Supporting School Leaders: Strategies for Success from Day One

About the Presenters

Dr. Terra Greenwell is the Chief Academic Officer for Jefferson County Public Schools, where she brings over two decades of experience as a teacher, instructional coach, principal, and district leader. With a doctorate in educational leadership, her work is rooted in equity, innovation, and a deep understanding of instruction and operations. A key architect of the Academies of Louisville and the Explore Pathways program, Dr. Greenwell has championed early career exploration and equitable access to future-ready learning. In 2023, she led the district’s first adoption of high-quality instructional resources for math and literacy and launched a comprehensive K–12 literacy plan grounded in research. She oversees all academic programming and support for nearly 100,000 students, including curricula, professional learning, multilingual learners, extended learning, and family engagement.

Melody Ilk, M.A., Literacy Transformations, LLC, is a national literacy consultant with two decades of successful experience in schools, districts, and states around the country. She has been a LETRS facilitator since the release of the first edition in 2002 and is the lead author and facilitator for LETRS for Administrators through Lexia Learning. Melody supports several state and district rollouts guiding schools through the construction of scientifically based literacy systems and infrastructures through the design of assessment plans, data-analysis systems, differentiated tiers of instruction, and shared leadership.

Melaika Brown is the Supervisor of Elementary English Language Arts and Reading in Montgomery County Public Schools. She is passionate about literacy education and has 20 years of experience in the areas of teaching, coaching, professional development, leadership, and leading for equity. Melaika worked as a teacher, content and curriculum specialist, and learning and achievement specialist. She earned her M.Ed. in curriculum and leadership from McDaniel College and a B.S. in early childhood education from the University of Maryland. Melaika also holds an Equity and Excellence in Education Certificate from McDaniel College. As the Elementary English Language Arts and Reading Supervisor, Melaika is leading her school district in the implementation of a new English language arts curriculum. She works closely with district leaders, school-based administrators, and teacher leaders to implement and monitor an effective literacy program. Melaika is passionate about ensuring that every student has access to high-quality literacy instruction.

About the Moderator

Dr. Donna Wright has served in many roles in her 40-plus-year career as an educator. She has positively influenced the educational field as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, deputy director, and school superintendent. Dr. Wright earned her doctorate in leadership studies from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She has been published in numerous educational journals, invited to present at national and state conferences, and has served as an adjunct professor at various institutions of higher learning. Although Dr. Wright recently retired from K-12 public education, she continues to support and consult with colleagues and school districts around the country. Currently, she serves as the AASA Lead Superintendent directing the National Women’s Leadership Consortium and collaborates with public school districts around the country.