On this episode of Leading Literacy, we are thrilled to have our first parent advocate, Denise Morgan. Denise is no ordinary parent – she’s determined and dedicated to helping all students and families get the literacy support they need. Denise began working at the California Charter Schools Association in 2017 and currently holds the role of Paralegal Director on the Legal Advocacy Team which supports and engages in successful advocacy work on behalf of California’s public schools’ students and families. Denise also volunteers a significant amount of time supporting the California State PTA a ..read more

Hey there, educator friends!  I have a question for you.  How many of you love doing read alouds with your students?  I’m going to guess and say almost all of you.  And how about your students – do they love it as much as you do?  If your answers are an astounding YES and YES, then you’re going to love Dr. Molly Ness, our guest on this episode of Leading Literacy.  Molly is a former teacher, college educator, reading clinician, and researcher and describes herself as “a fierce advocate for literacy equity, access, and research-based instruction.”  You’ll hear ..read more

On this episode of Leading Literacy, we have an inspiring conversation with Maya Goodall.  Maya is an educator, entrepreneur, and curriculum developer dedicated to helping people become bilingual.  She’s the founder of Lingual Learning, a language learning company which she ultimately sold to Rosetta Stone where she developed Rosetta English, which has recently been renamed as Lexia English.  We spent time talking with Maya about oral language development and the role it plays in structured literacy.  You guys, this is one of those conversations where an amazing, little gol ..read more

Hey there, educator friends!  We’re super excited to share this special episode of Leading Literacy. It’s the one where Leslie and I have a chat with Andrea Setmeyer, The Reading League’s National Chapter Coordinator, and Kristen Koeller, the President of the brand-new Reading League California Chapter.  Join this entertaining and informative conversation about the backstories of The Reading League and why it takes a league to do this important literacy work.  Enjoy!   Be sure to check out the amazing learning opportunities with The Reading League California Chapter an ..read more

Hello educator friends!  You are in for a treat on this episode as we talk with literacy and social justice advocate Lacey Robinson.  Lacey is the President and CEO of UnboundEd, the Nation’s largest K-12 educator development organization focused on improving teaching and learning for underserved students.  As a former elementary teacher, middle school principal, and professional development specialist, Lacey works tirelessly to enable educators to accelerate their impact in the classroom.  Lacey’s been named to the 2023 Forbes 50 Over 50 list in recognition of her innovati ..read more

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On this episode of Leading Literacy, we talk about the role of libraries.  I know, sounds kind of boring, right?  Well, my listeners, this episode is awesome!  Our guest is Debbie Anderson, the Assistant Director of Education Engagement for the L.A. County Library System, and WOW!  We had no idea libraries had so many resources available!  In 2023, Debbie was selected to receive the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children and after listening to this episode, you’ll understand why.  You’ll definitely want to hook up with you ..read more

Hello friends and welcome to Leading Literacy!  On this episode we are excited to delve further into The Right to Read documentary.  (Small aside, if you haven’t listened to our previous episode with Kareem Weaver, please do. OMG, it’s so good!). Today, we continue to have a blast of a chat with the new teacher featured in the film, Sabrina Causey, and her coach, Jessica Reid Sliwerski.  We get to spill the hot tea on all the behind the scenes work of the film and hear how Bri’s class is doing now.  Jess launched a company called Ignite! Reading as a result of her participa ..read more

Hey, educator friends! OMG! This episode of Leading Literacy is one of our best ones yet!  We had a chance to sit down with Kareem Weaver, educator, and literacy advocate from Northern California’s Bay Area.  If you want to know how to light a fire in your district or school site around evidence-aligned literacy instruction AND you believe that learning how to read is a civil right, then this episode has your name written all over it.  Kareem also talks to us about his new documentary, The Right to Read.  So much goodness!  Enjoy ..read more

Hey all you spelling word-nerds out there!  On this episode of Leading Literacy, we get to share all the buzz on one of our favorite topics – spelling instruction.  As a queen of the spelling bee world here in L.A., Leslie is super excited to introduce you all to Dr. Shelley Blackwell.  Shelley is a licensed speech-language pathologist and MTSS Literacy Support Interventionist in the Olathe Public Schools District in Kansas.  She’s got some wit and wisdom around spelling instruction that will make all kinds of spelling sense.  So, buckle up and enjoy this conversation ..read more