ReadOregon - Faculty

Lila Henderson, EdS, has more than 30 years of combined experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, special education program coordinator, principal, and university faculty member. She spent nine years at Antioch University in Seattle, WA, in the teacher preparation program and the master's program for experienced educators. Her specialty was designing coursework for special needs students with a focus on literary instruction. As a reading specialist, Ms. Henderson taught students who struggled with decoding and writing skills.

Dolores Johnston, MA, is a library media specialist in the West Linn/Wilsonville School District. She manages technology in her school and collaborates with teachers to integrate technology and information skills and literature into the curriculum.

Susan Lenski, EdD, is a professor in the PSU Department of Curriculum and Instruction, where she teaches graduate courses in reading, writing, and language arts. She brings 20 years of experience as a public school teacher to her work as a professor. Dr. Lenski is a popular speaker for professional development programs and has consulted in the United States, Canada, Panama, and Guatemala. She has been recognized for her work by a variety of organizations, including the International Reading Association, the Illinois Reading Hall of Fame, and Illinois State University. Dr. Lenski has authored 11 books, including Improving Reading: Strategies and Resources (with Jerry L. Johns), and has published over 65 articles in state and national journals. Her research interests include incorporating reading and writing strategies into classroom practice, content area reading, and preparing culturally responsive teachers. She also volunteers as a consultant in Latin America and is currently co-authoring a book for Spanish-speaking students that will be sold in the United States and a book  for Spanish-speaking teachers that will be sold in Latin America.

Betty McEady, EdD, is a skilled academic and administrative leader with demonstrated experience in the development, implementation, and assessment of academic programs, institutional planning and alignment with accreditation documentation, and programmatic assessment for improvement. She has wide-ranging expertise in providing direction and support for faculty and students in areas of instructional development and assessment, outcomes-based education, learner- and learning-centered educational models, teacher education, professional development, and academic governance. Dr. McEady also has an extensive record as a skilled communicator and educator in diverse settings.

Leigh Morlock, MAT, MS, holds a bachelor's degree in English and master's degrees in both teaching and library/media education and a graduate certificate in children's and young adult literature. In addition to her teaching role at PSU, she also teaches in California and is the librarian and technology facilitator for Beaverton School District's Health and Science School. Ms. Morlock is the chair for the intellectual freedom committee for the Oregon School Library Association.  

Patricia Nash has worked as a special education teacher, reading specialist, special programs coordinator, mentor and literacy coach, and has spent time doing outreach training and core reading enhancements for the Oregon Department of Education. She currently works as special education teacher, interventionist, and literacy coach for the North Bend School District. She teaches courses in enhancing core reading programs, reading assessments, diagnoses and remediation, with a professional emphasis on early reading instruction and remediation. She has spent several years working with teachers to develop effective instructional techniques. She promotes early intervention in reading instruction, effective instructional techniques, and using data to drive instruction.

Megan Owens, MEd, is an adjunct instructor in the PSU Graduate School of Education. She also teaches middle school language arts and has expertise in technology, Web design, and online courses.

Reba Parker, MS, has taught in Portland Public Schools for 27 years as a special educator, has worked in the PPS teacher support center, and has been a library media specialist at Jackson Middle School since 1989. For many years, she has promoted multicultural literature through her reading-promotion program, World Travelers. Ms. Parker's special interests include incorporating the arts and music into the library curriculum.

Sherrilynn Rawson, PhD, is the principal at Nellie Muir Elementary School in the Woodburn School District. She previously served as testing and assessment coordinator for the district's English language transition program.

Leigh Anne Scherer is a licensed K-12 teacher and administrator in Oregon and Washington. She has taught ESL to students in kindergarten through college, has been an elementary school principal, and is currently coordinator of services for English learners for the North Clackamas School District. She provides training and support for teachers, administrators, and instructional assistants to enrich instruction and services for ELLs. Ms. Scherer has worked to strengthen parent and community outreach services as well as train teachers in SIOP and Systematic ELD.

Kimberly Skach has spent the past ten years serving as Literacy Coach, Title 1 teacher, and School Improvement Coordinator in the David Douglas School District in Portland, Oregon. Ms. Skach was a nationally recognized professional trainer/speaker and owner of National Balanced Literacy Consultants from 1988 to 2000. She taught professional development/college courses in literacy topics through The Wright Group Publishers and Loyola Marymount University. As a private consultant, she developed and led K-5 in-service experiences in reading, writing, and science methods for numerous school districts around the country.

M. Carrol Tama, PhD, is a retired professor who taught secondary reading and supervision in PSU’s Graduate School of Education. She has expertise in middle/secondary reading and composition, building thinking and discussion skills across the curriculum, cooperative learning, classroom supervision, and helping teachers to become reflective practitioners. Carrol Tama's website

Frances Verbruggen, MAT, MA, is a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education at Portland State University, where her research interests include instruction for struggling readers and writers and English language learners. She currently holds an early childhood/elementary teaching license with a reading endorsement, and has taught reading at both the elementary and college levels. Her educational background includes coursework in literacy development, language acquisition, and communication sciences and disorders. She earned a BA in Spanish from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, an MA in teaching French from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and an MAT from George Fox University.