Reading in the Rockies 2010 - Presenters

Joseph Torgesen

Joseph Torgesen is a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and Education, Emeritus, at Florida State University. He is also the Director Emeritus of the Florida Center for Reading Research. He has been conducting research with children who have learning problems for over 30 years, and is the author of over 190 articles, books chapters, books, and tests related to reading and learning disabilities. For the past decade, he has been working both in Florida and nationally to assist states, districts, and schools in their efforts to improve reading instruction for all students.

Stuart Greenberg

Stuart Greenberg is the Region One Executive Director with the Florida Department of Education. As the Regional Executive Director, Stuart provides leadership for the Differentiated Accountability Plan for schools and districts in his region. He works directly with district and school leadership and staff in the assigned region to provide strategic supports to increase student achievement for all students in reading, math, writing and science. He provides overall assistance, coordination, and direction to senior administration to improve student achievement in the state’s lowest performing districts. Prior to working at the Florida Department of Education Stuart was the Associate Director for The Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University. Stuart was the Deputy Director of the Eastern Regional Reading First Technical Assistance Center, providing technical support on the implementation of Reading First throughout the east coast. Stuart has presented at workshops on improving achievement at the federal, state and local levels for the past 12 years.

Stuart was the Director of Curriculum Support K-12 for the Broward County Public Schools and the Alliance of Quality Schools, focusing his work on 34 elementary, 6 middle and 6 high schools that needed to accelerate achievement in reading, writing, math, science and schoolwide management. He provided on-site support to theses schools working with teachers and school administrators on using data to inform instruction, using reading strategies throughout the curriculum, designing and supporting reading interventions and increasing achievement through family involvement. He has provided technical assistance to the Panasonic Foundation, Venice Foundation, Rapides Foundation, and most recently to Expanding the Reach of Scientifically Based Reading Research in Title I Schools.

Stuart is a former paraprofessional, classroom teacher and district administrator.

Ron Yoshimoto

Ron Yoshimoto is a master trainer in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, having trained thousands of individuals in continental U.S.A., Canada, as well as Singapore. Ron’s engaging style hands-on approach and ability to engage all learners has made him a favorite for the teachers he works with. He has had more than 25 years experience in training teachers/parents and working with dyslexics. Ron is the former Vice-president of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators and co-president of the Hawaii Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).

He is currently the Statewide Special Education Literacy Resource Teacher Trainer for Hawaii and is Director of the MSL Centre in Singapore. Prior to that, he was the Principal for 20 years at ASSETS School in Honolulu and its Director of Teacher Training and Outreach Program. The ASSETS School is specially set up for dyslexics and gifted children and has a special program for gifted dyslexics.

He has presented extensively in dyslexia conferences in the U.S.A and Canada and has published numerous articles on dyslexia. Ron is the recipient of the prestigious U.S. National Blue Ribbon School Award for Excellence.

Denise Ensslin

In her 36 serving children career, Denise has been an exemplary teacher, presenter, coach, trainer, curriculum director, as well as a consultant to the Colorado Dept. of Education She was the 2006 winner of the Floyd G. Hudson Service Award given by the national Council for Learning Disabilities for outstanding performance and commitment to individuals with learning disabilities by professionals who are not necessarily special education teachers. She has also been recognized by the Colorado Council of Learning Disabilities as the Professional of the Year.

Elizabeth Moore

With over thirty five years experience as an educator and a Fellow in the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, Beth has trained teachers through Orton Gillingham courses at Middle Tennessee State University, Greengate School in Alabama, Hiram College in Ohio, and the Dyslexia Tutoring Program in Baltimore, Maryland. She has been a presenter numerous times at the International Dyslexia Association conferences, and is the author of Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Readiness for Reading. In addition to many years of classroom teaching, she currently works privately to evaluate and remediate children, and offers advocacy help to parents seeking services from their school systems. Beth has developed a specialty in handwriting, its developmental stages, fine motor issues, and the critical role it plays in reinforcing reading and spelling.

Katie Cashette

Katie is a founding faculty member of the Liberty School for Dyslexic, Twice Exceptional, and Gifted Students in Durango, CO. She has a Masters Degree in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College - Columbia University, two years experience at the Kildonan School for students with dyslexia in New York, and six years experience at the Orton-Gillingham based summer program, Durango Mountain Camp. Katie is highly successful in meeting the needs of her students by understanding their gifts and talents and bringing out the best in each of them.

Ann Webb

Ann Webb tutored and taught Orton-Gillingham across the curriculum at The Jemicy School in Baltimore for twenty years, tutored privately and at camps, and trained tutors for the Dyslexia Tutoring Program which supplied free tutoring for selected students in the Baltimore area. While at Jemicy, she had the good fortune to devote considerable time to her own classes' oral language skills, with the help of the staff speech pathologist. For the past two years, Ann has taught at The Liberty School in Durango and The Durango Mountain Camp. Most recently, she has begun a private tutoring practice in Fort Collins.

Lori McCauley

Ms. McCauley worked as a special education teacher in the public school system for 22 years before starting her private tutoring business, Sound Learning, in 2000. Committed to explicit, systematic, direct instruction, Ms. McCauley spent the majority of her teaching career instructing students individually and in small groups. In 2002, she became one of the founding members of The HillSprings Learning Center, a half day academic program for students with learning differences. As the Director of Professional Development at HillSprings, Ms. McCauley currently trains and supervises teachers in The Hill Methodology. In addition, she teaches middle school students at HillSprings and maintains her private tutoring practice.

Melody Ilk

Mrs. Ilk received a B.A. in Special Education from the University of Idaho and a Masters in Special Education and principal licensure from the University of Northern Colorado. She has taught numerous years in special education and the regular elementary classroom, as well as, serving as a reading interventionist and resource/staff developer in Title 1 schools for Jefferson County Public Schools in Golden, Colorado. She is currently a literacy coordinator for implementing a reading initiative for 5 elementary schools, a middle school and high school. Melody supports the initiative by assisting the schools with planning and implementing professional development for principals, coaches, and teachers, implementing data analysis/teams, and overall implementation of the reading initiative. Melody is a regional trainer for Colorado LETRS, the Colorado Reading First project and DIBELS.

Pati Montgomery

Ms. Montgomery received a B. A in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Special Education from the University of Northern Colorado and Ed. S. certificate in school administration from the University of Denver. She has been both a regular education teacher and a special education teacher and has taught students in grade levels from Kindergarten to Seniors in high school. Ms. Montgomery has been with Jefferson County Public Schools for 14 years and taught in Denver Public Schools for 5 years. She has been a special education administrator; an elementary school principal and is currently a middle school principal. Ms. Montgomery spent one year as an editorial director and staff developer for an educational publishing firm.

Anthony True

Anthony True is a 13-year-old student living in Arvada, Colorado with his parents and a sister who is also dyslexic. He loves all things outdoors; Playing sports, camping, skateboarding, hang out with his friends and shooting hoops in the driveway. He is has a black belt in Kempo karate after studying the art for close to 5 years. Anthony was diagnosed with severe developmental dyslexia in the 3rd grade which affects him in reading, spelling, writing, and executive function skills. He is working hard and making tremendous progress in closing the gap between where he is and where he wants to be. He was a guest speaker at Reading in the Rockies 2009, he spoke at a symposium for Wilson teachers in the Jeffco School District and has presented his story publicly at other events as well. This courageous young man now shares his experiences, both the struggles and his successes, with the hope that others will find inspiration and motivation by hearing the story of his journey. He knows he is not alone and wants others to know they are not either.

Brittany Morris

Brittany Morris graduated from Rampart High School, in 2010, and was involved in the International Baccalaureate Program. She has Dyslexia and ADD, both of which have caused her difficulties in school and every-day life. She is surrounded daily by the struggles and incredible achievements that kids with ‘disabled’ brains exude, both through her relationship with her sister and the students at HillSprings Learning Center, where her mom teaches. Her driving goal is to help teachers understand kids whose brains work differently and to demonstrate how they can accommodate students in their classroom by making simple, easy changes.