Our mission is to increase the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction in Alabama. We believe all children deserve to learn to read and all educators can learn to teach them.
Associate Policy Director of Early Literacy for ExcelinEd, President of New Heights Consulting, Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS)
Dr. Shelley Vail-SmithChapter Vice-President
School-Improvement Manager for Mass Insight Education & Research, Host of the Alabama Literacy Network podcast, President of the Alabama Committee on Grade Level Reading, Secretary of the Alabama Dyslexia Advisory Council, Board member of the Alabama Literacy Alliance
Janet Kaylor, M.EdChapter Officer at Large for Networking and Engagement
LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator (LETRS 3rd Ed. & LETRS Admin); Reading and Leadership, and Former Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) Regional Literacy Specialist
Independent Consultant; Literacy, Coaching, and Leadership;
Ph.D. student, Auburn University in Educational Leadership
Betsy PitchfordChapter Treasurer
9th grade English Teacher, Alabama Connections Academy, Federal Programs Grants Coordinator, Director, 21st Century Community Learning Center Program Director, Federal Programs Director, and assistant to the CSFO.
Courteney ThompsonChapter Officer at Large
ARI Local Reading Specialist at Elizabeth Fonde Elementary in Mobile, AL.
President of the Metro-Mobile Literacy Council, Chairperson for The Alabama Literacy Association’s Early Career Committee, SARIC Literacy Presenter, and Reading Clinician for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes.
Corey GantChapter Secretary
Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), Senior Reading Fellow at i3 Academy Public Charter School in Birmingham, Alabama. Former Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) Local Reading specialist, and Former board of director for IDA-Alabama.
Reimagine the Future of Reading
Help us bring the science of reading to every educator, parent, and child.