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Kenneth Christian is an assistant principal at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Kentucky. His work focuses on ensuring a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all students through the professional learning community process and transforming the work of collaborative teacher teams.

Chad Lang, associate superintendent of school improvement at Glenwood Community School District in Iowa, brings two decades of experience in teaching, administration, and district leadership, with expertise in curriculum development, grading reform, and Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work®.

Heather Silvia is a presenter with over 30 years of experience as an educational leader and inspirational keynote speaker. A Model PLC at Work® principal, she maintains laser focus on collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and leadership development.

Heather K. Dillard, EdD, is an associate professor of education at Middle Tennessee State University. She has authored and coauthored book chapters, research articles, and magazine articles, primarily about Professional Learning Communities at Work®.

Terry Goodin, EdD, is a professor of education at Middle Tennessee State University. He has both K–12 and higher education teaching experience, as well as 13 years of corporate experience in marketing.

Dr. Jeff Washington is the principal of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work® elementary school in Georgia. With a nearly 20-year career spanning various educational fields, his work has helped generate successful outcomes for schools and stakeholders.

Catherine M. Thompson, EdS, is the principal of Marco Forster Middle School, located in San Juan Capistrano, California. She specializes in the implementation of professional learning communities (PLC) and is a passionate advocate for meeting the diverse learning needs of every student.

James Luttrell has more than 20 years of experience in education—from preschool to high school and from rural to urban. He specializes in data analysis protocols, improving school culture, and implementing professional learning communities (PLC) processes.

Justin Wagner is the superintendent of the Woodbine Community School District and the IGNITE Pathways regional center. An award-winning administrator with nearly 30 years of experience in education and the military, he has served as teacher, assistant principal, principal, director, and superintendent.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a long-standing challenge in U.S. schools to the forefront: more than two-thirds of students cannot read at grade level. Alarmingly, if students are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade, they are more likely to drop out. This realization has sparked a growing interest in the science of reading, a decades-long body of interdisciplinary research that examines the multifaceted nature of reading development. By embedding the science of reading into instructional practices, teachers can ensure students recognize words and understand their meaning—thus supporting reading fluency.