Literacy

Jen Cullerton Johnson is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and environmental advocate. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she’s worked with incarcerated youth and urban classrooms; taught abroad in Japan, Ecuador, and Argentina; and led nature-writing workshops in outdoor settings.

Sarah Brown, PhD, has held roles such as a professional learning leader in the ed tech assessment industry, bureau chief leading special education and multitiered system of supports implementation for the state of Iowa, district special education director, professional learning administrator, and school psychologist.

Brad Cawn is a teacher educator, author, researcher, and trainer who specializes in helping schools and teachers integrate ambitious teaching and learning—inquiry-based instruction, disciplinary literacy, project-based learning, etc.—across the content areas.

Billy Eastman is a curriculum coordinator for secondary English language arts at Clear Creek Independent School District in Texas where he leads efforts to implement student-centered authentic literacy practices.

Mary Mazariegos has worked in a variety of education roles, including English teacher, instructional coach, ELL facilitator, secondary English curriculum coordinator, and principal. She was integral in the work at U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City.

Joanna Newton, PhD, is a professor of education at Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she specializes in literacy instruction. She has been an elementary classroom teacher, literacy coach, reading intervention specialist, and curriculum developer.

Kimberly Almanza serves as a reading specialist in North Texas. With more than 15 years of experience, she has worked as an instructional literacy coach as well as a classroom dual language teacher.

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.

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.