About the Presenters

Deborah Lynam is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in childhood studies at Rutgers University – Camden while working as a graduate assistant on the NJ Tiered System of Supports in Early Reading initiative. She serves on the Family Engagement Advisory Board for the National Center on Improving Literacy and recently served on the U.S. Department of Education’s Regional Advisory Committee for the Mid-Atlantic region. Deborah previously chaired the NJ State Special Education Advisory Council and served on the NJ Department of Education’s Dyslexia Handbook Committee. She is a certified Orton-Gillingham Teacher and a founding member of Decoding Dyslexia – New Jersey.

Dr. Judith Fontana, Professor Emerita from George Mason University, recently retired from Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at Mason where she provided an array of services related to literacy to teachers, administrators, and school divisions. Dr. Fontana has been an adjunct for both the Special Education and Literacy Programs at Mason where she and colleagues developed a Dyslexia Certificate Program. She is currently working as an NCIL Consultant for the National Center on Improving Literacy and as an adjunct for Marymount University. Dr. Fontana is a Professional Developer for the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) and has been a LETRS facilitator. She continues to work with and advocate for students with learning disabilities. Her professional affiliations include The Reading League, International Dyslexia Association, Council for Learning Disabilities, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Her academic interests include instructional assessment and SDI.