Literacy Lunch & Lead Conversations

Join us for Lunch & Lead Conversations - a series of monthly virtual conversations with literacy leaders from around the country and Wisconsin. If you are interested in learning more about analyzing your district’s systems, structures, and use of evidenced based practices, this series is for you!

According to the National Association of Educational Progress, Wisconsin’s students are 34% BELOW basic in their reading skills. This means that one in three students will have sub-literacy skills with weak fluency and word recognition. Our mission is to connect you with leadership experts that have demonstrated systems changes in their schools or districts, to begin productive conversations about literacy in Wisconsin.

Lunch & Lead conversations are hosted on Zoom the 1st Friday of each month from 1:00-2:00 PM CST. Attendees must register in advance. Click here to register today! Registrants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining. Recordings will be sent to registrants via email following each meeting. Attend and view as you are able.

*Additional information about Lunch & Lead Conversation guests will be added in the future.

2022-2023 Lunch & Lead Conversations Schedule

August 5, 2022 - Sharon Dunn, MTSS Leadership Consultant (California) - Leading Your School or District in the Science of Reading


September 2, 2022 - Ernie Ortiz, AIM Institute for Reading and Research


October 7, 2022 - Dr. Kelly Thompson, Director of Curriculum, Literacy, Assessment and EL, D.C. Everest Area School District, (Wisconsin)


November 4, 2022 - Kari and Jan Shifting the Balance for Administrators


December 2, 2022 - Brady Reinke, Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning, School District of New Berlin (Wisconsin) - We are doing ok why would we change: A high achieving school district’s journey to the science of reading


January 6, 2023 - Seema Tejura, Founder and Managing Director of Literacy Architects


February 3, 2023 - Dena Moura Motensen, Reading & Language Arts Supervisor, Waterbury Public Schools (Connecticut)


March 3, 2023 - TBD


April 7, 2023 - TBD


May 5 - 2023 - TBD

Previous Lunch & Lead Conversations

Jan. 28, 2022 - Donna Hetmanek & Nancy Dressel, President and President-Elect of LTFW

Feb. 25, 2022 - Brent Conway, Assistant Superintendent of Pentucket Schools, MA

March 4, 2022 - Robert Mitchell, former Superintendent of the Cumberland School District, RI

March 25, 2022 - Dawn Brookhart, Associate Director for AIM Institute for Learning and Research

April 22, 2022 - Brenda Warren, Former School Board President of Green Bay Schools, WI

May 27, 2022 - Angie Hanlin, Superintendent, School District of Thorp, WI

August 5, 2022 - Sharon Dunn, MTSS Leadership Consultant (California) - Leading Your School or District in the Science of Reading





Keep the Conversation Going

Podcasts for Literacy Leaders