Meet the WELL Team!

Educational and Statistical Consultant

Kate is a member of the Written Expression Language and Literacy Collaborative as well as a doctoral research fellow in the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, directed by Dr. Tiffany Hogan. She is also an adjunct Instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences. Katharine is a certified is a speech-language pathologist and literacy specialist and holds a license in Early Childhood Education. Her clinical expertise includes oral and written language, including developmental language disorder and dyslexia. She has completed formal training in quantitative methods, qualitative methods, and implementation science. Katharine’s graduate level teaching experience includes language acquisition and development as well as training in use of evidence-based methods for language, reading, and writing instruction.

Literacy Specialist and WISE Project Lead Hanover Schools

Anastasia is a speech and language pathologist, reading specialist/coach and interventionist with over 21 years of experience in education. She specializes in identifying and supporting students who struggle in the area of literacy. She has been responsible for developing and implementing district-wide literacy initiatives and professional development training around early identification of at-risk students and best structured literacy practices rooted in the Science of Reading. Anastasia presented at NEA New Hampshire Conference in the Fall of 2017, the Implementation Science Is for All Conference at MGH IHP in the Spring of 2022, and the ASHA Conference, 2023.. She is currently a reading specialist/coach in Hanover Public Schools in Massachusetts.

Literacy Specialist, Schools Consultant

MaryKate was a practitioner for Boston Public Schools for over a decade in a variety of roles including, a special educator, reading and inclusion specialist, and district wide literacy coach. She supported educators throughout the city with implementation of evidence-based practice in literacy as well as led district wide professional development to emphasize culturally and responsive teaching and highlight current and ongoing research in the field to practical application in the classroom. MaryKate is a current Adjunct Professor at Boston College, Lynch School of Education and Human Development. MaryKate is also a member of the research team at the SAIL Literacy Lab at the MGH-IHP

Ellen Burns, M.A. is a reading specialist with Hanover Public Schools who has been a lead on the WISE Project for the K-1 classrooms. She has extensive experience as both a classroom teacher and reading specialist and has been an integral member of the adoption of literacy curriculum and teacher training. Ellen has been a co-author on several conference presentations with the WISE team and brings particular expertise in creating and adapting materials for teacher input, progress monitoring and lesson planning.

Amanda is a speech-language pathologist at Clough Elementary School in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District. Amanda currently serves students in the Preschool program through 4th grade. Amanda has deep experience in phonology and early reading skills and has been active in literacy programming. She is the WISE program lead at MURSD and will be presenting with the team at conferences during the 24-25 academic year.

Nancy Dutton, M.A. Ed., is the K-6 Curriculum Director for Hanover Public Schools in Massachusetts, with over 20 years of experience as an educator, instructional coach, and curriculum leader. Nancy is passionate about empowering educators and implementing evidence-based practices driven by data to improve student outcomes.

Cayla is a speech-language pathologist with deep experience across various age populations across diverse settings. Cayla’s clinical interests include pediatric communication disorders, interdisciplinary practice and caregiver education, and clinical education/supervision. Cayla has taught in academia at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as providing clinical coordiation and supervision.

Heidi worked as a special educator in Boston Public Schools for over a decade and is currently a district equitable literacy coach. Her role involves supporting educators with the implementation of evidence-based literacy practices and leading district-wide professional development to promote culturally responsive teaching and the implementation of evidence-based literacy practices. Heidi is an Orton Gillingham Practicum Supervisor for the Institute of Multisensory Education and a certified Dyslexia Interventionist through The Center of Effective Reading Instruction. She is also a local facilitator for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). She is pursuing her doctoral degree in Reading Science at Mount St. Joseph University.