Claude Goldenberg

Claude Goldenberg is the Nomellini & Olivier Professor of Education, emeritus, Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. He received his A.B. in history from Princeton University and M.A. and Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Education at UCLA. He has taught junior high school in San Antonio, TX, and first grade in a bilingual elementary school in Los Angeles. A native of Argentina, his areas of research centered on promoting academic achievement among language minority students, particularly those from Spanish-speaking backgrounds. He currently works on promoting research, policy, and practices to enhance literacy and academic development among students not yet proficient in English.

Dr. Natasha Feinberg

Natasha Feinberg, Ed.D. is an assistant professor at Rhode Island College in the elementary education department. She instructs preservice teachers in the areas of reading and writing as well as directs the Master’s of Education in Reading program. Dr. Feinberg has 17 years of experience as a reading specialist/literacy coach in the R.I. public school system. With an Ed.D. in curriculum leadership from Northeastern University, Dr. Feinberg’s area of expertise lies in the Science of Reading and teaching reading to all types of learners. She has worked extensively with Tier 2 and 3 literacy interventions identifying specific student literacy needs and matching evidence-based interventions and specific progress monitoring tools that address those needs. Her work focuses on supporting data-based individualization and data-based decision making.

Dr. Laura Saylor

Dr. Laura Saylor is dean of the school of education at Mount St. Joseph University. She earned her Ph.D. in educational studies with a concentration in educational policy and higher education with a focus in STEM education from The University of Cincinnati. Previously, she earned her Master of Education from Xavier University with a concentration  in Montessori Education.

Her 25 years of practical experience include teaching in inclusive and multi-age settings and serving as the head of school for an independent Montessori school. Laura is a frequent presenter at national conferences. Her research focuses include the importance of learning and reading science in teacher preparation as well as assessing performance of pre-service teachers in clinical experiences. Dr. Saylor’s interests also extend to best practices in educational assessment and collaborative work between P-12 and educator preparation. Her recently published research includes mathematics discourse with pre-service teachers and the effects of teacher-centered mentorship.

Dr. Susan Zoll

Susan Zoll, Ph.D., specializes in early childhood education serving in leadership roles on several U.S. Department of Education-funded early literacy initiatives (Early Reading First 2004, 2006, 2009; Early Childhood Education Professional Development grant 2006); Director of the Institute for Early Childhood Teaching and Learning (Race To The Top – Early Learning Challenge, 2014); and her current role as Associate Professor in teacher preparation coaching preservice educators at Rhode Island College.

Dr. Zoll holds a Montessori primary credential (AMS 3-6) having served as a Montessori classroom teacher, teacher trainer for the language curriculum, and a head of school. Currently, she serves as the co-chair of the American Montessori Society’s (AMS) Research Committee.

Publications include: Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice (Teachers College Press, 2023); Designing a Logic Model to Inform Montessori Research (2019); The Montessori Experiment in Rhode Island (1913-1949): Tracing Theory to Implementation over 25 Years (2017); Towards Social Justice: A Needs Assessment of Early Childhood Development In South Africa (2013); From “at risk” to “at promise”: An Evaluation of an Early Reading First Project (2012); and Sustainable Practices in Mentoring: Tools to Support Child Outcomes and a Mentoring Protocol (2011). Her work in the development of an assessment protocol has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education’s Doing What Works initiative.

Jamey Peavler

Jamey Peavler is a co-director and full-time instructor in the Reading Science Graduate Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining The Mount, Jamey served as director of training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation. In addition, she works for the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ) as a higher-education textbook and teacher licensure reviewer. Jamey is a certified fellow-in-training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy and an International Dyslexia Association Structured Literacy dyslexia specialist, and currently serves on the board for the Reading League’s Indiana chapter. Her research interests include instructional design, the impact of spaced practice and interleaving to support effortful retrieval and retention of information, the role of oral language and syntactic awareness on comprehension and written expression, and foundational skills for supporting literacy in the early childhood setting.

Kareem Weaver

Kareem Weaver is a co-founder and executive director of FULCRUM, which partners with stakeholders to improve reading results for students. He is the Oakland NAACP’s 2nd vice president and chair of its education committee; his advocacy is featured in the film “The Right to Read.” Mr. Weaver previously served as New Leaders’ executive director of the Western Region and was an award-winning teacher and administrator. He has undergraduate degrees from Morehouse College and a master’s in clinical-community psychology from the University of South Carolina. Mr. Weaver believes in the potential of all students, the brotherhood of man, and the importance of service above self. His educational heroine, for literacy instruction, is the late Marva Collins.

Zaretta Hammond

Zaretta Hammond, M.A., is a national consultant and author of Culturally Responsive and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Corwin, 2015).

A former high school and community college expository writing instructor, Hammond has spent the past 20 years supporting schools and other institutions in deepening their understanding and application of culturally responsive practices. She currently runs the Culturally Responsive Education by Design Online PLC, a six-month intensive, inquiry-based professional learning experience to build instructional capacity to use culturally responsive tools and practices effectively.

Hammond is also a strong literacy advocate who sits on the board of trustees for the Center for the Collaborative Classroom, and on the advisory board for the Consortium for Reading Education (CORE).

Danielle "Nell" Thompson

Danielle M. Thompson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an educational consultant, teacher of educators, and servant leader who is insatiably curious about all things that make people’s lives better. She is an agent of positive change, working to help teachers and leaders re-think, unlearn, and up-level their knowledge. As a speech language pathologist and teacher, she worked with PreK–12 students for over a decade in rural at-risk environments from Alaska to Mississippi, in public schools, Head Starts, and private practice. Currently, she is president and founder of The Transformative Reading Teacher Group, president of The Reading League Montana, and the creator of The Big Sky Literacy Summit.

Hilderbrand Pelzer III

In his over three decades of experience, Hilderbrand Pelzer III has earned a stellar reputation as an award-winning educator and inspirational speaker. His leadership in the education field began when he became Philadelphia’s youngest high school principal in the early 2000s. His greatest accomplishment—in a career that has included leading five different schools—was in one of the largest prison systems in the United States in Philadelphia. There, Pelzer led a pivotal shift toward higher expectations for all incarcerated youth by demonstrating how much these students are capable of learning. Leveraging these unique lessons, Pelzer teaches his audiences how to raise expectations for all students.

Susan Gomez Zwiep

Susan Gomez Zwiep began her career in science education as a middle school science teacher in Los Angeles, where she spent over 12 years working in urban schools. Prior to joining BSCS, Susan worked at California State University, Long Beach as a Professor of Science Education.

Susan has also worked as a regional director for the K–12 Alliance, providing high-quality professional development in science and mathematics for K–12 educators, including the CA NGSS Early Implementer Initiative.

Allison Hintz and Antony T. Smith

Dr. Allison B. Hintz’s research and teaching are in the area of mathematics education. Her focus on mathematics came about during her years as a fifth grade teacher—it was alongside her students that she developed her own positive identity as a mathematician! Today she studies teaching and learning—specifically, facilitating engaging discussion. Her research and teaching happen in partnership with educators and children in formal and informal settings and focus on beliefs and practices that support all children in lively mathematics learning. She is a co-author, with Elham Kazemi, of Intentional Talk: How to Structure and Lead Productive Mathematical Discussions.

Dr. Antony T. Smith is an associate professor of literacy education at the University of Washington, Bothell. He works alongside teachers to create engaging literacy-mathematics learning experiences through exploring and discussing children’s literature. He is committed to the concepts of motivation, engagement, challenge, and creativity in literacy teaching and learning.

Dr. Tim Odegard

Tim Odegard, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and holds the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. He also leads the efforts of the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia. He serves as editor-in-chief of Annals of Dyslexia, as a consulting editor of the Journal of Learning Disabilities, and is a former editor at large for Perspectives on Language and Literacy. In addition to being a research scientist, Tim is a reading therapist, having completed a two-year dyslexia specialist training program at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas.

Steve Graham

Steve Graham is the Regents and Warner Professor in the division of Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. For 42 years, he has studied how writing develops, how to teach it effectively, and how it can be used to support reading and learning. In recent years, he has been involved in the development and testing of digital tools for supporting writing and reading through a series of grants from the Institute of Educational Sciences and the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. His research involves the development of writers with special needs in both elementary and secondary schools, much of which occurs in urban schools. 

He has received many awards for his contributions to literacy and was selected to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2018. He is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association, Division 15 of the American Psychological Association, and of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities.

Sally Shaywitz

Sally E. Shaywitz, M.D. is the Audrey G. Ratner Professor in Learning Development at Yale University and co-founder and co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. She’s devoted to ensuring that individuals who are dyslexic, their parents, and their teachers can act on and benefit from  wonderful new scientific evidence on dyslexia.

Dr. Shaywitz is the author of over 350 scientific papers and chapters about dyslexia. She has been honored with numerous awards, delivered  the 2022 keynote address for the Congressional Dyslexia Roundtable,  and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. She serves on numerous boards and advisory panels, including the New York City Literacy Council, The Park Century School, and Ibis (formerly Great Minds). She received her bachelor of arts with honors from City University of New York, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her M.D. and completed her pediatric training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Malcolm Mitchell

Malcolm Mitchell, a native of Valdosta, Georgia, and an Under Armour All-American football player, developed a love of reading during his freshman year in college. He authored and published the children’s book, The Magician’s Hat, created a youth literacy initiative called Read with Malcolm, and went on to establish the nonprofit Magic Foundation organization, with a sole purpose—to transform children’s lives through literacy.

His inspirational story has been featured nationally on CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS Sports, ESPN, in USA Today, CNN, MSNBC and the NFL Network and has been used by many schools as encouragement for students to embrace the importance of reading. In May 2016, Malcolm was drafted by the New England Patriots, and in 2017 he became a Super Bowl champion. Malcolm has earned numerous awards and accomplishments both on and off the field, but considers discovering a love of reading one of his greatest achievements.

Dr. Neena Saha

Dr. Neena Saha began her career in education as a classroom teacher for children with exceptional needs. She received her master’s degree in educational neuroscience from Columbia University and her doctorate in special education from Vanderbilt University. Neena’s doctoral work on decoding resulted in a patent for a new measure of text decoding difficulty. Her educational research can be found in publications such as The Journal of Learning Disabilities, Annals of Dyslexia, and Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Upon graduating, Neena founded Elemeno^® to help bridge the research-to-practice gap in early literacy and started publishing a newsletter called the Reading Research recap that translates recent research in education into useful information for teachers. Both the Recap and Elemeno were acquired by MetaMetrics in 2021, and Neena joined their team to help build out their early literacy products, tools, and services. She continues to publish the Reading Research Recap, and is currently exploring better ways to translate research at scale.

Reid Lyon

Dr. Reid Lyon is a neuroscientist and specialist in learning disorders. In 1980, he joined the faculty of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern, where he also directed the neuropsychology laboratory. He later joined the Stern Center for Language and Learning as the director of research, and the University of Vermont Medical School as a clinical associate professor of neurology. From 1992 to 2005, he served as a research neuropsychologist and chief of the Child Development and Behavior branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health.

After leaving the NIH, Lyon held distinguished scientist and professorships at the University of Texas (neuroscience) and Southern Methodist University (educational leadership). Dr. Lyon is the author or co-author of over 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters addressing developmental neuroscience, learning and reading disorders/dyslexia, and the translation of science into practice and policy. He also co-authored the definition of dyslexia used at the NIH and worldwide, and was a two-time recipient of the NIH Director’s Award.

Reid Lyon, Ph.D.

Reid Lyon is a neuroscientist and specialist in learning disorders. In 1980, he joined the faculty of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University, where he also directed the neuropsychology laboratory. He later joined the Stern Center for Language and Learning as the director of research, and the University of Vermont Medical School as a clinical associate professor of neurology. From 1992 to 2005, he served as a research neuropsychologist and chief of the Child Development and Behavior branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health.

After leaving the NIH, Lyon held distinguished scientist posts and professorships at the University of Texas (neuroscience) and Southern Methodist University (educational leadership). Lyon is the author or co-author of over 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters addressing developmental neuroscience, learning and reading disorders/dyslexia, and the translation of science into practice and policy. He also co-authored the definition of dyslexia used at the NIH and worldwide, and was a two-time recipient of the NIH Director’s Award.

Kareem Weaver

Kareem Weaver is a co-founder and executive director of FULCRUM, which partners with stakeholders to improve reading results for students. He is the Oakland NAACP’s second vice president and chair of its education committee; his advocacy is featured in the film The Right to Read. Mr. Weaver previously served as New Leaders for New Schools’ executive director of the Western Region and was an award-winning teacher and administrator. He has an undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and a master’s in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina. Mr. Weaver believes in the potential of all students, the brotherhood of man, and the importance of service above self. His educational heroine for literacy instruction is the late Marva Collins.

Margaret “Margo” Malaika Weaver

Margo Weaver had unplugged from school and retreated into the corners of her environment until her diagnosis of dyslexia helped her make sense of things. She went from being on academic probation to regularly landing on the Honor Roll and Dean’s List. She became a two-time California All-State Softball player who now attends and plays for Bowie State University (MD), where she studies Digital Art Animation. She can be seen in the documentary, The Right to Read.

Elijah Valencia

Elijah Valencia’s story is triumphant. It’s a testament to the power of perseverance and an indictment of systems intended to help young people prepare for society. Without the ability to read well, Elijah’s life went off-track. While incarcerated, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and given the support needed to develop his reading skills. Upon release, he earned an associate’s degree and has become a youth counselor and hotel manager. He’s also started a family.