Kylene Beers
Kylene Beers is the Senior Reading Advisor to Secondary Schools for the Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University. Through her books, workshops, summer institute presentations, consultations and numerous publications, 
she has influenced an incredible number of teachers of reading. She has helped teachers of other disciplines understand that they must help students learn to read if they are to succeed in their subject. Dr. Beers book When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6-12 is the capstone of contributions she has made through her writing. She has been the senior author or contributing author for numerous national textbooks for public schools, including Elements of Literature, Grades 6-12. She was co-editor of Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice/ A Handbook for Teachers, Principals and Policy Makers, a book which serves as the guide for teacher learning communities. Beers was two-term chair of the National Adolescent Literacy Coalition, a coalition of over sixty national organizations working together to solve issues of adolescent literacy. She has served NCTE in varied capacities, including as editor of Voices from the Middle for seven years and as President of NCTE 2008-2009. Dr. Beers has served the council, the profession, and students of all ages with energy, commitment and distinction throughout her career.
Hear Dr. Beers speak at the 2011 CEL Annual Convention!
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Alan Brown is a doctoral candidate in English Education at The University of Alabama. Originally from Summerfield, North Carolina, Alan is a former high school English teacher and basketball coach. He received a B.S. in English and Secondary Education from Appalachian State University and a M.A. in English Education from Wake Forest University. His primary research interests include aspects of secondary teacher education, ELA supervision, and adolescent literacy as well as various intersections of sport, education, and society. He is currently in the process of completing his dissertation on core content area teachers/athletic coaches while teaching a secondary ELA methods course and supervising student teachers.
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