ACCELERATED LITERACY LEARNING - Key Persons
Bebe Morrissey graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and received her Masters in Teaching at Teachers College in New York.
Much of Bebe's teaching career was spent at PS 87 in Manhattan, where she developed experience in integrating content areas in literacy, as well as teaching using the inclusion model. During this time, she was a clinical faculty member at Teachers College. Bebe was a labsite teacher with A.L.L. before joining the organization full-time.
As a literacy consultant, Bebe has worked in a various NYC public schools in both lower and upper elementary grades, providing professional development that includes demonstration lessons, one on one coaching, facilitating planning meetings and designing curriculum. She works closely with administrators to create a rigorous literacy curriculum that is customized to meet the needs of individual schools.
Brenda Wallace is a distinguished leader in the field of teaching writing and reading. Brenda has graduate degrees in education and in writing from Columbia University's Teachers College and from Columbia University's School of the Arts in NY.
As a consultant, she partners with district leaders, principals, coaches, staff developers and teachers to implement writing and reading workshop in classrooms nationwide. Brenda began her work as a professional developer with Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. In NYC, she also worked as a literacy staff developer with the nationally recognized Community School District 2 and as co-director of the K-8 literacy initiative, with Susan Radley Brown, in District 15 in Brooklyn. Since then, Brenda has worked in partnership with nonprofit organizations such as the Noyce Foundation, with the Every Child a Reader and Writer program, the Carnegie Foundation, and with school districts across the country.
When working with educators, Brenda combines her passions for writing, for teaching, and for inspiring teachers and students. Currently, Brenda lives in Northern California and is the lead consultant of Accelerated Literacy Learning's West Coast Division.
Constance Foland began her teaching career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa. From there she went on to study at Teachers College, Columbia, and received a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. As a teacher in New York City public schools, Constance earned a certificate in Reading Recovery and worked as a reading specialist for five years.
She has extensive experience in balanced literacy, with expertise in the reading/writing workshop model. She works with Pre-K-6 principals, coaches and teachers across the country to build strong literacy programs that inspire students to become excited about reading and writing.
She is the author of A Song for Jeffrey and Flying High, Pogo! two middle grade novels published by American Girl Publications. She also published two retold folk tales, Mouse Deer Must be Quick and Plain White Salt as part of a teaching series for Hampton-Brown.
She is currently working on When Writing Matters, a book that helps educators make writing relevant and fun for students.
Emily Levine was among the first consultants to work with Accelerated Literacy Learning. In this role, she has worked alongside New York City teachers, coaches, and administrators to implement A.L.L.'s curriculum, designed to improve literacy instruction and create teacher leaders. In addition, Emily has facilitated summer institutes, collaboration site visits and coach study groups. She has helped conceptualize and draft several of A.L.L.'s curriculum units.
Previously, Emily held a variety of positions within New York City schools. She was the literacy coach and grant coordinator at P.S.188 in lower Manhattan, an elementary school teacher at P.S. 124 in Brooklyn, and a 3rd grade teacher at City & Country School, a Manhattan private school.
Emily received a M.S. Ed. from Bank Street College of Education in 1998 and a B.A. in Government from Wesleyan University in 1994.
Maria Tope Akinyele is a literacy consultant currently working with A.L.L., who specializes in designing culturally relevant and constructivist approaches to literacy instruction within middle and high schools.
Throughout the Northeast, she has helped many schools in urban districts successfully achieve desired instructional results and overall gains in student reading and writing outcomes.
Maria also serves as a consultant working with school leaders on ways to design strategic professional learning experiences for teachers utilizing research-based adult learning principles.
Maria has a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College, a Master in Social Studies Education from Lehman College and a Masters of Philosophy from the CUNY Graduate Center where she is presently completing her doctoral degree in Urban Education. Most recently, Maria attained a certificate from Georgetown University in Organizational Development.
Susan Radley Brown is the founding director of Accelerated Literacy Learning (A.L.L.) and a nationally recognized literacy consultant.
Susan Radley Brown is the founding director of Accelerated Literacy Learning (A.L.L.) and a nationally recognized literacy consultant. She established A.L.L. to meet a growing need for high quality professional development that addresses the concern for equity in education. To support this work, she created a successful balanced literacy curriculum in both reading and writing that is aimed at improving instructional practice and leadership in school districts across the country.
Susan has established a high success rate, as measured by improved performance of students at all levels of achievement, resulting in a dramatic rise in test scores.
The English Language Arts (ELA) coaching videos that Susan developed with the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, America's Choice and independently are used in professional development with classroom teachers and coaches. She has customized ELA standards and is the author of Memoir In Grades 4-5 (NCEE), which is a practical guide for teachers. Susan employs a systems approach that focuses on improved instruction, which offers the greatest promise of success for students, teachers and the administrators. Beginning her career as a New York City public school classroom teacher, Susan continues to find her greatest pleasure working with teachers and students in a classroom setting.