Education Leadership Council

Laura Stewart is an educator and organizational leader. She has served as a classroom teacher, building and district administrator, adjunct professor, and director of numerous professional development initiatives around the country. Before joining 95 Percent Group, Laura was the Chief Innovation Officer with The Reading League and the CAO for Professional Development at Highlights for Children.

Laura presents widely and has written for numerous organizations and publications. She is the author of The Science of Reading 3.0: Widening the Lens on Literacy; The Courage to Lead Literacy, and the co-author of The Everything Guide to Informational Text K-2; Best Texts, Best Practices. She is a contributing author to Climbing the Ladder of Reading and Writing: Meeting the Needs of ALL Learners. Laura hosted the podcast “Teaching, Reading, and Learning: The TRL Podcast.”

Laura’s position as the Chief Academic Officer at 95 Percent Group suits her perfectly, as her passion is empowering educators to positively impact ALL students so that they may flourish in literacy and learning.

Chris Agnew is passionate about hands-on and immersive learning. Over 25 years in education, he has bridged academia and non-traditional classrooms—K12 schools, remote glacial classrooms in big mountains, designing tech apprenticeships with Fortune 500 companies, and early literacy programs in National Parks. Chris thrives on exploring how people build skills through real-world application and discovery.

Chris has taught and led both K12 schools and post-secondary learning organizations. Before joining Stanford, he worked at two venture-backed edtech companies, most recently leading US higher education strategy and credentialing for Multiverse, pioneering professional apprenticeships as an alternative to college.

Today, Chris leads the Generative AI for Education Hub at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. The Hub serves as a trusted resource for K12 education system leaders—superintendents, state, and federal officials—on what works leveraging generative AI to benefit students, schools, and learning.

Mary Ellis Dahlgren, EdD, is the founder and President of Tools 4 Reading, now a 95 Percent Group company. With over 40 years in education, she has served as a dyslexia therapist, classroom teacher, international literacy consultant, and author. She created the widely used phonics toolkit Kid Lips and Phoneme-Grapheme Instructional Cards. A national LETRS trainer for 18 years, she also served as President of The Reading League Oklahoma Chapter. Dr. Dahlgren is passionate about equipping educators with the tools and confidence to deliver high-quality reading instruction to all students.

Antonio A. Fierro, EdD, is the author of 95 El muro de sonidos y deletreo, a Spanish sound–spelling phonetics curriculum for young children, and co-author of Kid Lips, both published by 95 Percent Group, where he currently serves as literacy expert in residence. Dr. Fierro spent nearly two decades as part of the national LETRS cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats.

Dr. Fierro has spearheaded initiatives to advance evidence-based instruction for English learners, shaping education policy at both state and national levels. Drawing on this experience, he is also dedicated to working with higher education institutions to strengthen educator preparation programs, emphasizing the psychology of reading and equipping future teachers to meet the needs of all learners. Dr. Fierro currently serves on the national board of The Reading League and the advisory board for the third edition of LETRS.

Jennifer Harris has deep experience building and leading innovative product development organizations in the literacy market. She has held senior leadership roles at Rowland Reading Foundation, Zaner-Bloser, and, most recently, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. As Chief Product Officer at 95 Percent Group, Jennifer leads our product development strategy to accelerate the expansion of the company’s print and digital product portfolio.

Clarice L. Jackson is a nationally recognized literacy advocate, dyslexia consultant, Supreme Court–trained mediator, trainer, edupreneur, and certified Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator. She is the Founder and CEO of the Institute for Black Literacy and the Voice Advocacy Center, Nebraska’s first dyslexia-specific tutoring center. Clarice authored the NAACP Dyslexia Resolution and served on the International Dyslexia Association’s Definition Steering Committee for the Revised Dyslexia Definition (2025). Her honors include the 2025 College of Saint Mary HERstory Award and the 2023 Malcolm X Foundation Award for Dyslexia and Literacy Reform.

Louisa Moats, EdD, is a leading voice in literacy, and a life-long champion of teachers. She has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. Dr. Moats co-authored LETRS®, Spellography™ and the book Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers. She served as a board member and officer of the International Dyslexia Association for many years and led the committee that developed IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

Terrie Noland, PhD, CALP, is an education leader dedicated to unlocking the potential of learners of all ages. A former educator, school leader, and nonprofit executive, she is a dynamic keynote speaker and certified Maxwell Leadership coach. She holds a doctorate in Literacy and Educational Leadership and is known for her contagious energy and heartfelt storytelling. Dr. Noland believes great leaders cultivate success in others and strives to ignite motivation and purpose wherever she goes. When not mentoring emerging leaders or expanding her knowledge, she shares her vision of a world transformed by literacy and leadership.

Dr. Danielle “Nell” Thompson, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a nationally recognized literacy leader, coach, and transformational educator. From her roots as a speech-language pathologist serving rural communities to becoming a Peace Corps volunteer and national LETRS trainer, Dr. Nell has dedicated her career to advancing language and literacy for all. She is the founder and president of The Transformative Reading Teacher Group and creator of the Big Sky Literacy Summit, where she empowers educators and leaders to re-think, unlearn, and up-level their practice. A certified leadership and high-performance coach, she blends research, systems thinking, and human-centered leadership to inspire collective impact.

Brett Tingley empowers parents to advocate for effective literacy instruction in schools. Through her work as President of UA-KID, OH-KID, and Parents for Reading Justice, she mobilizes parents to demand change at the district, state, and national levels. Tingley’s efforts have led to systemic reforms, including improved identification and support for dyslexic students. She also produces educational content, such as the documentary “Our Dyslexic Children” (over 200,000 views), a free online class to activate parents, and the podcast “Literacy Now,” to further support parent advocacy and understanding of literacy issues. She is a National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) Reading Fellow, a member of the Evidence Advocacy Center Parent Team, and an advisory board member of the International Dyslexia Association Central Ohio.

Kareem Weaver is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of FULCRUM. He is an award-winning educator and community advocate with extensive experience leading schools and systems in district, juvenile justice, and managed-care settings. His advocacy is featured in the 2023 documentary The Right to Read.

Kareem is the former 2nd Vice President and Education Committee Chair of the Oakland NAACP. He has engaged with the Council of the Great City Schools, the College Board, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission on literacy as a civil right. He has offered diagnostic support to districts, states, and educator preparation programs; presented at over 150 conferences, departments of education, universities, and community organizations; and led field visits for system leaders, all in service of bringing clarity to the literacy crisis and illuminating the most productive path forward so that all children have access to Full and Complete Reading, which is a Universal Mandate (FULCRUM).