Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State
University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College having been an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is the recipient of an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award, the
Farmer award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of
English, as well as a Christa McAuliffe award for excellence in teacher education.
He has published numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design as well as books, such as Better Learning
Through Structured Teaching, Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at
Work and Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading.
Mary Jo Fresch, Ph.D.
, is a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University at Marion. She teaches courses in literacy and children’s literature. She has spoken nationally and internationally about literacy related topics. Her research and publications explore the English Language Arts, in particular the developmental aspects of spelling and vocabulary through word study. Her articles have appeared in Journal of Literacy Research , Language Arts,
The Reading Teacher, Reading and Writing Quarterly , Reading Psychology,
Reading Online, Reading Horizons and several state journals. She has published several professional books, including Engaging Minds in English Language Arts:
The Surprising Power of Joy (ASCD), The Power of Picture Books: Using Content
Area Literature in Middle School (NCTE), and edited An Essential History of
Current Reading Practices (available on Amazon). Her classroom materials include
Learning through Poetry (Phonemic Awareness) (Shell) and Spelling for Writers
(Great Source).
Peter Johnston is Professor Emeritus in the Reading Department at the
University at Albany-SUNY. He researches the consequences of teaching and assessment practices for the literate lives of children and teachers. He is particularly interested in factors that influence classroom talk and student engagement, and the consequences of teachers’ classroom talk for the ways children learn and experience themselves and each other. He has published over 80 articles and a dozen books (some in multiple languages), the most recent of which are; Choice Words: How our language affects children’s learning
(2004), Critical literacy/critical teaching: Tools for preparing responsive teachers
(2005, with Dozier & Rogers), RTI in Literacy – Responsive and comprehensive
(2010), and Opening Minds: Using language to change lives (2012) . Peter
Johnston’s recent research has focused on the consequences of teachers’ classroom talk for the ways children learn and experience themselves and each other, and how engaged reading influences children’s social, emotional, moral and academic development.

Lester L. Laminack is Professor Emeritus from department of Birth-Kindergarten,
Elementary and Middle Grades Education, at Western Carolina University in
Cullowhee, North Carolina where he received two awards for excellence in teaching
[the Botner Superior Teaching Award and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching
Award]. Lester is now a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States. He is the author of numerous academic publications and is published in several journals. Lester is also the author of six children’s books:
The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor’s Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, Saturdays and Tea
Cakes, Jake’s 100 th
Day of School , Snow Day!
and, Three Hens and a Peacock (2012
Children’s Choice K-2 Book of the Year Award) all from Peachtree Publishers. His newest book, The Writing Teacher’s Troubleshooting Guide (Heinemann) is now available .
Deb Zarling is a Reading Specialist and Literacy Coordinator for the Oshkosh Area
School District. Previously, she has worked as a school based Reading Specialist,
Literacy Coach, Reading Recovery® Teacher, Title I Reading Teacher, and classroom teacher at a number of levels in a variety of schools. She is a past president of the
Wisconsin State Reading Association and continues to serve on the WSRA Executive
Committee. She also co-chairs the WSRA ESEA/RtI/Assessment Task Force. She has served on a number of DPI Task Forces/Committees including the Common Core
English Language Arts Standards Leadership Team .