The Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award honors leaders in education who understand that reading instruction must focus on the learner and the variables that impact a child’s ability to understand and achieve. Instruction not only includes word decoding and language comprehension but also addresses students’ cognitive functioning and environmental factors to attend to the whole child.
Now in its tenth year, this Excellence in Education award honors U.S. educators who display exemplary dedication and performance to ensure literacy and learning for developing readers. This year’s winners receive cash awards and other exciting prizes, as well as opportunities to showcase their work.
We are proud to announce our three exceptional 2025 winners:
Audra Fortune
Elementary Reading Interventionist
Slater Marietta Elementary School, Greenville, SC
With 23 years in education, Audra Fortune has dedicated her career to empowering young readers. After spending 18 years teaching first grade, she pursued a Master’s degree in reading and literacy, becoming a certified literacy specialist. For the past two years, she has focused on reading intervention at Slater Marietta Elementary School, a rural Title I school in Greenville County, South Carolina.
“For some kids, reading one word is a mountain,” Audra explains. “So the biggest impact I make is showing students that they are capable and they are able to read and their reading journey matters, and that someone is in their corner every day supporting them and rooting for them. And, I don’t just teach phonics. I teach the children hope and confidence, and mainly perseverance, that if they stick with it, they’ll be able to soar.”
For Audra, winning this award was a delightful surprise that brought attention to the often-unseen work done in reading intervention. She views this recognition as validation of her belief that every child is capable of learning to read, provided they are given the appropriate tools and sufficient time. She sees this honor as belonging not just to her, but to every child who has persevered through reading challenges, every parent who maintained hope, and every teacher who refused to give up.
Jennifer Jedrzejewski
Middle School Reading Interventionist
Helen Fort Middle School, Pemberton Township, NJ
Known throughout her school community as the “book lady,” Jennifer has spent 18 years in education consistently encouraging reading and ensuring students have access to materials that pique their interest. Working with middle school students in small groups, she maintains the “Helen Fort Prime Cart” directly outside her classroom—a cart filled with books that students are welcome to take.
Jennifer refreshes her book selection frequently, often weekly, always aiming to introduce new titles. A key focus for her is finding books that reflect the diversity of her student body, believing that when students see themselves represented in what they read, they are more likely to connect with and value the material. She actively seeks out books that might appeal to specific interests, such as finding a book for a student who plays football or soccer, or even ordering a cookbook for a student who expressed a dislike for reading but enjoyed cooking.
This award serves as significant validation for Jennifer’s countless hours spent reading young adult and teen literature to find books that would hold value for her students. The recognition enables her to continue creating welcoming reading spaces within her school and ordering a diverse range of books where students can see themselves reflected. She believes this award has also raised awareness among other teachers and staff that reading extends beyond the language arts classroom.
Rawson Saunders School and Institute
Austin, Texas
Rawson Saunders School is an academically excellent, fully accredited independent school uniquely dedicated to students with dyslexia. As the only institution of its kind in central Texas and one of just a handful nationwide, it’s internationally recognized for its innovative, multisensory teaching methods specifically tailored to how dyslexic students learn.
The school features a fully departmentalized structure where expert teachers lead core classes like Academic Language Therapy (ALT), Language Arts, Math, Social Studies/History, and STEM, as well as specials and electives such as Art, Athletics, Drama, Music, and Social-Emotional Learning. Each student benefits from a highly individualized daily schedule adjusted to their learning level and pace, with low teacher-to-student ratios—including a two-to-one ratio for ALT—ensuring maximum instruction, personalized attention, and active participation for every student.
Winning the Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Award holds profound significance for Rawson Saunders School, serving as a proud external acknowledgment that their dedicated work is truly making a difference in the lives of students with dyslexia. The school finds direct alignment between their philosophy and the award’s mission to empower students to reach their fullest potential. This recognition validates the extraordinary effort, dedication, and passion invested by their teachers and reinforces their conviction that they are helping students recognize their giftedness, build essential skills, and advocate for themselves.
Nominate an Educator, Administrator, School, or District
If you know a school, reading specialist, or educator who has transformed literacy instruction and works hard to make a difference every day in the lives of students, we’d like to know about them. Parents, students, and educators are eligible to nominate, and note that educators are encouraged to nominate themselves.
The nomination period ends December 31, 2025
Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award Nomination Form
The Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award continues to recognize educators who demonstrate that effective reading instruction addresses the whole child, combining academic rigor with understanding of individual learning needs.