For Immediate Release
June 9, 2022 PRINCETON, NJ — Learning Ally, a national nonprofit with a mission for “literacy for all” in U.S. schools, will give special recognition to four outstanding educators and a Christian K-8 school during its annual Spotlight on Dyslexia. The virtual professional development event is June 9-10, 2022 and the largest of its kind in the nation.
The prestigious Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award honors educators who are exemplary in supporting students challenged with reading deficits in general and special education and who ensure Whole Child LiteracyTM, an approach focusing on the academic, cognitive and environmental factors that impact a student’s ability to learn and achieve.
Dr. Terrie Noland, VP of Educator Initiatives for Learning Ally, says, “This year, we are recognizing these extraordinary educators and their accomplishments at our Spotlight on Dyslexia event. Each recipient has a unique story to tell and demonstrates the outcomes students can achieve with the right instruction, accommodations, and approach. All students have potential to succeed, and these educators make it possible.”
These 2022 winners receive monetary prizes and distinction in their state and local education communities:
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Flora Encarnacao, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Kearney School, NJ - Mrs. Encarnacao is a first generation American. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education/Social Studies from Caldwell University, an M.A. in Instruction & Curriculum with a specialization in Bilingual Education from Kean University, and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Montclair State University. As an education leader, she has chaired the Hudson County Professional Development and Curriculum Consortium, and is an Executive Member of the Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal. Her team provides the best education possible for all students’ success and well-being.
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Caroline Radlinger, Occupational Therapist, Medford Area Public School District, WI- Leader of the Core Assistive Technology Team, Ms. Radlinger specializes in training students, staff, and family members in the use of assistive technology to increase students’ learning independence.
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Deborah Hanson, English Language Arts & Reading Specialist, Leadership Academy, Austin, ISD, TX – Ms. Hanson has a MS in Special Education, and has worked with at-risk students for over 30 years, including incarcerated juveniles, high school dropouts, ex-offenders, displaced workers, and children in the foster care system.
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Lisa Kendall-Brown, Intervention Specialist, Kiowa USD #433, Mullinville, KS – To ensure the love of reading takes hold, Ms. Brown created safe and welcoming environments in her classrooms by developing a relationship with each student. She is an advocate for children with learning differences. Under her guidance, many students have improved their reading knowledge and learning confidence.
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Casas Christian School, Tucson, AZ – Joshua Kempf, Principal – The school mantra is, “All children are unique, and their educational journey should reflect their personal learning styles and talents by nurturing a child’s spiritual, emotional, physical, and academic needs.”
If you know an educator, administrator or school that is making a difference for students with reading deficits, Learning Ally’s nomination process is open for the 2023 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award.
Visit www.learningally.org/educators or call 800-221-1098. Learn more about the 2022 recipients.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading education nonprofit dedicated to empowering educators with proven solutions that help new and struggling learners reach their potential. Our range of literacy-focused offerings for students in Pre-K to 12th grade and catalog of professional learning allows us to support more than 1.6 million students and 260,000 educators across the United States.