Leading Literacy

Hello, literacy friends! We had the amazing opportunity to chat with the amazing Kristen Wynn with AIM Institute of Literacy and Research. Kristen has served in education for more than 20 years.  You may have heard of her from her role as the former state literacy director for the Mississippi Department of Education. Kristen was instrumental in the literacy success in Mississippi and has a wealth...

In this episode of Leading Literacy, we have an awesome conversation with Dr. Altheria Caldera on the intersection of literacy and equity.  Dr. Caldera is an educator, a researcher and equity consultant. She's also a brand-new author and her work is just incredible.  She's just released her new book, Reimagining Educational Justice in the Face of Opposition and we're delighted to talk to her about...

Leading Literacy is thrilled to welcome Instagram and TikTok sensation, Jake Daggett.  Jake is the current literacy director in a Milwaukee school who rose to internet fame for his passionate literacy work and engaging learning routines. Today, you'll hear more about his journey and work and what he's doing to support educators in one of the neediest areas in the country.  Enjoy this fun episode w...

In this episode of Leading Literacy, we had a chance to chat with Janee Butler, the Director of Program Design & Implementation at The Center for Literacy and Learning . Janee shares her expertise on what it takes to build strong literacy systems, including effective sight word instruction, the importance of vertical instructional alignment across all grade levels, and much more! If you're interes...

Today's guest on Leading Literacy is someone who truly embodies the power of education and the importance of a hero's journey. Dr. Joyce Jamerson is a nationally recognized literacy leader who has spent decades uplifting students, supporting educators, and strengthening communities. From her experience as a classroom teacher, to a college educator, Dr. Jamerson's work is fueled by purpose, passion...

On this episode of Leading Literacy, we're joined by the incredible Kari Kurto. She's the National Science of Reading Project Director at The Reading League, and honestly, just an all-around amazing human. Her passion and energy for this work is palpable. You're going to love hearing about The Reading League's Compass resource tool — it's packed with resources for all kinds of different stakeholde...

We spend a lot of time on Leading Literacy talking about reading, and for this episode we are going to switch things up and focus in on writing. We're fortunate to have Joan Sedita, author of The Writing Rope here with us to talk about her book and some of her other amazing projects, like Keys to Literacy , as well as what she's learned from 50 years as an educator! Enjoy this fun conversation wit...

​​Hello Leading Literacy friends!  As you know, Institutes of High Ed. play an important role in making the instructional shift from balanced to structured literacy with educators.  On today's episode, we talk with Nancy Walker and Shana Matamala from LaFetra College of Education at the University of La Verne, the only A-rated teacher education program for literacy in the state.  This conversation...

On this episode Leading Literacy, we welcome Tami Wilson, Director of Development and Training at the Sacramento County Office of Education and lead of the California Dyslexia Initiative. Tami has been a driving force in California's shift from balanced to structured literacy instruction and a long-time literacy advocate and warrior. Tami is an incredible friend, colleague, and leader and we're so...

Welcome to Leading Literacy!  In this episode, we are thrilled to have a conversation with three incredible leaders from the Lancaster School District in Lancaster, California.  We partnered with Lancaster for three years on the $5 million dollar California State Literacy Development (CLSD) Grant.  We worked with four school sites who made the switch from balanced to structured literacy.  This dis...

Hey there, educator friends!  On this episode of Leading Literacy, we can't wait for you to get to know Dr. Jasmine Rogers .  Dr. Rogers is from the Washington D.C. area where she is professor at American University and supports teachers at the  D.C. Reading Clinic .  If that's not enough, she also co-authored the NAACP Discussion Guide for "The Right to Read" documentary.  Learn how Dr. Rogers is...

Hello educator friends!  On this episode of Leading Literacy we're diving back into the secondary world to talk with teacher, Hannah Shickle and school administrator, Tana Piersall from Scott Valley Unified School District in Northern California. They're doing amazing work in structured literacy which helped move the needle for their middle school students.  Subsequently, their whole district is l...

Welcome back, educator friends.  We're super excited about this episode with Denise Eide, author of the book, Uncovering the Logic of English: A Common Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy. We love this conversation because it centers on this notion of curiosity and how if we ignite curiosity in both teachers and students about how English works, we can really love both the teaching a...

Have you ever witnessed an amazing idea come to life and wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?"  Well, this is exactly what we thought when we heard about the Laundromat Library League .  On a recent episode of Leading Literacy, Dr. Molly Ness mentioned Laundromat Library League and we knew immediately that we had to learn as much as we could about this group!  So, this all-volunteer organization p...

On this episode of Leading Literacy, we are thrilled to have our first parent advocate, Denise Morgan. Denise is no ordinary parent – she's determined and dedicated to helping all students and families get the literacy support they need. Denise began working at the California Charter Schools Association in 2017 and currently holds the role of Paralegal Director on the Legal Advocacy Team which sup...

Hey there, educator friends!   I have a question for you.  How many of you love doing read alouds with your students?   I'm going to guess and say almost all of you.   And how about your students – do they love it as much as you do?   If your answers are an astounding YES and YES, then you're going to love Dr. Molly Ness, our guest on this episode of Leading Literacy.   Molly is a former teacher,...

On this episode of Leading Literacy, we have an inspiring conversation with Maya Goodall.  Maya is an educator, entrepreneur, and curriculum developer dedicated to helping people become bilingual.  She's the founder of Lingual Learning, a language learning company which she ultimately sold to Rosetta Stone where she developed Rosetta English, which has recently been renamed as Lexia English.  We s...

Hey there, educator friends!   We're super excited to share this special episode of Leading Literacy. It's the one where Leslie and I have a chat with Andrea Setmeyer, The Reading League's National Chapter Coordinator, and Kristen Koeller, the President of the brand-new Reading League California Chapter.   Join this entertaining and informative conversation about the backstories of The Reading Lea...

Hello educator friends!  You are in for a treat on this episode as we talk with literacy and social justice advocate Lacey Robinson.  Lacey is the President and CEO of UnboundEd , the Nation's largest K-12 educator development organization focused on improving teaching and learning for underserved students.  As a former elementary teacher, middle school principal, and professional development spec...

Hey there, educator friends!  On this episode of Leading Literacy, we have the pleasure of introducing you to the wonderful Dr. Tracy White Weeden.  Dr. Weeden has held lots of varied positions in education and is currently the president and CEO of Neuhaus Education Center .  As you listen to this episode, you'll see why Tracy is regarded as an inspirational leader and relentless advocate on behal...

On this episode of Leading Literacy, we talk about the role of libraries.  I know, sounds kind of boring, right?  Well, my listeners, this episode is awesome!  Our guest is Debbie Anderson, the Assistant Director of Education Engagement for the L.A. County Library System, and WOW!  We had no idea libraries had so many resources available!  In 2023, Debbie was selected to receive the Sullivan Award...

Hi friends!  On this episode of Leading Literacy, we have such an amazing guest.  Dr. Trisha Tucker is the Head of the Writing Instruction in the Thematic Honors program at the University of Southern California.  However, in this episode, we will not be talking with Dr. Tucker about writing, instead, we are focusing on a subject that she is very passionate about: book banning.  She unpacks the iss...

Hello friends and welcome to Leading Literacy!  On this episode we are excited to delve further into The Right to Read documentary.  (Small aside, if you haven't listened to our previous episode with Kareem Weaver, please do. OMG, it's so good!). Today, we continue to have a blast of a chat with the new teacher featured in the film, Sabrina Causey, and her coach, Jessica Reid Sliwerski.  We get to...

Hey, educator friends! OMG! This episode of Leading Literacy is one of our best ones yet!  We had a chance to sit down with Kareem Weaver, educator, and literacy advocate from Northern California's Bay Area.  If you want to know how to light a fire in your district or school site around evidence-aligned literacy instruction AND you believe that learning how to read is a civil right, then this epis...

Hey all you spelling word-nerds out there!  On this episode of Leading Literacy, we get to share all the buzz on one of our favorite topics – spelling instruction.  As a queen of the spelling bee world here in L.A., Leslie is super excited to introduce you all to Dr. Shelley Blackwell.  Shelley is a licensed speech-language pathologist and MTSS Literacy Support Interventionist in the Olathe Public...