Spotlight on Dyslexia Event Speakers

Amy Traynor

Amy Traynor

Co-Founder, Katy Literacy Coalition; Technology Specialist at The Briarwood School

Amy Traynor began her occupational therapy career in August 2000, with most of her career spent supporting students in public schools focused on assistive technology supports for literacy and physical access. Amy holds a Dyslexia Advocate Certificate awarded through the Dyslexia Training Institute and shares her expertise in dyslexia, assistive technology, and legal provisions with local, regional, state, national, and international audiences. Currently, Amy serves as co-founder of Katy Literacy Coalition and the Educational Technology Specialist at The Briarwood School in Houston, Texas. Her proudest accomplishment is being a mom of two children, one with ADHD and the other with dyslexia.

Sessions

Believe

Transforming Literacy Practice: Parent-driven, Stakeholder Collaboration Driving Systemic Change

Dark secrets in a highly rated school district: In this lively panel presentation, we share about failing students using a balanced literacy approach for instruction and assessment at Tier 1. Tens of thousands of students with and without dyslexia have skated through the system without receiving the structured literacy instruction needed; one deemed by research and mandated by federal and state legislation. Join us to learn how “just a couple of moms”, a few local board members, state elected education officials and a professor of undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy education locked arms to prove that all K-2 students should receive structured literacy education that is evidence-based and aligned with the science of reading. Participants can immediately apply this approach to elicit systemic change in their district to spur change in their schools!

Amy Traynor

Amy Traynor
Co-Founder, Katy Literacy Coalition; Technology Specialist at The Briarwood School

Elisha Kalvass

Elisha Kalvass
Teacher at The Briarwood School, Co-Founder Katy Literacy Coalition