DIRECTOR OF COACHING

Abi graduated from Roger Williams University with her B.A. with a double major in Elementary Education and Theater. She then went on to get her M.S. in the Teaching of Reading and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at St. John’s University in Literacy with a focus on TESOL. She previously worked as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and school administrator, as well as working as an adjunct instructor at a local college in teacher preparation programs. Abi is the parent of a teen and preteen. In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling with her family!

INSTRUCTIONAL COACH

Ilana brings over 20 years of teaching and leadership experience from a diverse selection of public schools in Southern California and some of New England’s most rigorous and respected independent schools. Ilana is in her final year of coursework at Lesley University for her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. A native upstate New Yorker, Ilana moved to Rhode Island three years ago and loves to spend time gardening, hiking, cooking, and traveling as much as possible. Most of all, she loves spending time with her family, including her two daughters, one a postpartum nurse and the other a second-year college student at Berklee College of Music.

INSTRUCTIONAL COACH

Amanda graduated from Bridgewater State University with her B.A. in English and Secondary Education in 2012 and earned her MEd in Reading in 2017. With over a decade of experience in education, she has previously worked as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and literacy coach. She was raised by immigrant parents from Syria and Sudan respectively and grew up in a bilingual household. Amanda lives in Blackstone with her husband, twin boys, and rescue dog. In her free time, she enjoys spiraling down a true-crime rabbit hole, and planning every detail of a Disney vacation.

CONSULTANT

Maureen has almost three decades of experience in public schools, including seven years teaching 5th grade at The Learning Community and nine years as an instructional coach in Providence Public Schools. She served 18 years as an adjunct professor at Brown University's Elementary MAT program and was a founding co-director of the Teacher Leadership Consortium at Brown. Maureen has a Master's in Reading from the University of Rhode Island, with a specialized endorsement in Dyslexia Knowledge and Practice. She enjoyed her role as a Literacy Ambassador to promote dyslexia awareness with the Rhode Island Department of Education in 2019 and recently completed the Associate Level course in Orton-Gillingham. She lives in Providence with her husband Andy. She enjoys reading, working with fiber arts and spending time with her family, including her new grandson.

DEI Consultant & Interim HR Support

Melanie is the CEO of Breaker28, works to build leaders and organizations with H.E.A.R.T.- healthy, equitable, anti-racist, real and trust-centered. Melanie began her career as a Baltimore City public school teacher, where she learned first-hand about the challenges teachers and students faced in the classroom. She then joined DonorsChoose.org and eventually led its teacher marketing operations allowing the organization to scale its teacher-reach nationally. As an emerging leader, she completed an intrapreneurial leadership residency at Excel Academy in Washington, DC allowing her to help to vision the expansion of its school to serve middle school students. Melanie has launched her own firm Breaker28, working at the intersection of HR, organization development, and racial justice, equity, inclusion and belonging work within organizations.