Consulting for Schools, Districts & Organizations
Implementing evidence-based literacy isn’t just about choosing the right program. It’s about how change actually happens in real schools—with real constraints, real teachers, and real students.

I partner with schools, districts, and education organizations that want to improve outcomes without sacrificing professional judgment, instructional depth, or human dignity.

My role is to help you move from adoption to implementation—with clarity, coherence, and care.
There is no perfect program. Districts must empower teachers to use the tools within any boxed-curriculum to ensure student success district wide.

What Makes This Work Different?
I don’t sell programs. I don’t deliver one-size-fits-all PD. I don’t treat teachers as the problem to be fixed.
Instead, I help systems:

• Align research with classroom reality
• Translate evidence into usable practice
• Build coherence across curriculum, intervention, and instruction
• Support teachers through change— empowering them to implement any curriculum in a way that best serves the students in front of them.

The result is work that sticks—because it makes sense to the people doing it.

Consulting Services - Curriculum & Instructional Consulting
Support for schools and districts seeking alignment, coherence, and clarity across literacy systems.
This includes:

• Curriculum evaluation through a Science of Reading lens
• Upper-grade literacy and intervention design
• Alignment across core instruction, intervention, and assessment
• Identifying gaps between program promises and classroom realities
• Practical recommendations grounded in what teachers can actually implement

This work is especially well-suited for districts navigating:

• New curriculum adoption
• Mid-course corrections
• Upper-grade reading challenges
• Concerns about fidelity vs. flexibility

Professional Learning & Workshops
Professional learning that respects teacher expertise and results in real instructional change.
Sessions are:

• Research-aligned and classroom-tested
• Practical, concrete, and immediately usable
• Designed to reduce overload—not add to it
• Grounded in real student work and instructional examples

Topics often include:

• Science of Reading implementation beyond K–2
• Upper-grade intervention that builds knowledge and language
• Curriculum use without script dependence
• Integrating foundational skills with authentic reading and writing
• Supporting teachers through instructional shifts

Formats include keynote sessions, workshops, coaching cycles, and multi-session learning series.

Strategic Advisory & Thought Partnership
Ongoing consultation for leadership teams navigating complex instructional decisions.
This work supports:

• District and school leaders
• Instructional coaches and curriculum teams
• Organizations developing or revising literacy initiatives

Together, we focus on:

• Decision-making grounded in evidence and ethics
• Anticipating implementation challenges before they surface
• Supporting coherence across departments and grade levels
• Balancing accountability with professional trust

This is ideal for leaders who want a thinking partner, not a compliance checklist.

I partner best with schools and organizations that:

• Value research and professional judgment
• Want honest feedback, not validation
• Are committed to long-term instructional improvement
• Understand that sustainable change requires trust

If your goal is quick optics, rigid scripts, or surface-level alignment, I may not be the right fit.

If your goal is durable, ethical, teacher-informed improvement, we’ll work well together.

Grounded in Practice. Trusted in the Field.

• Over 20 years in elementary education
• Deep expertise in literacy instruction, intervention, and teacher development
• Extensive experience supporting teachers, teams, and school communities through instructional change
• Known for bridging research integrity, teacher agency, and student needs

I bring both credibility and humility to this work—because classrooms are complex, and simple answers rarely hold.
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​-Melinda Karshner
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