Rhonda Bell-Wallace is a wife and mother of two awesome young men.  She has served in the field of education for more than 20 years. During this journey, Rhonda has been a classroom teacher, campus and district literacy specialist, and an independent literacy consultant; however, in all of her endeavors, her greatest joy has been serving students who struggle with reading.  She believes that all students should have access to a literate lifestyle, and that belief has led her to the Reading Academies. Rhonda’s work with the Reading Academies will allow her to continue to support students while serving teachers. She is so excited about this adventure and looks forward to new learning experiences!

Kasha Ashworth is thrilled to join you on your literacy journey this year as a Texas Reading Academies cohort leader. Before joining the Reading Academies 11 team, Kasha taught grades K-3 in multiple districts and states. In her most recent role before joining ESC Region 11, she was a K-3 Early Learning Specialist and a Comprehensive Reading Academies Cohort Leader. She believes that equipping students with the tools to become strong, confident readers unlocks doors and opportunities for all children. She can't wait to see the amazing things your students will achieve this year! In her spare time, she loves to read thrillers, shop, listen to Taylor Swift, and try out new BBQ restaurants.

Leigh Anne always knew she wanted to be a teacher! As a little girl in Guatemala, even her dolls learned to read under her watchful eye. She couldn’t be happier to serve Reading Academies participants through ESC Region 11! Her experience includes working in several states and districts at the campus and district level. Leigh Anne received her M.Ed. in Reading from Texas Woman’s University. On her journey as a lifelong learner, she lives by the mantra “when you know better, you do better”.  At the core of her soul is advocacy for English Learners and their families. Leigh Anne believes that all children can learn and are supremely important in this world. This leads to a passion for providing a strong, research-based academic foundation as a critical piece for teaching the “whole” child. She is also totally in love with her family, which includes her precious husband of 38 years, 3 fantastic adult children, 2 perfect daughters-in-law, two sweet German Shepherds, and THE most delicious grandson ever born!

Tanya Kellerman is currently in her 29th year as an educator. She served as a kindergarten and second-grade classroom teacher in Garland and Irving ISDs before becoming a lead teacher in a multi-age classroom at Georgia State University Lab School. Early in her career, she discovered that teaching reading was her passion. To that end, she has served as a Reading Recovery Teacher, Language Arts Instructional Coach, and a Learning Liaison. After spending the past 12 years in roles primarily focused on teacher education, she has now returned to her first love of teaching reading as a Literacy Interventionist. She is thrilled to be part of the Reading Academy Team at ESC Region 11.