The Reading League Connecticut
The Reading League Connecticut chapter was established in 2021 to support the advancement of the Science of Reading. The Reading League Connecticut shares the mission of the national organization of advancing the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-based reading instruction.
Meet Our Team
Meet Lisa Gianni M.A., AIT/OGA, C-SLCT
Lisa is an experienced educator and professional learning facilitator. She has over 20 years in public education where her roles included classroom teacher, remedial reading specialist, and district level instructional coach. Her passion for literacy, for supporting students with reading difficulties and dyslexia, and her belief that literacy is a fundamental human right and that with informed and supported educators, all children can become skillful readers and writers led her to join the State Department of Education as an associate education consultant in the Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities. Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Central Connecticut State University, a master’s degree from the University of Saint Joseph, and remedial reading and remedial language arts specialist certification from Albertus Magnus College. She is a National LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator, is Orton Gillingham trained at the Associate level, and is a certified Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher through CERI/IDA. Lisa also teaches as an Adjunct Professor for Albertus Magnus College in the advanced alternate preparation for literacy specialist program supervising the candidate tutorial and leading the seminar in Best Practices in Intervention. She currently serves as President of the Connecticut chapter of The Reading League.
Meet Sarah Levine M.S., M.Ed, CE/OGA
Sarah is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of experience in the field of education, currently serving as a Literacy Specialist. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from New York University and a Master’s in Administration and Supervision from Grand Canyon University. Additionally, Sarah has earned certifications in TESOL from ACES and in Remedial Reading and Language Arts from Albertus Magnus College. As an Orton-Gillingham Classroom educator and LETRS trained professional, she is committed to fostering literacy skills and supporting teachers in enhancing student learning outcomes. Sarah currently serves as the Treasurer of the Connecticut chapter of The Reading League.
Meet Cynthia Hoemann M.S., A/OGA, C-SLDI
Meet Tera Dunn M.Ed., 092 cert
Tera has over 20 years of experience in education in a variety of capacities at the elementary level including literacy interventionist, para-educator and classroom teacher at the primary grade level. Prior to receiving her Master of Education from The University of Hartford, Tera earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders. While teaching at the elementary level, Tera went on to earn an advanced degree in Educational Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. As a Lead Facilitator at the HILL for Literacy, she supports districts in the understanding and development of a MTSS through the lens of leadership, assessment, tiered instruction, and professional development. Tera is dedicated to helping teachers understand the science of reading and empower them to do better for all students. Tera currently serves on the Scholarship and Events Committees of the Connecticut chapter of the The Reading League.
Meet Claire Conroy, Ed.D.
Claire Conroy currently leads the Specific Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia initiative at the State Education Resource Center. She co-leads the Assistive Technology, Accessible Educational Materials, and the Universal Design for Learning Initiatives, and is also an Individualized Education Program Quality Trainer. As someone with a learning disability in math, her passion lies in educating others who teach students with learning disabilities. In the spring of 2024, Claire graduated with her doctorate in education from the University of New England, where she examined Tier I literacy instruction and its connection to racial equity.
After Claire earned her bachelor’s degree in integrated elementary and special education from the University of Hartford, she worked as a Hartford area special education teacher for eight years at the elementary and middle school level. During that time, Claire earned her master’s degree in learning design and technology from Purdue University. Additionally, she became trained at the Certified level in the Orton-Gillingham approach. Claire serves on the board of The Reading League – Connecticut chapter.
Meet Claire Zhalov
Claire currently serves as a reading interventionist in South Windsor, CT. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from The Pennsylvania State University, Claire taught as an intermediate classroom teacher in New York City, Pennsylvania and Virginia for ten years. She later obtained her Master’s degree in Literacy Education from the University of Saint Joseph CT. Additionally, she holds certification as a Literacy Specialist in Reading and Language Arts from Albertus Magnus College. Claire has spent the last ten years working as a reading interventionist in diverse settings across Connecticut supporting both disadvantaged and privileged communities, giving her a deep understanding of the unique needs and complexities of literacy instruction. In addition to her practical experience in the classroom, Claire has also played an active role in professional development, hosting workshops on the Science of Reading and supporting teachers in implementing evidence-based literacy practices. Claire serves on the Scholarship Committee of the Connecticut Chapter of The Reading League.
Meet Amy Geary
Amy Geary has over 20 years of experience in public education as a special education teacher, reading consultant, and school administrator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from ECSU and a master’s degree in Special Education from SCSU, along with a Sixth-Year degree in Literacy and an Intermediate Administration Certification from SHU. Amy is a certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist through CERI and a certified Wilson Dyslexia Therapist. She has served on the boards of several literacy and dyslexia organizations and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at JWU. Additionally, she served as a committee member for the CT Dyslexia Task Force. Having spent much of her career teaching middle school students with dyslexia and other reading challenges, Amy is deeply committed to ensuring that every child has access to effective literacy instruction. She is honored to serve as a member of The Reading League Connecticut.