Educator Cadre
Our cadre of veteran teachers from urban, suburban, and rural classrooms across the country were vital in helping us make Reading Universe an effective resource for educators.
Meet our founding cadre
Selected through a competitive national application process, we are grateful to our skilled, experienced, and passionate teachers who serve on our Educator Cadre. Cadre members are involved at every stage of Reading Universe's development — from advising us about teachers’ real needs, reviewing content and site organization, to testing our digital platform. Their input is indispensable in making Reading Universe into a useful and engaging platform for teachers
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Liz Garden
Principal, Henry P. Clough Elementary School, Mendon, Massachusetts
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Robin Gleason
Reading Specialist, Bagnall Elementary, Groveland, Massachusetts
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Bettina Hilliard
ESOL Assessment Teacher, Fairfax County Public Schools, Alexandria, Virginia
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Johnny 'Ray' James, II
Senior Consultant, 2Revolutions, Atlanta, Georgia
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Emily Jennings
Third grade teacher, Beauregard Elementary, Opelika, Alabama
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Rossie King
Coordinator of Professional Development, Barksdale Reading Institute, Lexington, Mississippi
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Alonso Jaque-Pino
English Language Learner Teacher, Roseville Area Middle School, Roseville, Minnesota
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Tina Sansoni
Reading Specialist, Middle Paxton Elementary, Dauphin, Pennsylvania
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Kim Stout
Fourth grade teacher, Four Georgians Elementary, Helena, Montana
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Ann Tejeda
English Language Teacher, John Adams Elementary School, Alexandria, Virginia
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April Valentine
First and second grade teacher, Grove Patterson Academy, Toledo, Ohio
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“I love meeting with the Reading Universe Cadre monthly. It is a powerhouse of expert minds in education from all over the country. We have exceptionally rich conversations about the best practices in reading instruction. I know for sure that the product would be just as exceptional and most importantly, an amazing resource for teachers!”
April Valentine Third Grade Teacher Toledo, Ohio -
“I plan to use RU as a resource to teach reading more sequentially. It allows me to see what skill a student struggles with the most because the curriculum is designed in sections or blocks. The site gives me clear direction on teaching the specific reading skill and provides materials I can use.”
Alonso Jaque Pino EL Teacher Roseville, Minnesota -
“Getting to collaborate with other educators who are as passionate as I am about reading is a breath of fresh air! Seeing that others want to be agents of change encourages me to continue to fight for research-based practices, because I know they are what works.”
Emily Jennings Fourth Grade Teacher Wacoochee, Alabama
Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale, the AFT, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and three anonymous donors.
