Cindy Downend

Director, Literacy Programs

What I like most about my role within the Center is…

I love to teach! It is so rewarding to see how our work with educators can be so empowering and transformative. When you think in new ways about literacy teaching and learning, you change your practice to improve the school experiences of children.

What I believe in

The power of literacy to improve, enrich, and change people’s lives.

Previous work highlights

Many years as a classroom teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, and literacy coach in Michigan, Germany, Minnesota, and Florida.

Favorite book

All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr

Fun fact

Many years ago I was smuggled across an international border to go snow-skiing!

Education

MA, Elementary Education, Western Michigan University
EdS, Educational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University

April 29, 2026 Wendy Vaulton, Associate Director for Reading Recovery & Early Interventions

Every Student Matters

There is a growing body of research on what it means to matter, to feel seen, valued, and significant, and the findings are clear: when students experience a genuine sense of mattering, they are more willing to engage, more likely to take risks, and more able to persist through challenges. They become more secure learners. They perform better. How might this translate to literacy instruction?

April 8, 2026 Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer

A Literacy Gambit: Engaging Students Through Daily Word Exploration

This five-minute Word of the Day routine helps students build vocabulary, think critically about words, and develop confident, independent word-solving skills.

March 31, 2026 Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason (Schaghticoke/HoChunk)

Reading Beyond November: Bringing Indigenous Voices Into Everyday Literacy Instruction

As educators, we have an opportunity to shift from occasional inclusion to sustained presence — integrating Indigenous perspectives into everyday literacy instruction in ways that are relevant, accurate, and ongoing.