, she's worked to help schools and districts align instruction with reading research. She is the co-founder of The Right to Read Project, a group of teachers, researchers, and activists committed to the pursuit of equity through literacy. Her writing is published on The Right to Read Project blog and on Reading Rockets. 

Michael Hunter is a founding partner of Readsters.  Michael found his passion for teaching struggling readers as a volunteer teaching adult nonreaders.  He is now dedicated to helping teachers teach all students to read.  Michael has co-authored instructional materials with his business partner,  Linda Farrell.  Michael presents at conferences and advises schools nationally.  His work with schools includes coaching and modeling in the classroom.  This work with students and teachers keeps Michael’s skills fresh.  This work also continues to inform the creation of additional teaching materials for beginning readers and struggling readers of all ages.  Michael’s work at Readsters has even taken him to Africa to consult on early reading instruction.

Theresa is currently an educational consultant for the Transformative Reading Teacher Group and operates L.E.A.P.  (Lead, Empower, Achieve and Perform) Educational Consulting, LLC. Theresa led Anchorage Alaska’s Creekside Park, the 9th most culturally diverse elementary school in the country, to make AYP 4 of 5 years. 80-85% of the students scored proficient in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Demographic groups all scored consistently high in achievement regardless of economic status, gender or ethnicity. In recent years, Theresa has coached and consulted with school districts throughout Montana.  Under her tutelage, schools have made dramatic change and achieved significantly higher on their benchmark assessments, as well as the Smarter Balance Assessment. 

Dr. Marisa Ramirez Stukey is the Senior Director of Research & Engagement at the Collaborative Classroom. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in teacher education and professional learning and a Master’s Degree in Reading Education, both from the University of Florida.  She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with over twenty years experience teaching in both elementary and higher education contexts, instructional coaching, and professional learning systems development.  Her research interests focus on reading comprehension instruction and designing literacy professional learning.  She has consulted with numerous school districts in developing change models and collaborative professional learning structures, particularly to shift literacy instruction.  Marisa is the co-author of the book Professional Learning Redefined published by Corwin Press. 

Craig Buscher, Ed.D. earned his doctorate at the University of Montana in 2014 following a 12-year career as an elementary teacher, special education teacher, and reading interventionist. Craig provides literacy trainings for school districts across the country in the LETRS professional development program and consults, coaches, and trains teachers in reading and writing instruction and assessment, evidence-based practices, MTSS, and special education. Central in this work is alignment of instructional and assessment practices to the science of reading. Over the last 13 years, he has taught literacy and special education courses as an adjunct professor at the University of Montana. Craig resides in Pray, MT with his wife Sue and their yellow Labrador Lizzie.

Dawn Brookhart, M.A.T., M.Ed., is a dynamic innovator with nearly three decades of instructional and administrative experience in education, including serving in senior leadership roles in public schools and national organizations. She has a passion for integrating and aligning systems to bridge policy, research, and evidence-based practice in schools, universities, and state agencies. Through collective leadership, she believes in empowering others to improve outcomes for all students as evidenced by achieving National Blue Ribbon School Awards, creating a Seattle Times featured reading academy, and designing a graduate program in reading for Delaware Valley University. She is currently a consultant for Be A Change, LLC, and Co-Founder & Vice-President of the Reading League Pennsylvania.

Genevieve Thomas is a national educational consultant specializing in special education policies and best practices for students with disabilities, multi-tiered systems of support, and early literacy. Genevieve has served as a special education teacher, a literacy specialist, a new teacher coach, a school psychologist, and an administrator. She holds a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Washington, and graduate degrees in Special Education and School Psychology from Loyola Marymount University. Genevieve has experience designing and delivering professional development content at the local, state, and national levels. She has extensive teacher coaching experience, and has led district-wide implementation efforts on multiple initiatives. She currently lives in Whitefish, MT, and when she’s not supporting schools and educators, you will likely find her on her bike or skis.

Aaron Bouie Ill serves as the Chief Academic Officer for The Youngstown City School District. As the Chief Academic Officer, he utilizes his experience as a district leader, former building level administrator, and exception education teachers to support the needs of the district's scholars, teachers, and leaders. His work across educational settings involves utilizing evidence based practices to enhance leadership, teaching, and learning. 

Carolyn is the Ohio Literacy Lead with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. She works with local, regional, and state-level instructional leaders to build their capacity to implement evidence-based reading instruction within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Carolyn is a doctoral student in the Reading Science program at Mount St. Joseph University and a Dyslexia Interventionist. She advocates for reading science and has extensive knowledge of evidence-based approaches to teaching reading. She ensures that all leaders have the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities to sustain change, resulting in improved instruction and successful reading achievement for all learners. 

 Anne Penn currently serves as an elementary school Co Principal, PreK-5 Student Support Director, and Early Childhood Liaison for the Livingston Public Schools in Livingston, Montana and has worked in the field of education for 11 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Teaching, a Master of Educational Leadership, and a Doctor of Education. The focus of her career to date has been educating and supporting students, staff, and families, promoting a safe and equitable learning environments, engaging in collective impact work primarily focused on early childhood education, collaborating with local and state stakeholders, and supporting diversified instruction for all students including students with disabilities and students from diverse backgrounds. When she is not in school, Anne Penn can be found in the mountains running, skiing, and snowmobiling or hanging at home with her family.  

Patti Durgan has taught in grades K 2 for 20 years in both private and pubic education. She has a BA in Elementary Education and a Master's in Education with an emphasis in Reading Leadership, both from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. She was trained as a Reading Recovery teacher and holds endorsements as a Librarian and a K-12 Principal Endorsement. Currently, she is Co-Principal at B.A. Winans Elementary School in Livingston, MT. She is also the Professional Development Director for Livingston Public Schools and leads their New Teacher Mentoring Program. She is passionate about helping teachers grow and build their capacity to reach learners through high engagement and direct instruction. She believes in asking the question, “What is best for kids?” to drive educational decision making as a leader and school team. 

Dr. Holly Lane is a faculty member at the University of Florida and director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI). Her research focuses on the prevention of reading difficulties through effective early  literacy instruction, the remediation of literacy skills for students with dyslexia, and methods for helping preservice and practicing educators develop the knowledge and skills they need to be effective reading teachers and interventionists. Dr. Lane has directed many grants to support reading research and the development of teachers and researchers. She is also the author of numerous publications related to literacy, including UFLI Foundations: An Explicit and Systematic Phonics Program.

Courtney Painton is the Director of Professional Development at Lee Pesky Learning Center in Boise, Idaho. She is responsible for developing and overseeing a comprehensive model of professional development for educators, care providers, and parents across Idaho and beyond. Courtney has over 10 years of experience as a classroom educator, administrator, and trainer in early childhood, elementary, and higher education settings. She holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Spanish, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an ESL and bilingual education specialization and is a doctoral candidate with a focus on leadership and early childhood development and education. Courtney is dedicated to supporting educators and care providers develop inclusive learning environments that are built upon the strong belief that all learners are capable of success through the cultivation of positive and caring relationships, evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, and collective teacher efficacy.

Nancy Hennessy is an experienced teacher and administrator who currently works as a literacy consultant. While in public schools, she provided leadership for innovative programming for special need students and professional development for educators. Nancy has designed and delivered keynote addresses and multiple virtual and live professional learning events including workshops, podcasts, and training courses on the science of reading & structured literacy. Most recently, reading comprehension has been her focus. She is the author of the book, The Reading Comprehension Blueprint: Helping Students Make Meaning of Text and The Reading Comprehension Activity book for teachers. Nancy has also written the chapter, Working with Word Meaning: Vocabulary Instruction, in Multisensory Teaching of Basic Skills (4th edition). While serving as a national trainer for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, she co-authored LETRS, Digging for Meaning: Teaching Text Comprehension (2nd edition) with Louisa Moats. She is the past president of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and currently serves as the vice-president of the North Carolina Branch of IDA. In 2011, Nancy received the International Dyslexia Association’s Margaret Byrd Rawson Lifetime
Achievement Award. She was recently honored with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s 2023 Impact Award. 

Dr. Ryan Lee-James is an speech-language pathologist, researcher, and published author with expertise in language development, language disorders, and literacy in the context of linguistic differences and socioeconomic disadvantage. She currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer and Director of the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy at the Atlanta Speech School. Before joining the Speech School team, she had the privilege of training and mentoring graduate level speech-language pathologists as a member of the Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty at Adelphi University in New York. Dr. Lee-James is honored to serve as the Vice President of Speech Language Language Pathology for the American Speech-Language  Hearing Association and to serve on other national and local boards to realize Literacy and Justice for All. 

 Dr. Stephanie Stollar is the founder of Stephanie Stollar Consulting, LLC and the creator of The Reading Science Academy. Dr. Stollar is a part-time assistant professor in the online reading science program at Mount St. Joseph University and a founding member of a national alliance for supporting reading science in higher education. As a board member for the Innovations in Education Consortium, she collaboratively plans the annual MTSS Innovations in Education Conference.Dr. Stollar has worked as a school psychologist, an educational consultant, and as Vice President for Professional Learning for Acadience Learning Inc. She has provided professional development, conducted research, and published in the areas of assessment, early intervention, and collaborative problem solving. She is passionate about improving educator knowledge and aligning school systems to prevent reading failure. 

Nicole Ormandy, M.S.Ed. is the Head of Research and Product Development at AIM Institute for Learning and Research. In this role, Nicole consults with researchers and literacy experts across the nation to synthesize and disseminate practical information and evidence-based strategies through presentations and online course content. Nicole was previously an Elementary and Special Education teacher, where she wrote curriculum and mentored colleagues and student teachers. She received a Master’s of Science in Special Education and a CERI Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher certificate.

Angie Neal is a passionate advocate for the connections between language and literacy and has dedicated her career to studying these connections and sharing them with others! She is a CCC-SLP and the SLP Contact and Policy Analyst for Academics at the South Carolina State Department of Education, Office of Special Education Services. Angie stays busy as an EC LETRS Facilitator, a board member with the State Education Agency Communication Disability Council (SEACDC), and a member of the ASHA School Issues Advisory Board (SIAB). Angie is the recipient of the Rolland Van Hattum Award for contributions to schools in South Carolina and the Nancy McKinley Award for leadership in Speech-Language Pathology in Ohio. She is a published author of two books and presents on a wide variety of topics all across the United States using her animated presentation style to keep audiences engaged and leaving with information that they can apply the next day.

Carrie Cole is president of Side-by Side Educational Consulting, leading a team of professionals dedicated to working side-by-side with educators to increase literacy outcomes for all students.  She is passionate about working with districts, schools, and teachers to successfully implement evidence-based literacy practices and tiered systems of support based on the Science of Reading--all to ensure children can thrive and have the opportunity to succeed. She holds a Master's degree in literacy and is currently pursuing a doctorate with Mount St. Joseph's Reading Science doctoral program. She is a contributing author for CORE's Teaching Reading Sourcebook, a best-selling, evidence based guide to effective literacy instruction in all content areas PreK 12. Prior to consulting, Ms. Cole was a professional development specialist for the Idaho State Department of Education, a regional educational consultant for a major publishing company, and a classroom teacher at the elementary level and secondary level (English Language Arts and literacy interventions).

Dawnyale “Dawny” Hill is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) with over 20 years of experience in the field. She has worked in various settings as a SLP including public and private schools, early intervention, home health, acute hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and private practice.  She enjoys coaching, teaching, and facilitating science of reading-based continuing education trainings for teachers and school personnel. Dawny is the owner of Fostering Communication, a private practice that provides early intervention, speech, language, and intensive reading services to children preschool through 6th grade.  Dawny is a member of the Reading League North Carolina.  She is currently a doctoral student in the Mount St. Joseph University’s Reading Science Doctoral Program. 

Dr. Jan Wasowicz has more than 40 years of experience as a speech-language, literacy, and learning specialist working with students in a variety of educational settings, including public schools, Head Start programs, and private practice. Dr. Wasowicz is frequently invited to speak about best practices in literacy assessment and instruction and has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, holding faculty positions at Northwestern University, Elmhurst College, Rush–Presbyterian–St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Governors State University. Her credits include articles published in scholarly journals and U.S. patents for her inventions of literacy software programs including Earobics® and Spelling Performance Evaluation for Language and Literacy (SPELL-3). Dr. Wasowicz is an author of SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing and lead moderator of the SPELLTalk multi-disciplinary professional listserv. She also currently serves as an advisory board member of The Reading League of Illinois and an external consultant for Purdue University’s inter-disciplinary initiative to strengthen teacher preparation using science-based methods. Dr. Wasowicz is an ASHA-certified, IL-licensed, and FL-licensed speech-language pathologist and an ASHA Board Certified Specialist in Child Language and she holds a professional educator license with multiple endorsements from the State Teacher Certification Board of Illinois. She is the founder, president and CEO of SPELL-Links | Learning By Design, Inc., and she maintains a small private practice in IL via tele-practice and in FL serving students with oral and written language disorders.

Judi is a national LETRS trainer and literacy consultant. She worked for 20 years as a special education teacher and educational consultant. Judi is the author of 50 Nifty Activities for 5 Components and 3 Tiers of Reading Instruction and 50 Nifty Activities for Speaking and Listening: for Oral Language and Comprehension and The Literacy Intervention Toolkit. Judi consults on issues related to school change, teacher knowledge and literacy achievement. She is also the president of Peruvian Hearts, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and development of leadership of young women in Peru, giving them the resources, they need to break the cycle of poverty and become leaders in their country. Judi believes that literacy is a social justice, equity and inclusivity issue and this adds passion to her work with teachers and students.

Ashlie Sarah Slunaker, M.A., is an educational consultant, intervention teacher, and MTSS Coordinator for Livingston Public Schools in Montana.  In her role, she works with teams to plan and deliver interventions in math, reading, and behavior.  She also teaches Tier 3 reading students in grades 1 and 2.  Ashlie’s specialty is her ability to write prescriptive reading plans to tailor instruction to what students need for success. In her 21 years’ experience as an educator, Ashlie has been privileged to work with students in a variety of K-12 settings.  She has worked as a Title teacher, a language arts teacher, a literacy coach, a reading specialist, and a special education teacher.  She has also developed reading programs at the collegiate level and finds joy in helping others.  Ashlie is an Orton Gillingham trained teacher with an impressive record of success in raising student reading scores.  Her goal is to create academically engaging learning experiences through an environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, and kindness.  

Julia Salamone is a lifelong learner with over twenty years of experience as an educator in both independent and public schools. Her background is in Special Education and literacy. She currently works as an Instructional Specialist at the Haverford School for Boys where she focuses on helping Upper School students and her fellow educators navigate the complexities of reading and writing in the disciplines. Julia along side Nancy Hennessy, helped to create the Pathways to Proficient Reading course. This course is accredited by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and offers blended learning opportunities aligned to the IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. Additionally, Julia was the co-author of the Pathways to Proficient Writing course, and currently, Julia is working with Nancy Hennessy as a co-author on the workbook companion to Ms. Hennessy’s text, The Reading Comprehension Blue Print: Helping Students Make Meaning from Text. 

The first-grade team at Winans in Livingston, Montana teaches a skills based walk-to-read program. They use explicit and systematic phonics curricula to teach foundational reading skills to approximately 80 first graders annually. Each team member has received extensive training in structured literacy and assessment. This includes scheduled progress monitoring where decoding, encoding, and fluency data is systematically collected and analyzed. The Winans’ team uses this data to customize instruction and modify student placement in the varied instructional groups. Through their implementation of an 80-minute structured literacy block, the team has grown their comprehensive reading data from a 30% proficiency rate to over 70%. By using a MTSS framework combined with curricula based on the science of reading principles, the Winans’ team has committed to the success and growth of ALL first graders.

1st Grade Team Members: 

Kat Anderson, Nickie Dubbs, Dorothy Jett, Soquel Snider

 Sue has turned her love of teaching into a love of learning and her passion grows with the sharing of her knowledge with teachers and other industry professionals.  She has worked with elementary, middle school, high school and adult learners and their teachers and administrators.  Having the honor of studying and learning from Louisa Moats as well as so many of her LETRS colleagues, and then training LETRS nationally for over 16 years has been the highlight of Sue’s educational career.

Megan Gierka, Ed.D. is the Head of Implementation Strategy at the AIM Institute for Learning and Research. In this role, Megan develops and disseminates translational research while supporting policy and implementation efforts at the federal, state, and district level. Prior to this role, she served a decade in the public school system as a teacher, Title I reading specialist, and instructional coach. Megan holds a BS.Ed. in Elementary Education, M.Ed. in Reading Education, and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction.

  Amy K. Peterson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming in the Division of Communication Disorders. She is the director of the Adolescent Language Intervention, Applications, and Strategies (ALIAS) Lab. Her research primarily focuses on interventions for students with language disorders, which includes those who have difficulty with literacy skills in reading and writing across curricular areas. She is also interested in supporting special educators, speech-language pathologists in particular, in providing adolescent services and alignment to the curriculum through implementation science. Amy is a certified speech-language pathologist with 8 years of clinical practice as a school-based SLP prior to earning her Ph.D. from Utah State University in 2022. She earned her master's degree in speech-language pathology in 2010 from the University of Wyoming. Amy is also the current president of the Wyoming Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is proud to be serving the community in the Cowboy state.

 As an assistant professor at Marietta College, Michelle Elia helps prepare pre-service teachers to teach reading using evidence-based language and literacy practices. Elia was previously one of two Ohio Literacy Leads, a role that allowed her to train district administrators, teachers, and regional consultants across Ohio in the science of reading.   Elia is a nationally recognized literacy professional development provider, training educators in literacy instruction and assessment within an MTSS framework grounded in reading science. She serves as a school board member of her local district and president of The Reading League Ohio. A lifelong learner, Elia is pursuing her doctorate in Reading Science at Mount St. Joseph University. Michelle is passionate about ensuring all students learn to read using evidence-based literacy practices that are inclusive of all students. When she is not talking about reading, her favorite job is being a mom to three very active children.

Dr. Julie A. Van Dyke holds a joint appointment as a Research Scientist at the Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut and the Yale University Child Study Center. She was a Senior Research Scientist at Haskins Laboratories for 22 years, where she investigated the cognitive and neural bases of reading and language comprehension. She is also Chief Scientist and Inventor at Cascade Reading, Inc., which offers syntax-rich in-the-moment linguistic scaffolding to promote comprehension and oral reading fluency. Her primary research explores the effects of limited memory capacity, executive function, and sensitivity to similarity-based interference in both typically developing and clinical populations.  She is an energetic advocate for translating lessons learned from the cognitive neuroscience of language comprehension into guidelines for educational and clinical practice. As the mother of a child with dyslexia, developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and Autism, Dr. Van Dyke is devoted to improving learning outcomes for all children, and passionate about supporting parents in their quest to help their neurodiverse child succeed.