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WORKSHOP PRESENTERS GALLERY
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Cynthia Alaniz
Cynthia Alaniz has taught in the elementary classroom for more than 20 years using Reader’s Workshop and
Writer’s Workshop and is currently a school librarian in Coppell, Texas. Cynthia has a strong and undying
passion for reading and books and calls herself a children’s literature enthusiast. She is the author of the
blog
Librarian in Cute Shoes
. She is active in the American Library Association, the Texas Library Association,
Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), and the Children’s Literature Assembly (NCTE).
Workshop: Picture Book Perfection: Creating Meaningful Reading Experiences for Young Readers
Marc Aronson
Marc Aronson has been an author and editor of award-winning books for children and teenagers for more
than 25 years. He was the first winner of the Robert F. Sibert medal from the American Library Association for
excellence in informational books for readers through eighth grade. Marc is currently an assistant teaching
professor in the Master of Information program at Rutgers University and is working on a YA history of New
York City as a place of transformation and change through the stories of four streets and a square.
Workshop: The Seven Habits of Highly Impactful Librarians
Steve Black
Joining Scholastic in 1991, Steve Black currently directs the Teacher Preview Program while writing and
recording booktalk scripts and podcasts for customers and employees. He regularly delivers webinar training
sessions, as well as conducts live booktalk and product presentations for teachers, students, parents, and
coworkers. Steve has participated in the Scholastic Book Fairs
®
Book Selection Committee for more than
10 years and is an expert on children’s literature.
Workshop: Booktalking: Transforming Dormant to Passionate Readers
Stephanie Brant
Stephanie Brant currently serves as the principal of Gaithersburg Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Mary-
land. She works to inspire readers, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers who are competitive learners in the
21st century. Prior to becoming an administrator, Stephanie taught first and second grade, and also taught
Reading Recovery, an intense intervention program that served struggling readers. As a teacher, Stephanie
focused on literacy and building lifelong learners.
Workshop: The Power of Independent Reading: A Case Study of Gaithersburg, MD Elementary School
(Leesburg)
Workshop: Raising the Student Achievement Bar With Independent Reading (Charlotte)
Jenni Brasington
Jenni Brasington is the director of consultative services at Scholastic and a founding partner of the Center for
Active Family Engagement (Café). As director of family and community engagement for Acelero Learning, a
large Head Start grantee, she developed innovative family engagement tools and provided training, techni-
cal assistance, and coaching with internal family engagement teams and a network of external partners. She
is the author of
The Family Friendly Walk-Through
and the co-author of
The Family Engagement Assessment.
Workshop: Building the Capacity of Families to Engage in Children’s Literacy
Dr. Pat Cavanaugh
Dr. Pat Cavanaugh has served as an administrator for the past nine years with seven as an
elementary principal in Troy, Michigan. He places a strong emphasis on building a positive reading culture
in his preschool through fifth grade school. He leads two before-school reading programs three days a
week, in addition to teaching once a week in the classroom. During the summer, Pat leads a bookmobile
that delivers free books to his students. Pat’s Ph.D. dissertation focused on the transition to kindergarten
and the views of kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of readiness.
Workshop: The Transition to Kindergarten: Implementing a System that Links Students, Families,
and Staff
2016 Reading Summit Workshop Presenters Gallery
PRESENTERS