Kymyona Burk
Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., is the Policy Director for Early Literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). In this role, she supports states pursuing a comprehensive approach to K-3 reading policy by assisting state leaders in building new or improving existing K-3 reading policies, with a heavy focus on supporting successful policy implementation. Kymyona received a Doctorate in Early Childhood Education, Specialist in Secondary Education/English, Master of Science in Educational Leadership, Master of Arts in Teaching English, and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Jackson State University. She most recently served as the Executive Director for the Office of Teaching and Learning in the Jackson Public School District (JPSD) where she provided the leadership and vision for all aspects of the JPSD’s instructional programs including curriculum, instruction, and professional learning. She is also the former K-12 State Literacy Director for the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), leading the state-level implementation of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (2013), which aims to ensure that all students are proficient readers by third grade. Kymyona’s experience includes serving as a reading and English teacher, school-based literacy coach, district literacy trainer, and University-based Literacy Coordinator. She currently serves as a Board Member of The Reading League.
Concurrent Session Description
Combating the Literacy Crisis: Early Literacy Policy and Literacy Leadership as Catalysts for Change
Kymyona Burk
(Coaching/Instructional Support, Leadership, General Science of Reading)
A comprehensive approach to improving literacy outcomes begins with adopting an early literacy policy that supports educators, students, and families in preventing or addressing students’ reading difficulties; however, the policy is only as effective as its implementation. In this session, we will explore the landscape of early literacy policies across the United States and discuss strategies for state and local leaders to lead the charge and the shift to high-quality literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading.
Target Audience(s): Elementary
Education Track(s): Advanced Science of Reading, Leadership