District 127 Teachers Earn Award from Learning Ally

March 9, 2018 - Grayslake, IL – Today at 2:00 pm, in a special presentation in the school gymnasium at Grayslake North High School District 127, educators, students and families will officially honor two teachers as the top recipients of the prestigious Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Teaching Award.

This award, presented by Learning Ally, an education technology nonprofit in Princeton New Jersey, honors teachers on the leading edge of best practices using accessible books. The award is possible through generous support of Winnie Reitnouer, a champion for U.S. teachers and of students who learn differently.

Co-educators, Katherine Young, a Speech and Language Pathologist and Elizabeth Hauser, a Learning and Reading Specialist, will share the top honor for their ability to collaborate on teaching practices that ensure more students with print disabilities can study in mainstream education classes and reach new levels of academic achievement, learning confidence and reading independence.

Dr. James Roscoe, Principal of Grayslake North High School, with Terrie Noland, the National Director of Education Engagement for Learning Ally, will notify and present Ms. Young and Ms. Hauser with this award. Neither teacher is aware of this recognition. Both will receive a $1500 cash award each and $4000 for their high school.

Learning Ally works with U.S. K-12 schools and districts to enhance reading comprehension, fluency, critical thinking and vocabulary skills of students challenged with reading differences, such as those with dyslexia or a vision impairment that makes it difficult to read standard print on grade level at their true intellectual ability.

Each year, the organization receives hundreds of nominations of outstanding teachers who display extraordinary leadership skills and innovative teaching approaches. This award complements Learning Ally’s National Achievement Awards given to outstanding students each year. Criteria for the Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Teaching Award includes:

· Impact on Student Learning and Advocacy for Students

· Professional Learning and Impact on Surrounding Educators, and

· Classroom Environment

“I am honored to congratulate Kat Young and Elizabeth Hauser for their outstanding work,” said Dr. James Roscoe, Principal of Grayslake North High School.

Dr. Roscoe went on to share,

Kat and Lizzie are two of the most extraordinary educators I have known in my 24+ years in education. For these two it is not just about teaching the skills of reading, it’s about developing the joy of learning that students carry with them for the rest of their lives. Kat and Lizzie are relentless in their pursuit of strategies and resources to support student learning. They found great success through the use of Learning Ally’s audiobook library, which has created pathways for students to pursue their love of reading.

In addition to Ms. Young and Ms. Hauser as top I tier winners, Learning Ally recognizes many U.S. educators a top II tier winners with cash awards and a special recognition category. Last year, Amy Kalinchuk, a teacher at Hamilton Middle School, Denver Public Schools, received the award for her passion to inspire a love of literacy in all students. Ms. Kalinchuk demonstrated colorful creativity in her teaching approaches, strong advocacy for students to enjoy unlimited access to human-read audiobooks, and incredible dedication to innovate her classroom reading instruction.

Local media is invited to attend this special school ceremony. Please contact Grayslake North High School for details and school passes. A professional photographer will provide pictures for post media coverage.

About Learning Ally

Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit ed-tech organization delivering a comprehensive learning solution for struggling readers in elementary, middle and high schools. Our proven solution includes an extensive library of human-read audiobooks that students want and need to read at home and at school, along with a suite of teacher-focused resources that ensure student success. This reading experience helps accelerate learning, enables a new level of access to knowledge and powerfully increases student confidence and self-belief.

Learning Ally partners with 13,000 U.S. schools, districts and state education systems to empower over 300,000 students with improved comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and critical thinking skills. For 70 years, the organization has helped to transform the lives of struggling readers by bridging the gap between their reading capability and their academic potential to become confident, lifelong learners who thrive in school and beyond.