Transformative Leadership in the Science of Reading: Empowering School Administrators

About the Presenters

Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett, Dean of the School of Education at Duquesne University, is a national leader in developing educators both inside and outside of the classroom. She has been an academic for 28 years and has been instrumental in forming partnerships and networks for academic and community-based educational stakeholders that incorporate equity-focused curricula. A Duquesne faculty member since 2008, she has served as Chair of the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership, Director of the University Council Educational Administration’s Center for Educational Leadership and Social Justice, and holds the Noble J. Dick Endowed Chair in Community Outreach. A qualitative researcher, Dr. Givens Generett’s scholarship intersects traditional sociology of education, African-American studies, and feminist studies with progressive concepts of justice that examine agency, empowerment, and action.

Dr. Adrea Truckenmiller has a Ph.D. from Syracuse University in school psychology and is currently an Associate Professor at Michigan State University. She conducts research in the special education and school psychology programs and co-developed the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) master’s degree program. Prior to coming to MSU, she was a researcher at the Florida Center for Reading Research and Regional Education Laboratory Southeast. In her research, she collaborates with school districts to improve decision making based on writing and reading assessment. She has been awarded $5.3 million in grants and contracts and published more than 40 peer-reviewed studies.

Dr. Cleveland Mouton, III is a young, innovative principal and change agent for students and staff with 14 years of experience. Dr. Mouton has taught elementary students and led teachers in the states of Texas and Louisiana all while empowering them to be leaders of their own learning and teachings. He enjoys building positive relationships, positive school cultures, data-driven communities, and inspiring students and teachers to become leaders. Dr. Mouton’s diverse background and experience as a native of Los Angeles, California and current resident of Shreveport, Louisiana allow him the ability to connect with students and teachers through the school turnaround process as he is a stranger to the Title I setting.

He is a four-time graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he received his bachelor’s in elementary education, his master’s in educational leadership, his second master’s in curriculum and instruction, and his doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction. Dr. Mouton’s excitement for reading and math is executed in the daily supports he provides for students to ensure their prescriptive learning enhances their academics and abilities to compete in the world. In his free time, he enjoys teaching online where he is able to aid in preparing future teachers for their journey!

Octavia Gray-Essex is a literacy advocate skilled in educational leadership, curriculum development, professional learning design, and instructional support around the shifts, principles, and fundamentals of the Science of Reading. She joined Lexia Learning in June of 2023 with 17 years of Texas public school education experience where she served as a Kindergarten and 1st Grade teacher, Data Analyst/Testing Coordinator, Elementary Literacy Specialist, Assistant Principal, Principal, and K-12 District Literacy Coordinator. In her role as Senior Education Advisor, she continues to employ her passion for ensuring effective and equitable instructional practices to improve outcomes for all students. Her subject matter expertise and thought partnership are often used to bridge theory to practice for large-scale implementation of structured literacy practices. Octavia is a doctoral candidate at Kansas State University, where she also serves as a graduate teaching fellow. She serves on the Legislative and Policy Committee of the Literacy Research Association (LRA) and is a member of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) and International Dyslexia Association (IDA).

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.