About Me
Across 40+ years in education I’ve worked as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, elementary principal, curriculum and staff development specialist, author, speaker, and consultant.
On each of the stops along my journey, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside scores of other committed and caring educators from whom I have learned so much. Together, we’ve worked to create the kinds of classrooms where:
- Evidence-informed approaches serve as a cornerstone for instructional design, guiding both classroom practice and system-level decision-making.
- Joyful, engaged learning is evident across classrooms, reflecting a shared commitment to meaningful literacy experiences for all students.
- Adults and students alike are engaged as learners, continually growing their knowledge and refining their practice in service of improved outcomes.
- A child-centered, strengths-based lens informs decisions at every level, from curriculum planning to resource allocation.
- Educators actively seek to understand and build upon each student’s unique assets as readers, writers, and thinkers.
- Practices that support self-awareness, self-regulation, and well-being are embedded within both student learning and adult professional culture.
No matter where I’ve been, or what my role, I’ve learned that success in schools takes courage, commitment, and collaboration.
It is only when we harness our collective energy, effort, and optimism that we’ll be able to create and sustain the vibrant classroom communities needed to equip students for the great journey that lies ahead for each of them
I am passionate about working with school leaders, coaches, and teachers to build brighter life outcomes for students, one next step at a time.
(This work, of course, can be always be paired with eating popcorn and chocolate.)
If you are are looking for support with your literacy leadership and professional development plan. I can help. It’s what I do.
If you want to connect, inquire about speaking or professional development, you can reach out to me at kyates549@gmail.com .
My most recent project is over at www.TheSixShifts.com where Jan Burkins and I support educators in making science-aligned shifts to practice so that learning to read can be easier – not harder – for children.
Books
- Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom (Co-authored with Jan Burkins and Katie Egan Cunningham)
- Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom (Co-authored with Jan Burkins, 2021)
- To Know and Nurture a Reader: Conferring with Confidence and Joy (Co-authored with Christina Nosek – Stenhouse, 2018)
- Simple Starts: Making the Move to a Reader-Centered Classroom (Heinemann, 2015)
- Eat Your Broccoli (Richard Owens, 2005)