Email/helpdesk: projectstar@kratoslearning.com
Phone: 1-866-691-STAR (7827)
Address: Kratos Learning Solutions 2920 South Glebe Road Arlington, VA 22206
National Trainers are deployed to states that purchase STAR services to change the way they deliver reading instruction to adult learners. National trainers also serve as coaches to mentor the State Trainers during their certification process.
Laura Bercovitz has worked in professional development in adult education and family literacy for more than 24 years. She currently works at the Adult Learning Resource Center in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where she and her colleagues are developing and implementing an evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI) professional development and implementation plan for adult education programs funded by the Illinois Community College Board. In addition to delivering STAR training in Illinois, Laura designs additional EBRI training for adult education program administrators, instructors, and other staff. Laura also serves as a STAR coach, assisting candidates in the STAR certification process.
Barbara Bowen has more than 20 years of professional experience as a literacy educator and staff developer. Throughout her career, Barbara has coached school leaders and supported program directors in their goals to reorganize for effective instruction. Barbara is a professional development specialist in reading with the Rhode Island Adult Education Professional Development Center. Additionally, she is active in the STAR initiative in Rhode Island. Recently, Barbara has served as a curriculum specialist for the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer 2011 Institute for School Teachers. She also has received a citation award from the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institution (ACI). Barbara holds a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University and a master of science degree in education for reading from New York’s Long Island University. In addition, she holds K-12 state certification as a reading specialist in Rhode Island, New York, and Maryland.
Deborah Britton has been engaged in adult education since 1989, when she accepted a part-time job teaching basic literacy, adult high school diploma and GED preparation, and drama at a local community college. She has since added developmental studies, English as a Second Language, and family literacy to her areas of competence. She is currently the director of Wilkes Family Central at Lincoln Heights in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and is the coordinator for English as a Second Language instruction at Wilkes Community College. She is a state STAR trainer in North Carolina and has been involved in developing curriculum for ESL students that links language instruction to civics and citizenship topics. She also has participated in a pilot project in ESL distance education since its inception in 2005. Deborah holds a master of fine arts in theatre from the University of Virginia.
Tawna A. Eubanks began her career in adult education in 1991 as an ABLE/GED instructor. Tawna works in the Hamilton City School's ABLE Program as a coordinator/instructor and participates in several national and local projects. In addition to her involvement in STAR at the state and national levels, Tawna uses the STAR Tool Kit to assist intermediate reading students in her own classroom. Tawna has been honored as the Outstanding ABLE Instructor for the Southwest Region in Ohio. She participated in the Equipped for the Future (EFF) national data collection in the areas of reading, writing, technology, and cooperation. She was a member of the national EFF Training Team as well as Ohio's EFF Training Team. Tawna holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Miami University in Ohio and is currently pursuing her administrator’s certificate.
Margaret (Marn) Frank has been connected to ABE for almost 20 years. She has worked as an ABE teacher, program coordinator, and adult learning disabilities (LD) specialist and trainer. Marn is responsible for implementation, sustenance, and expansion of STAR and EBRI across Minnesota. She is currently the Reading & STAR Coordinator for ATLAS (ABE Teaching & Learning Advancement System) housed at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She coordinates four levels of STAR leadership, co-plans and co-delivers STAR Institutes and trainings, provides centralized technical assistance (TA) to four Minnesota STAR cohorts, facilitates an evaluation plan to measure program, teacher, and students changes, and develops evidence-based online and print resources. Marn also acts as an adjunct instructor for Hamline’s EDUC 6073: Topics in Adult Education: STudent Achievement in Reading. Marn holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in special education, and an adult education licensure from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Cindy Heimbach began her career in adult education in 1989 as a literacy volunteer and later became an ABE, GED, and ESL instructor. Currently, Cindy is the director of the Grenada Adult Education Center in Grenada, Mississippi. She provides professional development to ABE instructors in reading, writing, and English as a Second Language. Since becoming a state STAR trainer in 2009, Cindy coordinates the STAR and TEAL (Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy) projects in Mississippi and continues to provide technical support to the state’s STAR programs. She is also a national and state level ESL trainer for the North American Mission Board and a state BEST Plus trainer for the Center of Applied Linguistics. Cindy was honored as the 2007 ABE Director of the Year for the Northern Region of Mississippi. Cindy holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Alabama.
Mark Kearns has worked in education for the past 38 years. Mark has taught adult basic education, GED, English language learners, and associate degree-level writing courses at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. Recently, he was named a finalist for the 2011 WACTE Educator of the Year award. Since successfully completing the STAR state trainer certification process in 2009, Mark has trained and provided technical assistance to approximately 80 STAR trainees from 15 technical colleges throughout Wisconsin. In 1985, he was named Teacher of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Adult and Continuing Education. Mark holds a master’s degree in education for reading from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
Becki Lemke has worked in adult education for more than ten years. She is currently the education coordinator for Cornerstones Career Learning Center in Huron, South Dakota. Under Becki's leadership, the Cornerstones Adult Education & Literacy Program has been recognized for meeting all performance measures twice in three years and for piloting numerous adult education initiatives in the areas of data management, program enrollment, and workplace programming. At Cornerstones, Becki has designed curriculum units that incorporate scientifically based reading practices into each of the Center’s adult education and GED preparation classes. She also has developed and presented numerous training programs at the state, regional, and national levels and has served as a STAR coach, observing and mentoring reading instructors from five programs. Becki holds bachelor’s degrees in English and secondary education from Buena Vista University in Iowa.
Laurie Martin has worked in adult education for more than 25 years, serving as a professional developer, program administrator, and an instructor in English as a second language and adult basic education. As a professional development specialist with the Adult Learning Resource Center in Arlington Heights, Illinois, she currently is involved in developing and implementing a statewide evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI) initiative for Illinois. Laurie delivers STAR training, EBRI training, and technical assistance for program administrators and instructors. In addition, for the past three years, she has been teaching a STAR class for an adult education program in Arlington Heights. Laurie holds a master's degree in applied linguistics/TESL from Northeastern Illinois University.
Jane Meyer began her work in Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) in 1990 as a volunteer tutor, and served as a family literacy teacher and Even Start facilitator. She is currently the ABLE coordinator for Canton City Schools in Ohio. Under Jane's direction, the Canton ABLE program has earned several state and national awards. Jane was a member of the National Institute for Literacy's (NIFL) Reading Research Working Group. She participated on NIFL's design team to develop reading training for family literacy programs based on scientifically based reading research and Equipped for the Future (EFF). Jane has served the STAR project in many roles, including as a member of the national STAR planning team, STAR Tool Kit developer, STAR trainer, STAR coach, and administrator of a local STAR pilot program. Jane holds a master’s degree in curriculum and supervision from Miami University in Ohio.
Lynn Reese began her work in adult education as a classroom aide, and she moved on to become an instructor, tutor, tutor trainer, and developmental reading instructor at a community college. Currently, Lynn is the coordinator of an Ohio Regional Resource Center, which is charged with providing professional development to adult basic and literacy educators in reading and writing. She currently focuses on providing continued technical support to the Ohio STAR pilots and planning staff development to support teachers in their work with adult readers at all levels. Lynn has directed the adoption of reading standards for Ohio ABLE, developed and delivered reading trainings, chaired a statewide reading steering committee, and planned a statewide reading conference. Lynn has provided STAR training in Mississippi, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Ohio. She earned her bachelor’s of education from the Ohio State University and has completed numerous graduate-level courses in reading.
Carey Reid has been involved in education for nearly thirty years. He has taught English as a Second Language in the U.S. and abroad; adult basic skills in the areas of reading, math, and handwriting; college courses in ESOL, expository writing, creative writing, and film studies; and served as a program director. Carey is the staff developer for Licensure, Curriculum, and Assessment for System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES), which provides professional development for practitioners in state-funded adult literacy programs in Massachusetts. At SABES, he develops and facilitates face-to-face workshops and whole courses as well as online courses. Most recently, he also has developed websites that provide online support for curriculum development, lesson planning, assessment, and student leadership development. Carey was part of the data collection team of the Adult Reading Comprehension Study under Drs. John Strucker and Rosalind Davison. Carey holds a master’s degree in fine arts from Brown University.
Posy Thurow has worked as a reading teacher for more than 30 years, including 25 years of experience in the Wisconsin Technical College System. She currently works as an adult basic education/program prep reading teacher at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she is focusing on overseeing and growing the STAR program at the college level and helping to guide Wisconsin’s expanding constellation of instructors trained in STAR. Posy participated in Wisconsin’s first STAR training and became a STAR state trainer in 2009. That same year Posy was awarded the H. Victor Baldi Excellence in Instruction Award from Fox Valley Technical College. Posy holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education/reading from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.