Susan Tannehill

Associate Director of Operations & Finance

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

Supporting the mission of increasing literacy skills for children.

What I believe in:

I am passionate about social justice and health equity and am an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and for those oppressed due to discrimination.

Previous work highlights:

I spent nearly 15 years working for an AIDS service organization and over a decade at Harvard, most notably with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Favorite book:

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.

Fun fact:

I am an artist and an ardent poodle lover!

Education:

BLA from Harvard

June 11, 2026 Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer

Notebooks: Helping Students Notice, Wonder, and Think on Paper

One simple but powerful way teachers can nurture students’ curiosity is through notebooks. In classrooms, notebooks are not merely places to record learning; they create space for students to collect questions, sketches, observations, discoveries, and evolving ideas.

May 20, 2026 Cindy Downend, Director

Poolside PD

Summer is the perfect time to slow down, recharge, and dive into a great book that refreshes your literacy knowledge. In this blog post, Cindy Downend shares a thoughtful collection of professional texts for literacy educators — covering early literacy, writing instruction, purposeful reading, and evidence-based teaching practices — all perfect for your summer poolside PD.

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?