Division of Early Literacy Spotlight: Amelia Powers
Amelia Powers has led her 23-year-career in education with a passion and skill for teaching children to read and write. Powers recently joined the Office of Teaching and Learning as a State Regional Literacy Director. She will play a key role in the implementation of the statewide literacy coaching model as she oversees the northern region of the state in this work.
“Changing the trends we’ve historically seen surrounding literacy in Kentucky will take time, but it can be done. The systematic and cohesive statewide approach and support set forth in the Read to Succeed Act is a crucial step. I am honored and excited to join the Division of Early Literacy to be a part of it.”
In 2009, Powers had the opportunity through her school district to participate in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. She says, “At that time, I didn’t know what to expect from this learning, but I certainly didn’t expect it to lay the foundation for the entire trajectory of my career.” Yet, it did just that. The LETRS professional learning marked the beginning of Powers’ dedication and love for learning more and sharing everything she could about the research on how our brains learn to read. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to experience LETRS learning so early in my career.”
Powers was eager to join LETRS for Elementary Educators again through the Kentucky Reading Academies and is currently embarking on year 2 of cohort one while also serving as a mentor for others. She also began LETRS for Administrators this past fall.
“When the Kentucky Reading Academies were formed in 2022 dedicating funding to afford every Kentucky elementary educator the opportunity to learn through LETRS, I knew we were on the right track,” says Powers, “and I knew I wanted to be a part of spreading the news.”
“Literacy is a basic human right. Not only is it a need for survival, but it empowers us both as individuals and collectively as a society to contribute positively to our communities large and small. Literacy has the power to build empathy, to change our thinking, to open our eyes to what has been and what could be. Our students deserve no less.”
Powers most recently served the Northern Kentucky region as a literacy consultant with the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services where she developed and facilitated in-person and virtual professional learning at the school, district and regional levels. Prior to serving in that role, she spent 18 years as a classroom teacher in Kindergarten through fifth grades and as a primary reading interventionist. Powers also has advocated for a variety of education topics in Kentucky Teacher magazine, the Northern Kentucky Tribune and was a featured writer in the 1st edition of Is Teaching for Me? The Many Sides of Education.
Powers has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Kentucky University, a Master’s in Educational Administration from Xavier University and is National Board Certified in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy. She is currently a student at Campbellsville University pursuing a Supervisor of Instruction Certificate.
Stay tuned to meet the rest of the State Regional Literacy Directors. If you missed the first in this DEL Spotlight series, read last week’s edition here.
 Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference Date Announced
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) Division of Early Literacy invites you to the first annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference on June 20 at the Central Bank Center, formerly the Lexington Convention Center.
Keynote speaker and educational journalist Emily Hanford, host of the Sold a Story podcast – the second-most-shared show on Apple Podcasts in 2023 and one of Time magazine’s top three podcasts of the year – has been covering education for American Public Media since 2008. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the EWA Public Service Award in 2019 for Hard Words and the 2017 Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award from the American Educational Research Association.
The conference will require registration, but is free to Kentucky K-12 public educators. It will offer focused learning paths to meet the needs of teachers and administrators. Attendees will learn from KDE OTL consultants and partners about:
- Evidence-based instructional shifts for literacy;
- The benefits of structured literacy;
- Why high-quality instructional resources matter; and
- Available resources for implementing the Read to Succeed Act.
Mark your calendar for this June 20 event. Registration information will be coming soon.
Early Literacy Newsletter Archive
Did you miss last week's Early Literacy Newsletter? You can access all previous editions of the newsletter on the Early Literacy webpage.
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