Collaborating for Better Literacy with Karen Dudek-Brannan

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Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan is the founder and owner/operator of Dr. Karen, LLC, a company focused on empowering therapists and educators to design interventions that support language, literacy, and executive functioning. She has a doctorate in Special Education and Director of Special Education and Assistive Technology credentials from Illinois State University, as well as a master’s and bachelor’s from Illinois State University in speech-language pathology. She spent 14 years in the school systems and has held various roles in leadership and higher education teaching and mentoring clinicians. She is the host of the De Facto Leaders podcast, where she shares evidence-based practices, her own experiences, and guest interviews on topics relating to education and healthcare reform. She currently holds a management role with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

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This episode is part of the 2024 “National Literacy Month with RIF” campaign, a partnership between the BE Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental.

Show Notes:
In this episode, Dr. Karen Dudek Brannon, founder of Dr. Karen LLC, shares her extensive expertise in supporting language, literacy, and executive functioning in educational settings. With a strong background in special education and speech language pathology, Karen discusses the importance of evidence-based practices in teaching literacy, the role of speech pathologists in the school system, and the need for structured interventions. She also dives into change management and how leaders can implement effective literacy strategies. The episode closes with practical advice for educators and leaders on collaboration and support within the school environment.

Bookmarks:
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Karen Dudek Brannon
01:26 Karen's Passion for Literacy
02:26 Challenges in Language Therapy
03:30 Collaboration in Education
04:58 Importance of Literacy in Schools
05:52 Fitting into the Bigger Picture
09:50 Effective Literacy Interventions
15:33 Implementing Tiered Interventions
18:25 Change Management in Education
23:43 Advice for Educational Leaders
29:15 Resources and Final Thoughts

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I’ve been an educator in Massachusetts for 23 years.  I’m finishing my 16th year as a building leader.  I’m a teacher centered Principal and passionate about continuous improvement and the idea that success is not a destination, but a process. I’m active on social media, vlog about continuous improvement on a weekly basis, and wrote a book also called SEEing to Lead as a way to help everyone improve education as a whole by promoting my “just cause”: improving the educational experience for as many people as possible by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character. 

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Collaborating for Better Literacy with Karen Dudek-Brannan