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Opening Keynote: A Conversation With Zaretta Hammond
Monday, March 3, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST
Presented by Zaretta Hammond, Author, Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain; and Liz Brooke, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Chief Learning Officer, Lexia
Moderated by Cassandra Wheeler, Senior Education Advisor, Lexia
Sponsored by Lexia
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
The journey toward literacy transformation is one of discovery, growth, and courageous leadership. In this inspiring opening keynote conversation of the Science of Reading Week, renowned literacy expert Zaretta Hammond, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, joins Dr. Liz Brooke, Chief Learning Officer at Lexia, to illuminate the essential “north stars” guiding every Science of Reading journey: instructional equity, proven, evidence-based practices, and learning partnerships with students.
These foundational principles provide the clarity and direction educational leaders need to navigate challenges, celebrate milestones, and ensure meaningful, lasting literacy growth. Whether your school or district is just starting out or building toward mastery, this conversation will empower you with insights, strategies, and inspiration to embrace these guiding lights and take your next bold steps on the path to equitable literacy transformation.
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, librarians, school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders.
This edWebinar is part of Science of Reading Week.
About the Presenters
Zaretta Hammond, M.A. is a national consultant and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Corwin, 2015). She is a former high school and community college writing instructor. For the past 25 years, she has supported schools and other institutions in deepening their understanding and application of culturally responsive practices, the Science of Reading, and the Science of Learning. In addition, she has written articles and book chapters on these topics to help educators improve instruction. Zaretta is a strong literacy advocate who sits on the research advisory committee for Learning Policy Institute’s SoLD Alliance (Science of Learning and Development) program. She is also a member of the advisory board for the Consortium for Reading Education (CORE).
As Chief Learning Officer of Lexia® Learning, Dr. Liz Brooke is responsible for setting the educational vision for the company’s Language and Literacy products, including the Adaptive Blended Learning (ABL) strategy. She has been with the company for more than 10 years. Prior to joining Lexia, Dr. Brooke served as the Director of Intervention at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR). She has been working in education for more than 25 years. She has worked in hospital, university, and school settings as a speech-language pathologist, researcher, and she began her career as a first-grade teacher. She has been published in several scholarly journals and books. Dr. Brooke shares Lexia’s mission of creating opportunity for every student through the power of literacy education, and it continues to be the driving force behind all her work.
About the Moderator
Cassandra Wheeler is a proud “Poet” of the 1990 graduating class at Sidney Lanier High School of Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) in Alabama. In 1994, following undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education, Cassandra returned home to MPS and began her career as an educator at Morningview Elementary School. After earning her master’s degree and administrative certification, Cassandra joined the Alabama Reading Initiative, where she authored Alabama’s Reading First Initiative grant and managed Alabama’s statewide DIBELS pilot. In 2004, after serving the children of Alabama for ten years, Cassandra expanded her outreach to impact the life trajectories of students everywhere by joining the (then) Voyager Expanded Learning organization. Now, at Lexia, Cassandra serves the organization as Senior Education Advisor.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
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Lexia®, a Cambium Learning Group brand, is a leader in science of reading-based solutions. For more than 40 years, the company has focused on pre-K–12 literacy and today provides solutions for every student and educator. With a complete offering of professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment, Lexia helps more learners read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit lexialearning.com.
