Collaborative Approaches to K-5 Literacy: Building Effective Tutor, Teacher, and Family Partnerships

About the Presenters

With a robust background in special education and educational leadership, Brandy Washington’s mission is to bridge learning gaps and elevate the academic success of students. Brandy’s core competencies include special education expertise, directing multi-tiered support systems, ensuring compliance with educational regulations, and partnering with dedicated teams to implement effective academic and behavioral interventions. Since joining YES Prep Public Schools as the Director of Elementary Intervention, Brandy has been instrumental in launching the district’s codified MTSS/RtI supports for secondary and managing implementation at elementary levels. Her focus on optimizing intervention strategies has been pivotal in promoting student achievement.

Mindy Sjoblom founded OnYourMark with over 20 years of experience in education, beginning as a teacher and startup specialist with Teach For America in Baltimore. She then returned to Chicago, where she served as the Founding Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Principal at Rauner College Prep. As the Founding Dean of Relay Graduate School of Education’s Chicago campus, she helped grow the program into Illinois’ second-largest and most diverse teacher provider. She later joined the Charter School Growth Fund as an Entrepreneur in Residence, launching OnYourMark to support schools in delivering individualized instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Inspired by her youngest son’s late dyslexia diagnosis, Mindy is passionate about ensuring all students receive systematic, explicit reading instruction. Under her leadership, OnYourMark serves thousands of children nationwide through its high-impact tutoring model.

Jim McVety is the Managing Partner of First Step Advisors (founded in 2009), which delivers strategy, communications, and executive growth services to education providers worldwide. Jim and his team advise global brands, early/mid-stage innovators, and leading investors who share a commitment to improving educational outcomes. Jim holds degrees in secondary education and English from Boston College, has served on numerous advisory boards, and works with a range of strategic partners around the globe.