Speakers

Previously, Dr. Burk served as the State Literacy Director at the Mississippi Department of Education where she led the implementation of Mississippi’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act.

As a Principal, Brent led Lincoln Elementary School in Melrose, MA to achieve a National Blue Ribbon School designation for closing achievement gaps. As the Assistant Superintendent in Pentucket, he leads efforts in the district, across the state of MA and the country to implement evidence-based literacy instruction, school and district-wide systems to support literacy and provide enhanced advanced coursework opportunities for high school students. Brent is also a doctoral student in the Education Leadership program at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Dr. Washington directs the Learning Disabilities Research Innovation Hub. She is also director of the Language Variation and Academic Success (LVAS) 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.

White is also a relentless literacy advocate who frames literacy as a fundamental human right that transforms the family tree when evidence-based practices are scaled responsibly. Her life’s work has been to position literacy success for all as a moral imperative that creates a place at the table for every child and adult, regardless of zip code or country of origin.

With over 19 years of experience, she has partnered with schools, districts, and states to impact student outcomes through professional learning. Toni consults with state departments of education, state boards of education, legislators, and governors to improve literacy outcomes by increasing teacher knowledge. This work helps states to leverage policy, funding, professional learning, and centralized implementation systems to improve student outcomes.

Her study of Spanish language and culture have taken her to diverse classrooms around the world and she has collaborated with educators in Spain, Guatemala, and Mexico. Emily earned her Masters in the Art of Teaching from the University of Alaska and continued her studies in UAA’s Educational Leadership program. Emily supports SERRC’s Professional Learning team as an Education Specialist. In her free time she enjoys hiking, traveling, and reading.

As the Senior Content Designer for literacy-focused professional learning services at NWEA, Luke is excited to engage teachers and leaders in conversations about equitable and excellent literacy instruction.

Marnita has taught elementary special education, gifted education, 1st, 3rd, and 4th grades. Currently, she is the Juneau School District Project Specialist for the Raven Writes Program. Marnita is committed to developing culturally relevant curriculum, and supporting teachers in implementing engaging instructional practices that integrate the arts and decenter dominant culture narratives. Her approach to education is deeply rooted in advocating for educational equity for all students. Marnita is grateful that her work has brought her back to live and teach on lands of the Áak’w Kwáan.

Dr. Contesse works for the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) and is the co-author of UFLI Foundations: An Explicit and Systematic Phonics Program. Dr. Contesse teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in various UF teacher preparation programs and coordinates several coursework-aligned field experiences. Additionally, she supports professional development and school-based implementation of UFLI Foundations. Dr. Contesse’s scholarship focuses on early literacy instruction and intervention, teacher preparation and training in the area of reading, and the effects of performance feedback on the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices.

She completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of New Mexico. Ms. Coonsis is committed to being a lifelong learner and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. GO CRIMSON!

In her free time, she enjoys reading autobiographies/biographies and historical fiction; watching true crime documentaries; spending time with her daughter. Ms. Coonsis loves sending and receiving snail mail postcards and collecting pens.

Most recently she was the lead author of the Alaska Reading Playbook and worked closely with the staff of the Region 16 Comprehensive Center and the Department of Education & Early Development. In the past year she provided more than a dozen training sessions for Alaskan educators and paraprofessionals. Prior to joining our team, she was the Director of the Region 17 Comprehensive Center serving the State Departments of Education for both Idaho and Montana from 2015 until 2020. Dr. Flachbart served as president and CEO of the Neuhaus Education Center in Houston, Texas; a nonprofit think tank for literacy solutions that specializes in supporting individuals with dyslexia through applied literacy and language research and professional learning for educators from 2011 until 2015. Marybeth has also served as Deputy Superintendent of Student Achievement and School Improvement at the Idaho State Department of Education, taught at Boise State University, established, and directed Idaho’s Reading First Program. Dr. Flachbart and consulted and created professional development for the network of National Reading First Technical Assistance Centers. Her classroom experience includes 10 years of both general and special education. Marybeth holds an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from Boise State University and an M.S. in special education from Fairfield University. She is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and a dyslexia specialist.

Her work in education leadership focuses on school improvement efforts that are anchored in the collaborative use of data and evidence based practices to improve instruction. In her role with Lexia, she partners with states that are working to empower educators to change more lives more often by aligning their instruction to the science.

Marci’s study of Abraham Lincoln has had a significant impact on her core beliefs for leadership. She seeks to emulate five of his leadership traits: courage, integrity, empathy, creativity and equity. She integrates these core beliefs within her professional specialties. These specialties include developing and delivering effective professional learning, providing targeted and impactful coaching, engaging in personalized leadership development and collaborating with teams to foster high-functioning professional learning communities.

As a connected educator, Marci regularly engages in essential conversations on literacy and educational leadership with a variety of thought leaders via Twitter. She believes leaders are readers and readers are leaders and is perpetually on the lookout for the next book to add to her professional library. She invites Alaskan educators to find her on Twitter and share their book recommendations!

I am Ute Clan and born for the Mud Clan, my maternal grandparents are Red House Clan and my paternal grandparents are Bitterwater Clan. This is how I identify myself as a Native American woman. I have been teaching for 15+ years, primarily with indigenous children in various educational settings in the states of New Mexico and Arizona. My passion for teaching was motivated by the need for highly effective teachers in my home community. I saw a need in the community and wanted to meet that need. I currently work for the Bureau of Indian Education at Ojo Encino Day School, helping our indigenous students take pride in their cultural identity and to become native scholars. My drive in education is to help our indigenous students become effective change agents in their own communities – to see a need and meet that need.

Throughout her career in education, Lisa enjoyed being a classroom teacher, a special educator, and a reading specialist, in both urban and suburban schools. As a Keys to Literacy trainer for eight years, she was passionate about her work with students, teachers, and administrators from schools across the United States. In her current role, Lisa appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with district and school leadership to customize professional development plans which bring consistent literacy routines to students across all grade levels and subject areas.

She has worked in public, private, and charter schools both nationally and internationally. Susan holds a B.Ed, M.Ed, advanced coursework in Educational Policy, and is currently pursuing her Ed.D.

After 30 years in the K-5 classroom at Auke Bay and Riverbend Elementary Schools in the Juneau School District, Amy Jo shifted to support statewide projects to improve student achievement. As the 2016 Alaska Teacher of the Year, Amy Jo contributed to a significant reform effort, Alaska’s Education Challenge: increase student success, cultivate safety and well-being, and support responsible and reflective learners. Current projects support all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade and retain effective education professionals. Amy Jo holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from Whitworth University, and an M.S. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University.

In addition, Lucy was an associate professor teaching and conducting research in the areas of language and literacy development and disorders. She provides professional development using a broad-based perspective blending areas of language and literacy together resulting in effective, appropriate, and engaging language-based literacy instruction and intervention for all children. Finally, Lucy is the co-author of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) for Early Childhood Educators, 2nd Edition, Building Early Literacy and Language Skills, a resource and activity guide for young children, and also for Good Talking Words, 2nd Edition, a social communication skills program for young children.

She is a special education, general education, and reading specialist teacher, with her experience being in the public school (middle school) and private school (elementary) realms for the last 18 years. She started her journey in the field of education after her oldest child was diagnosed with dyslexia. Allison has a BA in Political Science, an MLA in History, and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Literacy at St. John’s University in New York. Her dissertation and current research are centered on the link between the structured practice of oral language in the classroom and the development of third-grade student writing skills.

She earned her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of California San Diego with a focus on the inclusion of students with disabilities. At SERRC, Dr. Wood supervises student-serving programs and provides professional learning around the state.