About Maryland Reads

About Maryland READS

Maryland READS is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that believes research and data drive discussions that lead to decisions.

Our work will focus on addressing gaps revealed through research, data, and insights on reading instruction in Maryland. We will use the findings from our examination of policies and practices in Maryland to inform governance and legislative plans in partnership with state and local leaders and stakeholders. To ensure that legislation is enacted and successfully implemented, we will build a coalition to support and inform our work.

Vision

Our vision is that Maryland schools will teach every child to read so they are college, career, and life ready.

We do this by spearheading and supporting research, generating and promoting evidence, and building partnerships to inform decision-making with respect to reading among policymakers, educators, and families. We believe that the application of the Science of Reading (SoR) continues to inform practice and that the field is evolving and dynamic.

Mission

Our mission is to improve the effectiveness of reading instruction and ensure that it meets the diverse academic, cultural, and linguistic needs of every student.

Our team is committed to creating a statewide systemic change initiative focused on improving reading instruction in the state of Maryland, modeled after the lessons learned in Mississippi and other states who are beginning to see results from their implementation of SoR. Mississippi's focused, long-term approach to change reading instruction rooted in research and evaluation has achieved notable, positive results for students.

Our Goals

The following goals guide our work:

Educator
Preparation

Facilitate and influence educator preparation programs (EPPs) to provide faculty, administrators, in-service and pre-service educational professionals with knowledge and practice rooted in the dynamic field of the Science of Reading.

Professional
Development

Facilitate and influence state and local school systems' professional development initiatives to reflect the knowledge and practice of the dynamic field of the Science of Reading.

Policy

Inform and respond to policymakers at all levels on the alignment of policies to the evolving field of the Science of Reading.

Trusted
Resource

Serve as a trusted resource to all stakeholders on the evolving field of the Science of Reading and its application in Maryland.

Leadership

Our projects will be staffed by our network of experts. We welcome researchers and practitioners to join our Expert Advisory Committee. If you are interested, contact us today!

Trish Brennan-Gac, JD

Executive Director

Maryland READS is led by Trish Brennan-Gac, JD, who has over 30 years of experience in government and non-profit management where she managed complex, multi-million-dollar technical assistance projects, fostered partnerships to translate research into practice, and managed outreach and engagement campaigns.

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, MEd

Acting Board President

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, MEd, is the President and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy and policy organization centered around using educational data to drive policy decisions. Previously, she worked at the US Department of Education, where she led a team of researchers and policy analysts to provide expertise and support to staff in using best practices to drive policy decisions. She supported similar efforts at the district level both in the NYC Department of Education and in Baltimore City Public Schools. She resides in Baltimore City, MD.

Darin Bartram

Baker Hostetler

Darin Bartram of Baker Hostetler serves as legal counsel and successfully shepherded our application to the IRS to secure our nonprofit status. We are grateful to Baker Hostetler for their pro-bono support.

Laura Gac

Abod and Associates.

Our finances are managed by Laura Gac of Abod and Associates. Laura brings 35 years of experience in accounting and tax preparation, specializing in complex tax preparation. She has worked with a variety of firms across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors including Maryland-based organizations. We are grateful to Laura for her pro bono support.

Board of Directors

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, MEd

President and CEO, Data Quality Campaign

Winsome Waite, PhD

Senior Program Director, Opportunity Institute

Winsome Waite, PhD, has 35 years of experience in K–12 education practice, research, and policy. She is a former Maryland teacher in early childhood, elementary, and secondary schools; an instructor at the graduate level; and a program leader in school district and education nonprofits. She is currently a Senior Program Director at the Opportunity Institute. She resided in Charles County, MD, where she has strong ties and remains active in the community.

Ellen O'Neill, MA

Executive Director, Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center

Ellen O'Neill, MM, is the executive director of the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center, offering IMSLEC-accredited, IDA-endorsed, evidence-based, multisensory techniques in language skills. As the parent of a dyslexic child, Ms. O'Neill is passionate about delivering high-quality education services to children with learning disabilities. She resides in Prince George’s County, MD.

Lisa Blottenberger, MEd

Founder, Boundless Expectations

Lisa Blottenberger, MEd is the founder of Boundless Expectations, providing educational services to children and their families in Southern Maryland. These services include informal diagnostic assessments, consultation, advocacy, and therapy-level tutoring to students with learning challenges. She resides in St. Mary’s County, MD.

Kerri Valencia, EdD

Co-founder, CEO, ConnectEd Consulting, LLC

Dr. Kerri Valencia, CEO of ConnectED Consulting LLC, is an educational leader with decades of experience from Pre-K through higher education. With a background as a Spanish teacher and dual language leader in the U.S. and South America, she prioritizes fostering socio-cultural competence through culturally and linguistically relevant teaching. Dr. Valencia's extensive tenure at Moreland University, spanning roles from teacher candidate to Chief Academic Officer, underscores her deep commitment to teacher development, particularly in literacy instruction. Leading the two-year redesign of Moreland University's teacher preparation program, she embedded the Science of Reading for effective instruction across all grade levels and subject areas. Dr. Valencia currently resides in Montgomery County.

Strategic Advisory Committee

Maryland READS work is informed by the expertise of a range of researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders. Our Expert Advisory committee exists to ensure that the positions we take and the projects we undertake are guided by individuals with deep understanding of the Science of Reading, change management and implementation science, teaching pedagogy, school leadership, and policy development. Meetings are primarily conducted through virtual channels and are scheduled around the availability of committee members.

Join the Strategic Advisory Committee

Expert Advisory Committee

Maryland READS seeks to become a trusted resource among policymakers, practitioners, and members of our state’s reading ecosystem. To offer quality projects and services that inform and improve reading instruction and student reading proficiency, we are developing a network of funders and strategic partners who can support our work. In addition, we are interested in establishing a funder table to support local organizations who are engaging in evidence-based activities to support students and families in their communities. To achieve these objectives, our Strategic Advisory Committee is recruiting members who are willing to engage in fundraising and/or who share their expertise and leverage strategic connections in education and Maryland policy development.

Join the Expert Advisory Committee

Staff

Trish Brennan-Gac, JD

Executive Director

Trish Brennan-Gac, JD, Executive Director. Trish has over 30 years of experience in helping organizations execute on their mission. She is passionate about harnessing the power of data and research to drive decision making that informs both policy development and implementation at the local level. As a junior in high school, her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia and she is committed to improving reading instruction and support in Maryland so that every child is taught to become a fluent reader in school. She resides in Montgomery County, MD.

Kate Stewart-Gerry

Project Manager

Kate worked at a large education research organization where she supported complex projects working with school districts across the country. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who supported English language and literacy projects during service in Morocco. She is fluent in Spanish and conversational in other languages including Moroccan Arabic. She resides in Prince George’s County, MD.

Join the Movement!