Meet Our Staff

		Gail Brooke Newton, Ph. D Dr. Newton has several years of experience as an educator specializing in reading instruction. Gail earned her Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and her Masters Degree in Education and Doctorate in Education from William and Mary. She also has an Advanced Certificate from William and Mary. As an educator, Gail has served many roles in the Virginia public school system, including Teacher, Reading Specialist, Principal, Supervisor, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, and Acting Superintendent. She has also been a Head Start Education Coordinator and Director. Gail has authored several books in the field of education and has served as a national consultant for agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services. In the area of reading instruction, Gail has served as a Reading Specialist for many years in the public schools. She has experience testing and assessing students for special programs, and she provided training in reading instruction to programs nationally. Gail has taught reading courses at the college level and has tutored students extensively over the years with outstanding progress. She has a Post-Graduate Professional License from the Virginia Education Department with eight certifications, including a reading certification.

Rebecca Williams Rebecca Williams is a licensed teacher with over six years of classroom teaching experience, working mostly with the primary grades. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from McKendree College and completed a post-baccalaureate program for her teacher licensure at Mary Baldwin College. During her years as a classroom teacher, Rebecca also provided supplemental and remedial reading instruction to elementary students. Rebecca has completed advanced training in several research-based approaches to reading instruction and intervention, including the Orton Gillingham program, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, and Recipe for Reading. She specializes in student directed learning in individualized instruction.

		Laura Severns Laura Severns is a certified, master’s level special education and elementary school teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Teaching degrees from the University of Virginia in 1996. She has also completed graduate work in educational administration. Laura has worked with students with reading disabilities/dyslexia and other learning disabilities in the public school system for over 7 years. As a teacher and resource specialist, she has worked to facilitate inclusion of children with special needs/learning differences, model lessons for and train teachers, complete child assessments and evaluations, and plan individualized instruction. Laura is also working as a research assistant at the Literacy Institute within the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she conducts research-based assessments of reading and language skills to evaluate educational programs in the Richmond area.


	Site Designed by Peter Colón Email colonp@vcu.edu