Annual Conference

and creating safe and affirming environments in which all learners will thrive. She is the author of Voices of Newcomers: Experiences of Multilingual Learners (2022, EduMatch) - the winner of Delta Kappa Gamma 2023 Educator Book Award and Skipping Stones Multicultural Award, Ben and the Amazing Animal Adventure (2023, EduMatch), “Holistic Professional Learning in Times of Crisis” with C. Spina, and “A Place for Everyone: Inclusion for Multilingual Learners” (2022, NJTESOL/NJBE Annual Voices Journal). Dr. Furlong is a current assistant professor and Director of Advanced Programs for Reading Specialists & ESL.

(International Literacy Association).Currently, he serves as President of The Peters Group and Senior Consultant with The InitiativeOne Leadership Center based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Stephen and his wife, Dr. Angela Peters, reside in Chapin, S.C.

adolescent literacy including Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading; Reading Nonfiction: Disrupting Thinking: and When Kids Can’t Read/What Teachers Can Do. Disrupting Thinking was named the 2018 Teachers Choice Award winner. She is an invited speaker at national and state conventions. Kylene has served as president of the National Council of Teachers of English, an advisor to the Comer School Development Program at Yale University, an advisor to the education committee of the National Governors Association, the editor of the national journal Voices from the Middle, and is currently serving as a board member of the international LitWorld Foundation. When not on a plane, Kylene lives on a ranch in central Texas with her husband, Brad, and their wonderful dog, Coda.

She is also a former instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Whether running workshops, leading coaching sessions, or working in classrooms, Berit strives to empower teachers so they can empower students. Her workshops are known to be engaging, fast-paced, and highly practical. Her book, The Joyful Teacher, is a collection of tried-and-true strategies that empower teachers and help them create an even greater impact in their classroom. Her other book, No More Fake Reading, offers solutions for boosting stamina, joy, and skills among reluctant readers. Whether running workshops, leading coaching sessions, or working in classrooms, Berit strives to empower teachers so they can empower students. Her workshops are known to be engaging, fast-paced, and highly practical. When she's not traveling to schools, she lives with her family in Maplewood, New Jersey.