Spotlight on Dyslexia Event Speakers

Elisha Kalvass

Elisha Kalvass

Teacher at The Briarwood School, Co-Founder Katy Literacy Coalition, Dyslexia Interventionist, Wilson Implementation Coordinator

Elisha Kalvass began her career as a Certified Child Life Specialist helping infants, children, youth, and families. After her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, she set out to learn everything she could about supporting children with dyslexia and received training at the Schenck School and the Neuhaus Education Center. Elisha is co-founder of Katy Literacy Coalition and currently teaches reading at The Briarwood School in Houston, Texas. She is the mom to two diverse learners, one with dyslexia and the other with ADHD.

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