Authors & Presenters

Nancy Frey, PhD, is a professor of literacy in the Department of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. She is also a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego.

Katherine Gillies is the lead architect of districtwide literacy improvement at Niles North High School in Illinois. Her work includes building a comprehensive system of intervention and support for struggling readers and developing a research-based curriculum to ensure continued literacy growth for all students. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kathy Tuchman Glass is an accomplished author, presenter, and former classroom teacher with more than twenty-five years of experience in education.

Sarah Gord is a reading specialist and literacy coach at Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in suburban Chicago. Her work focuses on the implementation of standards-aligned teaching and assessment practices.

Peg Grafwallner is an instructional coach and reading specialist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with nearly 30 years of experience. She supports teachers, administrators, and districts in creating real and relatable content and educational approaches that offer meaningful purpose and relevance to all students.

Maria C. Grant, EdD, is a professor in secondary education at California State University, Fullerton. She has authored numerous publications centered on science literacy, formative assessment, and reading.

Floyd Gómez-Starnes is an educational speaker providing training in literacy, dual language education, and school improvement. His career spans over 30 years and includes classroom teaching, developmental coaching, and literacy.

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.

Peter Hayes is the former director of Solution Tree Australia and the Asia Pacific Region. Previously he was the national director of education for the Australian Council for Education.

Jacqueline Heller focuses on building capacity and collective efficacy with teachers, to ensure all students learn at high levels. As a literacy teacher and coach at Mason Crest Elementary, she helped the school become the first National Model Professional Learning Community to receive the DuFour Award.