Helping students learn to read with effective literacy instruction.

Anne A. Elsener, Ph.D., is the Director of Literacy Programs for the Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools. Dr. Elsener has spent the most recent part of her career planning and leading professional development for teaching faculty as the Director of Curriculum & Instruction. Dr. Elsener received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and special education at Marian University in 2001, a Master of Education degree in education at the University of Notre Dame in 2003, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in literacy, culture, and language education at Indiana University in 2012 with a minor in educational psychology.

Jamie Jackson is passionate about teaching reading and knows that effective reading instruction can change the trajectory of a child’s life. She received a degree in elementary education with a special education endorsement from the University of Evansville and earned a reading science Master’s degree from Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati.

Jamie has taught many different ages over the years from pre-K through adults. After learning the Orton-Gillingham Approach, she began integrating it into her regular classroom instruction when she taught first through fourth grades. She also has experience teaching individuals both in a school setting and as a private tutor. Jamie teaches the Orton-Gillingham Approach to teachers through the Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools and has taught almost 1,000 teachers how to improve their reading instruction both in the classroom and as a tutor. Jamie has been a teacher at the Orchard School for over 30 years and has been on the board of the Indiana branch of the International Dyslexia Association.

Kristi Harris is a life-long educator. She has been in the field of education since 1978. She earned a Master’s degree in elementary education and special education from Butler University. Through her years in the field, Kristi has taught K-12 students and built a college preparatory high school for students in Brentwood, TN. She also served as the director of training at two Indianapolis not-for-profits, where she trained countless educators in the Orton-Gillingham Approach to reading instruction. Kristi also has a passion for teaching students how to write as well as teaching educators effective writing strategies.

Kristi taught Orton-Gillingham to individual students and small groups at the Orchard School until she retired from there in the spring of 2023. She now has a private tutoring practice, Strategies for Success, and tutors students individually. She also trains educators in the Orton-Gillingham Approach to reading instruction through the Marian University Center of Vibrant Schools. Kristi has taught hundreds of students to read using the Orton-Gillingham Approach and trained thousands of teachers in this approach to reading instruction.

Lacey Ladd is a passionate educator of 18 years, and currently serves as the Literacy Specialist at the Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools. After completing a degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Indiana University in 2005, Lacey joined Teach for America as a pre-kindergarten teacher in Houston, TX. Lacey fell in love with teaching, and has since taught kindergarten, first, and second grades, as well as Title 1 and special education. Lacey joined the Japan Exchange and Teaching program in 2010 and taught high school English in Japan for five years before moving to Indianapolis. Lacey served as dyslexia specialist for the United Schools of Indianapolis before joining the team at Marian University as a literacy coach in 2020.

Lacey was trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach through the Dyslexia Institute of Indiana and is certified as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS) through the Center for Effective Reading Instruction, a subsidiary of the International Dyslexia Association. In her free time, Lacey runs a small business, Multisensory Minute, dedicated to providing high-quality educational materials at a reasonable cost to assist teachers on their structured literacy journey.