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Quotables
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If a child can't learn the way we teach, we had better teach the way the child can learn!
-- Barbara Bliss
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WIBIDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ~2009
Officers:
President ~ Cheryl Ward (Bayside, WI) Cheryl has been an IDA/WIBIDA member since 1997 and joined the WIBIDA board of directors in May of 2008. Cheryl became Vice-President in September 2008 and assumed the presidency April 19, 2009. From 1983 to 2006, Cheryl was the director of Radiation Oncology for Columbia-St. Mary’s in Milwaukee. Cheryl’s interest and knowledge about dyslexia was the result of learning, when her youngest son Ryan while a 3rd grade special education student was diagnosed as having dyslexia. For five years Ryan was fortunate to receive intense effective reading instruction at the Chicago Lindamood Bell Learning Centers. Ryan graduated with honors from his local high school and attended Landmark College in Putney, VT for 2 years where he received intense language curriculum OG instruction and strategies to pick up skills that were not taught to him while in high school. Ryan currently is a Graphic Design student at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Milwaukee.
Cheryl has been actively learning about dyslexia since joining IDA and now devotes herself full-time to reading issues. She is a substitute teacher and volunteer tutor at her local public K-8 school. She completed Orton-Gillingham training at the IMSLEC certified Masonic Children’s Learning Center in Milwaukee and tutors students there and privately. She is committed to advocacy, collaboration, education and ongoing professional development about dyslexia and related disabilities and is passionate about inspiring others do all that is necessary to ensure that all individuals read well and nourish their strengths.
Vice President ~ Anne Schauman (Menasha, WI) Anne has almost 20 years experience working with children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities. For 15 years she served as Learning Disabilities Specialist at Gmeiner Clinic for Communicative Disorders and Learning Disabilities where she conducted diagnostic assessments and provided treatment services for individuals of all ages. She has worked with individuals with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, non-verbal learning disabilities, Asperger's syndrome and AD/HD. Anne is an Orton-Gillingham trained reading instructor who believes in using research-based methods to enable learners to realize their full potential. For the past several years, Anne has maintained a private practice, volunteered at Fox Valley Literacy Coalition, and been employed as an adjunct instructor at Fox Valley Technical College where she has taught general education and adult basic education classes. Recently, she opened the Alternative Center for Education (ACE), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving those with learning difficulties, differences, and disabilities. She is also a member of the Learning Disabilities Association of America.
Secretary ~ Allison Kunkel (Jim Falls, WI) Allison lives in Jim Falls with her husband and three sons. Her oldest son has dyslexia. She and her husband wrote her sons 504 plan which led to those accommodations being included in his IEP. She is a certified social worker and has also worked as a child therapist. She has seen kids struggle with reading, writing and math for many years and the impact it has on the child and the family. Professionally and personally she has seen the devastating emotional impact when dyslexia is not recognized, properly addressed academically or understood. She joined the board in hopes to make a difference for all children and their families. Allison has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Madison and a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Saint Cloud State University. She has also taken a week long Orton-Gillingham training with the intention of tutoring her son.
Directors:
Kathy Bussanich (West Allis, WI) Kathy has been a member of WIBIDA since 1998 and a member of the board since 2008. Her involvement in WIBIDA and learning about dyslexia was in response to working with family members with dyslexia. As a lifelong learner, Kathy considers literacy as the foundation to educating our children. “Reading truly opens the door to a world many of us would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience”. She is a graduate of Marquette University and is employed as an administrator for the university. Kathy is currently attending an Orton-Gillingham training at the IMSLEC certified Masonic Children’s Learning Center in Milwaukee and tutors children there.
Connie Day (Appleton, WI) Connie lives in Appleton, WI. She is a K-8 licensed Wisconsin Teacher. She graduated from U.W. Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education followed by 32 graduate credits focusing on writing. Connie has taught at the Middle School level and the lower Elementary level with 10 years total teaching experience in two different school districts. She has experience with on-line schooling and home schooling. Connie has also coached at the Middle School and High School levels. Her interest in being on the WIBIDA board stems from working with family members with dyslexia and a desire to influence change in reading instruction for those with dyslexia. At present she is working as an office manager.
Tammy Tillotson (Chippewa Falls, WI) Tammy is, first and foremost, a parent of a son who has dyslexia. As a member of WIBIDA for only a year she joined the Board of Directors in an effort to raise awareness of issues surrounding dyslexia. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and Marketing, a Master’s Degree in Family Studies and Human Development, and an Advanced Education Specialist Degree in Career and Technical Professional Education. Tammy became an Orton-Gillingham trained tutor to assist her son and other children who are challenged with dyslexia. Her background and experience in directing nonprofit organizations and coordinating advocacy campaigns lends itself to goals and activities of WIBIDA.
Georgia Weier (Madison, WI) As a Member Services Manager for Wisconsin Literacy, Georgia provides support to 58 adult, family and workplace literacy programs statewide through program and resource development, information and referral, training and advocacy. Georgia ’s first experience as a tutor was through Literacy Network’s Drop-In-And-Learn (DIAL) program several years ago. She enjoyed the one-to-one tutoring experience and the chance to get to know learners from many different cultures. Georgia has a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Comm unication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She became a certified Orton-Gillingham instructor through the Wisconsin Institute for Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia in May of 2008 and currently tutors two nights a week. She recently completed an intensive Learning to Achieve Training through the National Institute for Literacy, a professional development training program for serving adults with learning disabilities, and an advanced Orton-Gillingham training course instructed by Marcia Henry.
Susan Westbrook (Onalaska, WI) Susan has been working with dyslexic students for over thirteen years. Her introduction to the world of dyslexia began at ASSETS School (a school for dyslexic learners) in Hawaii when she was hired as an assistant teacher in a seventh/eighth grade classroom. For over four and a half years, she taught at ASSETS School as an assistant teacher and then a lead teacher and was originally trained by Ron Yoshimoto. Over the years she has attended O.G. training given by Wendy Sweeney and Jean Foss along with an Advanced O.G. course instructed by Marcia Henry. With over thirteen years as a certified teacher in English/Education in the public, private, and after-school tutoring areas, Susan is and will continue to be an advocate for people struggling to read, specifically dyslexic students. She believes, “Too often students in public and private schools do not receive effective, scientific-based reading and math instruction that is necessary to become thriving adults with the skills necessary to enable them to reach their goals and achieve their dreams.”
Susan would like to see changes in teacher education at the undergraduate and graduate levels to allow teachers to learn effective strategies to use with all struggling learners. Then, these changes must be put into the school systems to support struggling readers. She’d also like to see more people understand the world of dyslexia and have access to services to help dyslexic children and adults. The time is now to encourage change and support for WIBIDA and the IDA can help bring about these changes.
Cynthia Midcalf (Watertown, WI) Cynthia has over 20 years of teaching experience on high school and college levels. Her involvement in dyslexia advocacy began at home—her father, brother, father-in-law and son all have types of dyslexia, which motivated Cynthia to obtain an M.A. in Reading and later an M.S. in Learning Disabilities. She taught college English at an urban community college for two years, and then taught reading courses in the Education department of a Bible college for 12 years. At this college Cynthia implemented a state-licensed training program for special education teachers. She also served as the Director of Learning Assistance, counselin g and advocating for hundreds of students with learning disabilities at the college. In 2003 Cynthia began doctoral work at Capella University in Clinical Psychology, with specialization in assessment and neuropsychology. She is currently finishing her dissertation. She is licensed in Wisconsin as a Professional Counselor and a Substance Abuse Counselor and has a private-practice clinic in Pewaukee, WI.
Jan Evans (Milton and Boulder Junction, WI) Jan is a retired learning disabilities teacher. She has tutored many students privately and has taken the following classes: Orton Gillingham, Project Read, Lindamood Bell and the two day overview of Wilson Language. Jan was a master teacher for two years in the Literacy Task Force class at Nicolet College. She has served previously on the board of WIBIDA and has attended many IDA Annual Conferences. Her dream is to have every elementary teacher trained
General Membership
on the Legislative Committee:
Pam Heyde
(Verona, WI)
Julie Gocey
(Verona, WI)
Leni Guzman
(Verona, WI)
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