Presenter Bios
Tanya Amodio-Kovacs
Tanya Amodio-Kovacs is a Supervisor in Education programs in the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Early Learning (OEL). OEL provides oversight and guidance to
school districts in the development of policy, implementation and evaluation of programs and policies related to educating students in prekindergarten to third grade that are aligned with the New York State (NYS) Board of Regents Early Childhood Policy. Prior to this position, she served as an Associate in Bilingual Education in the NYSED Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages supporting the implementation of statewide policy and guidance for
nearly 300,000 English Language Learners (ELLs) and their families.Tanya has served in a variety of leadership roles that have afforded her the opportunity to collaborate with NYSED senior leadership to develop policies, guidance, and resources that have impacted students in prekindergarten through grade 12. Tanya led NYSED’s P-3 Virtual Summer Institute in 2021 and 2022 in partnership with the NYS Council on Children and Families. She helped shape the development and release of the Emergent Multilingual Learner (EML) Language Profile, guidance, and resources for EMLs in prekindergarten. Tanya assisted in the review and revision of the NYS English Language Arts Learning Standards to ensure all students, including multilingual learners, have equitable access to a set of Standards and resources that foster the literacy and language skills needed for college, career, and civic readiness. She contributed to the development of the NYSED Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education Framework. Tanya was instrumental in building NYSED’s partnerships with Institutions of Higher Education in providing Clinically Rich-Intensive Teacher Institutes to meet the shortage of NYS certified teachers of multilingual learners.
Tanya has 24 years of experience in education. She has served as a classroom teacher (early learning), an English as a New Language teacher in both monolingual and dual language settings, an adult English immersion teacher, a teacher-mentor and leader. Tanya holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from State University of New York (SUNY) College at Oswego, and a master’s degree in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from SUNY Albany. In 2022, she completed the post-master’s Educational Leadership Certification Program through Stony Brook University.
Nonie K. Lesaux
Nonie K. Lesaux is the Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development. Lesaux's research with children and youth investigates language, reading, and social-emotional development; classroom quality and academic growth; and strategies for accelerating language and reading comprehension. This work has formed the basis of several partnerships with school districts, including San Diego and New York City. Her research on our youngest children, with colleague Stephanie Jones, focuses on the challenge of simultaneously expanding and improving the quality of early childhood education, at scale. Lesaux's work has earned her the William T. Grant Scholars Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor given by the United States government to young professionals beginning their independent research careers. Lesaux's research appears in numerous scholarly publications, and its practical applications are featured in three books: Teaching Advanced Literacy Skills (Guilford Press, 2016), Cultivating Knowledge, Building Language: Literacy Instruction for English Learners in Elementary School (Heinemann, 2015), and Making Assessment Matter: Using Test Results to Differentiate Reading Instruction (Guilford, 2011). She is also the author of a widely circulated state literacy report, Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success, that forms the basis for a Third Grade Reading Proficiency bill passed in Massachusetts.
Jennifer Raponi
Jennifer Raponi has 20 years of experience in language acquisition. She began her career as a Speech Therapist and went on to teach K-12 TESOL. Jennifer is also certified in B-12 Literacy Development. Literacy development for English Learners is her area of special interest.
Claudia Kramer Santamaria, Ph.D.
Claudia Kramer Santamaria, Ph.D., recently retired from the principalship at the Anita Uphaus Early Childhood Center in the Austin Independent School District. A native of Uruguay who immigrated to Queens, New York, at the age of five, Claudia has dedicated her career to serving children of low income households as an educator, a community organizer and a social justice leader. She also served as a principal in 3 elementary campuses, an Assistant Director in the Multilingual Department and Supervisor of the Parent Support office. Her PhD research captures families’ experiences in two way dual language education. Her own children have attended dual language bilingual programs since preschool.
Lisa Schlegel
Lisa Schlegel joined OCM BOCES as a Literacy Teacher Trainer/Coach in 2005. She was a former classroom teacher in Syracuse City School District. Lisa is a certified LETRS facilitator. She has done extensive work in literacy from training/supporting teachers with literacy interventions to building their foundational literacy knowledge. Lisa also has expertise in many additional professional development areas, such as Instruction For All Students, Meeting The Needs of Diverse Learners, Content Area Literacy, Differentiated Instruction, Co-Teaching, Poverty and Engagement strategies. She is a facilitator for the New York State Leadership groups in Early Learning & ELA. Lisa holds a B.S from Niagara University and M.S. from Syracuse University.
Tonya Ward Singer
Tonya Ward Singer is the founder of Courageous Literacy LLC, an organization that helps educators advance literacy and language learning in culturally and linguistically rich schools. Teachers and administrators describe Tonya’s work as groundbreaking, dynamic, practical, relevant, and impactful. Tonya is the author of bestsellers EL Excellence Every Day and Opening Doors to Equity. She co-authored Breaking Down the Wall and literacy curricula for international publishers. Tonya has taught across multiple grade levels and excels as an international consultant helping schools collectively transform through job-embedded, impactful professional learning.
Beyond her work in schools, Tonya co-facilitates dialogues in non-profit organizations committed to truth seeking, healing, and ending legacies of racial oppression.
- Twitter @TonyaWardSinger
- www.tonyasinger.com
Dr Jaclyn Sisskind
Dr Jaclyn Sisskind is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Upstate Medical University and the Medical Director of Upstate Pediatrics. She is her clinic director for Reach Out and Read, a national organization devoted to encouraging early literacy. Jaclyn has been published in the School Library Journal for her use of children's literature in pediatric practice. She has a strong social media presence as "the Readiatrician" and has been featured on a number of blogs and podcasts, supporting the message that the freedom to read is essential to children's mental health. Jaclyn lives in Syracuse with her husband and their three sons. She spends her days seeing patients, teaching medical students, and calculating if she has enough time to stop at the library on her way home.
Dr. Sonia Soltero
Dr. Sonia Soltero is Professor and Chair of the Department of Leadership, Language and Curriculum at DePaul University and former Director of its Bilingual-Bicultural Education Graduate Program. Soltero has numerous publications on bilingual and Latino education including three books, the latest entitled Dual Language Education: Program Design and Implementation. She co-chairs the English Learners Advocacy Council in Higher Education (ELACHE), served as a member of the Executive Board of the National Association of Bilingual Education and co-editor of Global Perspectives. Soltero has been involved in bilingual education for more than thirty years as a university professor, researcher, former dual language public school teacher, professional developer, and education advocate.
Erik Sweet
Erik Sweet is the Executive Director of the New York State Education Department’s
Office of Early Learning. He has worked for the New York State Education Department
since 2006 in the Office of Standards and Instruction and the Office of Early Learning.
In his role as Executive Director in Early Learning, he oversees the state’s Universal
Prekindergarten Program as well as Prekindergarten-Grade 3 initiatives.
