Science of Teaching Reading Institute

The K-12 Science of Teaching Reading Institute
Putting the Principles into Practice

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

Full-Day Virtual Conference

KEYNOTE PRESENTERS

Katie Gillies is the lead architect of district-wide literacy curriculum work at Niles North High School, D219. Her work includes building a comprehensive system of intervention and support for struggling readers and developing research-based curriculum to ensure continued literacy growth for all students. Katie cultivates a team approach to problem solving in the MTSS/RtI space and works to foster student growth and critical literacy skills at all levels. Her focus is to drive toward educational equity across the system.
 
Katie specializes in school literacy needs analysis, differentiated instruction, disciplinary literacy, curriculum mapping, responsible and informative assessment practices, teacher collaboration and student literacy growth. She brings this passion beyond her district and has collaborated broadly with schools across the Chicagoland area. Katie has presented at conferences both locally and nationally, and served as a design team member for the AIM literacy coaching project (funded by the US Dept Education). Katie is also a founding member of the Chicago Area Literacy Leaders organization. She is sharing her passion further as a co-author of the book series, Every Teacher is a Literacy Teacher.

Heidi Anne E. Mesmer, Ph.D., is a Professor in Literacy in the School of Education at Virginia Tech. She has studied beginning reading materials, text difficulty, phonics, and struggling readers since 1999. Her research has appeared in Reading Research Quarterly, The Educational Researcher, Elementary School Journal, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. She has written and directed eight grants aimed at improving reading instruction in K-5 classrooms. Dr. Mesmer is the recent author of Alphabetics for Emerging Learners, as well as Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work (Heinemann, 2019), Teaching skills for complex text: Deepening reading in the classroom (Teachers College Press, 2016). She regularly consults with school districts, state departments of education, and publishers.  
 
Her research has been supported by a National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, and an American Educational Research Association/Institute of Education Sciences grant. She is the recipient of the Outreach Award, from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, and the Promising Scholar Award, from the School of Education, Virginia Tech.  She delivered the George Graham Lecture in Reading at the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia.  

Dr. Salome Thomas EL, a.k.a. Principal EL is an award-winning principal and teacher, an internationally recognized speaker, and author/co-author of five best-selling books. Principal EL believes that resilient leaders make courageous decisions, take risks, and challenge the status quo. They are able to bounce back from adversity to become innovative and transformational to ensure all teachers and students achieve their dreams, no matter the odds. Transformational leaders shift mindsets and inspire others to effect change. In his thought-provoking presentations to over 100,000+ attendees, Principal EL shares how we can change school cultures and foster a positive school climate so teachers and leaders can focus on the protective processes that build resilience in all of our students. His belief is that literacy is the most crucial academic lever and serves as the foundation for success at all levels, across all content areas, for all students.  

Science of Teaching Reading Institute

• Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2022
• Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Session ID: 1494299
• CPE: 6
• Registration Fee: $125
• Location: Virtual Zoom Event
• Audience: English Language Arts and Reading/Writing Teachers (All Levels), Principals, Instructional Coaches

For information about this event, e-mail reading@esc4.net.