Page 9 - Washington D.C. Reading Summit Event Guide

PREsEntERs
stephanie Brant, Principal, Wood eld Elementary School, Gaithersburg, Maryland
stEPHAniE BRAnt currently serves as the proud principal of Wood eld Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Prior to becoming a principal at Wood eld, she
served as the principal at Gaithersburg Elementary School, principal intern at Fox
Chapel Elementary School in Germantown, and the assistant principal at Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary School in Rockville. Before coming to Montgomery County Public Schools, Stephanie worked in Fairfax County as an assistant principal. Prior to becoming an administrator, Stephanie taught rst and second grade, as well as taught Reading Recovery, an intense intervention program that served struggling readers. As a teacher, Stephanie
focused on literacy and building lifelong learners and works in her current position to inspire readers, problem solvers, and critical thinkers who are competitive learners in the 21st century. Her transparency, commitment to literacy, and community engagement have been key factors to her success.
Andrea Davis Pinkney, Award-Winning Author and Editor
AnDREA DAVis PinknEy Born into a family of storytellers, Andrea Davis Pinkney
was destined to become a writer. Today she is The New York Times best-selling and award- winning author of more than 30 books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels, and works of historical ction and non ction. Andrea’s new book, A Poem for Peter, celebrates the life and times of Ezra Jack Keats, the creator of the classic children’s book The Snowy Day.
Additional non ction works include Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip through the Motown Sound, Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song, both NAACP Image Award nominees, and Hand in
Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America, recipient of the Coretta Scott King Author Award medal, a New York Times Notable Book, and a Chicago Public Library “Best of the Best.”
Andrea’s novel, The Red Pencil, received ve starred reviews and is also a New York Times Notable Book, a New York Times Editors’ pick, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, and a Bank Street Best Book.
Andrea is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and is a former member of the Newhouse School’s Board of Trustees. She lives in New York City with her husband, award- winning illustrator Brian Pinkney, and their two children.
Website: andreadavispinkney.com
Twitter: @AndreaDavisPink
FB: facebook.com/andreadavispinkney
kris-Ann Florence, Second Grade Teacher, Zaharis Elementary School, Mesa, Arizona
kRis-Ann FloREnCE loves teaching readers and writers. She is focused on best practices and is always learning and using ways to support and inspire readers. She has a passion for children’s literature and using it in her classroom in all content areas. She is currently teaching second grade at Zaharis Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona. She has presented about reading and writing at conferences around the country and has taught professional development seminars about teaching and learning with inquiry.