Literacy

With more than 30 years of experience in education, Tracy Nelson specializes in supporting districts, buildings, and teams in developing and implementing practices that bring clarity and focus to professional learning communities

Angela Williams has more than 15 years of experience in Broward County Schools, Florida. She has designed curriculum, served as a professional learning facilitator, and implemented professional learning community (PLC) plans that guide teachers in using data effectively to plan instruction.

Explore how teacher teams can ensure equitable literacy learning so that every student masters essential reading standards. Jacqueline Heller and Paula Maeker, authors of Literacy in a PLC at Work®: Guiding Teams to Get Going and Get Better in K–6 Reading, will help literacy educators navigate the teaching, learning, assessment, and feedback cycle of reading through the lens of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work.

Mario Miner, a native of Hamtramck, Michigan, has been in education for nearly 20 years. As a former working-class student, Mario strives to help his scholars see themselves and their lives in his classroom by building their capacity for literacy.

Lorraine Radice, PhD, is an educator, author, and presenter. She is currently an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in New York and teaches courses in childhood education and literacy at Hofstra University.

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, EdD, is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat for learning.

Gloria L. Canada, EdD, is the founder of Circles of Purpose, an educational consulting company whose work focuses primarily on school leadership, family engagement, and poverty awareness.

Attendees will learn practical ways to involve multiple stakeholders in developing a productive and celebratory reading culture in schools and classrooms.

Paige Timmerman is a high school English teacher at Salem Community High School in Salem, Illinois and a National Board Certified Teacher member since 2019. She strives to provide authentic, real-world writing opportunities that meet her students’ skills and interests.

Kourtney Hake is an English teacher at Sparta Lincoln School in Sparta, Illinois. She is also a member of the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), the Illinois Reading Council (IRC), and the Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) since 2014.