{"id":1482,"date":"2017-04-04T19:32:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T19:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wilsonlanguage.com\/knowledge-library\/success-story\/leading-the-way\/"},"modified":"2024-08-28T17:14:47","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T17:14:47","slug":"leading-the-way","status":"publish","type":"success_stories","link":"https:\/\/www.wilsonlanguage.com\/knowledge-library\/success-story\/leading-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading the Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While Allison McAvoy can\u2019t predict the future, the veteran educator has a pretty good idea where she intends to be one spring day in 2026: celebrating the high school graduation of a student she met when he was a headstrong first-grader with dyslexia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome students come in eagerly and some come in kicking and screaming,\u201d the Chattanooga, TN,&nbsp;educator explained about the intricacies of running a private reading center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne boy was adamant when he arrived, protesting, \u2018I didn\u2019t sign up for this! I don\u2019t want to be here!\u2019 I\u2019ve had him for two years now. He\u2019s now in third grade and doesn\u2019t want to miss a lesson. He\u2019s already invited me to his graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allison, a Wilson<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Credentialed Trainer and Wilson<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Dyslexia Therapist with more than 30 years\u2019 experience in special education, has joined colleagues with similar expertise on Tennessee\u2019s new\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/education\/student-support\/special-education\/dyslexia-advisory-council.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dyslexia Advisory Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Created in July 2016 under Tennessee\u2019s new&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/content\/dam\/tn\/education\/special-education\/dys\/pc1058_dyslexia_bill.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Say Dyslexia<\/a>&nbsp;law, the nine-member council is tasked with laying the groundwork for how the new law will roll out in districts throughout the state. Its three-year agenda includes defining dyslexia and intervention strategies, educating the public, and making a recommendation to the Board of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The advisory council encompasses a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including educators, parents, and advocacy leaders with expertise in dyslexia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll students deserve the opportunity to succeed and receive the supports necessary to do so, regardless of learning differences,\u201d Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen stated when announcing the council members. \u201cThis group of education leaders and advocates will bring insight and expertise as we discuss concrete ways we can strengthen our screening processes and interventions for students with dyslexia, ultimately preparing more students to be ready for the next step in their academic journeys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to be part of something that really looks like it\u2019s going to address a lot of needs for students with dyslexia, as well as get that information to educators and parents,\u201d said Allison, who is also a member of the TN-IDA Board of Directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Say Dyslexia bill, passed through the advocacy of the grassroots nonprofit organization Decoding Dyslexia Tennessee, amends and strengthens the state\u2019s 2014 law. The legislation now requires school districts to screen students for characteristics of dyslexia, provide \u201cdyslexia-specific tiered interventions\u201d for students who demonstrate a need, and provide appropriate professional development resources for educators in the areas of identification and intervention methods for students with dyslexia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The council will report on its work to increase dyslexia screening and identification, and the report will be shared with districts, stakeholders and the general assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A noted expert in federal and state special education regulations, Allison has been invited to participate on numerous committees representing special education, intervention strategies, and literacy law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She previously taught for 20 years in Tennessee public schools and then served for 11 years as the Lead Teacher for the Hamilton County Education Department prior to her retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She co-founded the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.southeastreadingcenter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Southeast Reading Center&nbsp;<\/a>in 2013 to reach struggling readers who lack foundational reading skills but don\u2019t quite meet the criteria for a Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI<sup>2<\/sup>) plan. The center also provides professional development workshops, seminars, and coaching to help educators increase their knowledge of multisensory structured language instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTennessee IDA is happy to have Allison on our board representing the Chattanooga area, and now also sharing her expertise on a statewide level as a member of the Dyslexia Advisory Council,\u201d said TN IDA President Emily Dempster, an ex-officio member of the new council. \u201cShe brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On April 8, Allison was among the presenters at TN IDA\u2019s 2017 RISE Conference. Joining educators from throughout the state, she&nbsp;presented on \u201cPhonological and Phonemic Awareness in the Early Grades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While she and colleagues embark on the council\u2019s groundbreaking work, Allison will continue to provide one-on-one instruction to students using the Wilson Reading System\u00ae (WRS).&nbsp;This is a good thing for the Chattanooga region, based on the notes of appreciation she receives from parents grateful for her ability to unlock the door to literacy for their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy kid just got in trouble for reading in math class,\u201d texted the father of one of Allison\u2019s WRS middle school students. \u201cThank you so much!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While Allison McAvoy can\u2019t predict the future, the veteran educator has a pretty good idea where she intends to be one spring day in 2026: celebrating the high school graduation of a student she met when he was a headstrong first-grader with dyslexia. \u201cSome students come in eagerly and some come in kicking and screaming,\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1483,"template":"","success-story-cats":[],"success-story-tags":[],"class_list":["post-1482","success_stories","type-success_stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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