29: The One About... Forcing Schools to Change How They Teach Kids to Read

Dr. Maureen Ruby has done it ALL! If your district is transitioning to evidence-based programs and practices, you need to listen! Maureen began her career as a dentist, but switched to teaching to help advocate for her son and other students like him struggling in school.
Read Dr. Ruby’s bio here:
Maureen F. Ruby, DMD, PhD, holds the Isabelle Farrington Endowed Chair in Social, Emotional, and Academic Leadership in the Farrington College of Education and Human Development at Sacred Heart University. An associate professor, Ruby is a dentist-turned-educator who represented the North Branford Public Schools as the 2000 Teacher of the Year and was a Connecticut State Teacher of the Year semifinalist. Maureen has worked at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels as a classroom teacher and reading consultant. She holds Connecticut certifications in elementary education, special education, remedial reading, literacy consultancy, and leadership. Upon receiving her PhD from the University of Connecticut in special education with a focus on literacy, Maureen served as program coordinator of the Graduate Reading Program at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) Department of Education for the 102 and 097 reading certifications   new window) is a 30-minute video that shares some of the important lessons learned during the CEPL project. Upon her return to K–12 education, Maureen served in the New London Public Schools as supervisor of Professional Learning and Staff Development and in the Norwalk Public Schools as literacy supervisor and interim Director of Pupil Services and Special Education, and for seven years as assistant superintendent of the Brookfield Public Schools, Maureen’s leadership responsibilities as assistant superintendent included curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning, human resources, and grant management. Her leadership has been recognized by both Sacred Heart University, where she was the Farrington College of Education Alumni Outstanding Administrator for 2018, and the University of Connecticut, where she was the Neag School of Education Outstanding Administrator for 2019 (opens in a new window).  In addition to her current role at Sacred Heart University in Educational and Literacy Leadership, Maureen also serves as a