The Reading League Florida
The Reading League Florida is an affiliate chapter of the national not-for-profit organization, The Reading League. Our mission is to advance the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-based reading instruction across Florida by providing professional development and other resources to teachers and stakeholders around the state. Our group of volunteer leaders is comprised of teachers, parents, university faculty, administrators, physicians, private clinicians, and others who are dedicated to aligning reading instruction around the state with evidence-based practices that yield the greatest gain for the largest proportion of students.
Meet Our Team
Meet Carey Sweet, TRL-FL President
Carey Sweet spent the last twenty-five years serving students in the state of Florida and collaborating with education leaders across the country. Currently, Carey serves as the President of the Florida chapter of the Reading League and is on the Board of Directors for the Florida Literacy Association. Before joining Lexia’s Education Partnerships team as a Senior Advisor, Carey served in the Florida Department of Education where she served as the Deputy Director of Just Read, Florida! During her tenure at the Florida Department of Education, she worked with all districts in Florida to maximize student achievement in literacy and close achievement gaps. One of her greatest accomplishments was serving as the project lead and head writer of Florida’s B.E.S.T. ELA Standards. Carey started her career as a teacher, where she earned her National Board Certification. After eleven years in the classroom, she transitioned to a district literacy coach where she worked with students, teachers, and administrators in all grades K-12 to ensure evidence- based programs and practices in literacy were implemented. She worked closely with the MTSS/RTI teams to ensure that students were receiving the right interventions and making progress towards their individual learning goals. In addition, she led district-wide professional development on methodologies grounded in the Science of Reading. Carey was named the Bay District Literacy Coach of the Year in 2012.
Meet Jesse Steif, Immediate Past President
Jesse Steif is the past president of The Reading League Florida, board member of The International Dyslexia Association- Florida Branch, and Literacy Implementation Manager at the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning. He began his career in public education as an elementary teacher then school psychologist, conducting both public and private evaluations for language-based learning disabilities. Jesse’s expertise ranges from intensive intervention and evaluation of individual students to creating systems that leverage research-based instruction for all students. He regularly provides professional learning to state, district, and community agencies on a range of literacy-related topics. He has dedicated his career to ensuring that all children maximize their literacy potential, regardless of circumstance.
Meet Stephanie Stephens, Secretary
Stephanie serves as the Secretary for the Reading League, Florida. She currently works as the Product Director for Keys to Literacy. She is a dedicated education professional with over two decades of experience, driven by a passion for advancing student literacy. Stephanie’s experience in education encompasses various roles, including teacher and instructional coach in Duval County public schools, early literacy specialist/principal, and senior director. Her previous role as Early Literacy Principal at EdReports involved spearheading the launch of a revised, research-based foundational skills tool for the evaluation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). Before her tenure at EdReports, Stephanie served as the Senior Director of Professional Development Services and Client Support at AIM Institute for Learning and Research. In this capacity, she was instrumental in shaping and delivering professional development services and streamlining organizational processes to enhance efficiency. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, a Master of Science in Montessori Education, and a Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher certification through CERI®.
Meet Mandy Horton Walker, Program Committee
Mandy Horton Walker has taught students from kindergarten through adulthood in a variety of settings in Florida. She has provided professional development and coaching to colleagues for colleagues in public, charter, and private school settings. In one district located along the Treasure Coast, Mandy was responsible for establishing the implementation of Orton-Gillingham-based instruction in 20 schools for students in grades K-12 whose IEPs required specialized instruction for decoding. Having retired, she continues to provide professional development and coaching to colleagues in various states for the publisher of an Orton-Gillingham-based program. Mandy has served on multiple boards; one was a private board on which she served for over 30 years, the other three are nonprofit organizations focused on literacy. She is passionate about her calling to serve reading strategies to learners, parents, and colleagues. She believes that every age and every stage of learning is the best. She describes students who struggle with reading as learners with dynamic learning profiles and great gifts. In addition to earning an M.Ed., ESE-VE, Mandy has earned FL DOE Educator Certificate #739425, and certifications in the: Wilson Reading System Level II Wilson Dyslexia Therapist (WDT); the University of Kansas – Center for Research on Learning: Strategic Instruction Model Learning Strategies and Content Enhancement Routine Professional Developer (KU-CRL: SIM LS & CER); and the Center for Effective Reading Instruction Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (SL/DS-CERI), and is a trainer for a publisher of an Orton-Gillingham-based instructional program. Mandy has facilitated small groups within Sacred Ground – a film-based dialogue series on race and faith, as well as with children & Sunday school.
On a personal note, Mandy, who has two grown children, and her husband are delighted with beloved grandchildren who bring joy and excitement to everyone. Mandy enjoys reading, sewing, gardening, floral arts, nature walks, travel, and visits with family and friends.
Meet Paige C. Pullen, Board Member
Dr. Paige C. Pullen is a distinguished education leader and literacy expert, currently serving as a Research Professor at the University of Florida. With a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Florida, Dr. Pullen has spearheaded transformative literacy initiatives that have secured over $600 million in funding for statewide efforts. Dr. Pullen’s recent work focuses on developing and implementing statewide plans for science of reading professional development. She created the Literacy Matrix, an online learning system that resulted in the Florida Reading Endorsement and led to an 82% improvement in educators’ science of reading knowledge and skills. Her series of literacy micro-credentials has reached over 15,000 teachers and paraprofessionals. As a policy advisor and thought leader, Dr. Pullen has presented to state legislative committees and influences literacy instruction nationwide through her engaging presentations and publications. Her expertise in special education, learning disabilities, and reading instruction, combined with her innovative approach to professional development, makes her a sought-after consultant for educational initiatives aimed at improving literacy outcomes.
Meet Tamara Williams, Member at Large
Tamara Williams has dedicated over 20 years to supporting literacy and educational equity as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and advocate for evidence-based reading practices. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in Education from Walden University. Tamara’s career has been committed to working in high-risk elementary schools, where she focused on providing high-quality reading instruction and effective intervention to ensure that all students become skilled, independent readers. She believes deeply in the transformative power of education and is passionate about advancing literacy through research-based practices. In addition to her work with students, she has facilitated professional learning at district, state, and national levels, helping to empower teachers and strengthen instructional practices. Tamara joined Collaborative Classroom as a Manager of Educational Partnerships for Florida in 2021, where she continues her work in supporting educators and promoting evidence-based literacy instruction.
Meet Marisa Ramirez Stukey, Board Member
Dr. Marisa Ramirez Stukey is the Senior Director of Research at the Center for the Collaborative Classroom. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in teacher education and professional learning and a Master’s Degree in Reading Education, both from the University of Florida. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with over fifteen years of experience teaching in both elementary and higher education contexts, instructional coaching, and professional learning systems development. Her research interests focus on reading comprehension instruction and designing literacy professional learning. She has consulted with numerous school districts in developing change models and collaborative professional learning structures, particularly to shift literacy instruction. Marisa is the co-author of the book Professional Learning Redefined published by Corwin Press.
Meet Desiree Rybinski, Board Member
Desirée Rybinski is an experienced educator with nearly 25 years in literacy leadership and reading instruction. As a proud graduate of Stetson University, Desiree holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in reading education, along with a doctorate in curriculum and assessment from the University of West Florida. Currently, she serves as the Coordinator for Instructional Materials and Media Services for Volusia County Schools, where she oversees the selection and implementation of educational resources. As a reading coach and curriculum specialist, she has developed impactful professional learning programs that empower educators and enhance student outcomes. Passionate about fostering inclusive environments, Desiree collaborates with various stakeholders to support early childhood education and advocate for students with disabilities.
Meet Dr. Eric Tridas, Advisory Board Member
Dr. Eric Tridas is a developmental & behavioral pediatrician. For 37 years he directed The Tridas Center for Child Development in Tampa, Florida. During that time, he also served as Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He is currently a Curtesy Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at the University of South Florida (USF), an International Dyslexia Association (IDA) representative to the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD), a member of the Board of Directors The Reading League Florida, and a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Learning Disability Association of America (LDA). Dr. Tridas is an Associate member for the Advisory Committee on Exceptional Children and Youth for the Office of Oversea Schools, United States Department of State and a member of the board of directors of Lectores para el futuro in Puerto Rico. He is also the State Medical Director for Pediatric Health Choice of Florida-Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Facilities (PPEC). Dr. Tridas is the recipient of the 2017 International Dyslexia Association Margaret Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the International Dyslexia Association Sylvia Richardson Hall of Fame. He also received the 2012 IMSLEC Innovator Award. Dr. Tridas served as President of IDA from 2014 through 2016. He serves as a member of the LD Assessment Standards workgroup of LDA. Dr. Tridas is coauthor of the Learning Disability Chapter of the fifth edition of the Textbook of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics and the book Assessing Dyslexia: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding and Evaluating Their Pupils’ Needs. He also edited and co-authored From ABC to ADHD: What Every Parent Should Know About Dyslexia and Attention Problems.
Meet Dr. Farquharson, Advisory Board Member
Dr. Farquharson is a speech-language pathologist and associate professor at Florida State University. She directs the Children’s Literacy and Speech Sound (CLaSS) lab, which has a mission to help children with speech and language impairments achieve classroom success. She uses implementation science frameworks in her research to help support speech-language pathologists engage in best practices.