Nationally recognized education leader Kymyona Burk, Ed. D., is joining the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz as a Visting Senior Fellow

Burk will lead the Center’s strategic planning to expand access to professional learning resources for PreK-12 educators

 

The Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz is welcoming Kymyona Burk, Ed. D., a widely recognized educational leader and senior policy fellow at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), as Visiting Senior Fellow.

Burk, who will continue in her role at ExcelinEd, currently supports states pursuing a comprehensive approach to K-3 reading policy by assisting state leaders in building new or improving existing K-3 reading policies, with a heavy focus on supporting successful policy implementation. She brings a demonstrated history of building teacher capacity and improving student literacy outcomes across a career in teaching, coaching and state-level administration spanning more than 25 years.

As Visiting Senior Fellow at the Science of Reading Center, Burk will help lead strategic planning and implementation for the Center’s ongoing expansion as a professional learning support resource for PreK-12 educators across the United States. She will also help establish new connections and expand the Center’s network of experts and leaders in literacy policy and practice. Her leadership will increase the Center’s capacity to provide webinars and other implementation resources for literacy professionals through Science of Reading Center in new regions and for new populations.

Prior to her time with ExcelinEd and SUNY New Paltz, Burk served as the State Literacy Director (K-12) from 2013-2019 with the Mississippi Department of Education, where she led implementation of a vision for effective literacy programming, instruction and assessment. The subsequent improvement in educational and literacy outcomes for students during this time period has come to be known as the “Mississippi Miracle.”

“I’m honored to join the Science of Reading Center as a Visiting Senior Fellow,” Kymyona Burk said. “This is an incredible opportunity to help shape the future of literacy instruction for educators across the country and increase the momentum that’s been building for all states to have strong prep programs and support for teachers. I’m excited to contribute to the strategic planning and implementation of the Center’s growth and to work with other experts and leaders to expand our reach. Together, we can empower literacy professionals with the resources they need to ensure every student receives high-quality reading instruction no matter where they live.”

The Science of Reading Center will also see the appointment of Rose Else-Mitchell as the Center’s Executive Director. Her new role at New Paltz builds on a career of more than 25 years as a mission-driven education executive, including most recently as president of Education Solutions at Scholastic. Else-Mitchell brings expertise in delivering high quality literacy programs, strategic thinking and professional learning and product development, business-to-business marketing and sales, and learning science to this leadership role.

“Our Science of Reading Center is founded on the belief that literacy is a human right,” said SUNY New Paltz President Darrell P. Wheeler. “Helping more children learn to read has positive effects that ripple across our society, from individual health and employment outcomes to economic growth and productivity at the community and national levels. We are thrilled for SUNY New Paltz to deepen its involvement in this important work in collaboration with two committed and nationally recognized education leaders in Kymyona Burk and Rose Else-Mitchell.”

Founded in 2023, the Science of Reading Center offers a hub of professional learning and development for educators with a shared mission of improving literacy outcomes for children across the U.S., by promoting research-backed knowledge and practices that are proven to help children gain skills and competence as readers.

The Center is home to the Science of Reading Fundamentals microcredential, a fully online course developed by New Paltz School of Education faculty for teachers, school district leaders and other education professionals, to equip them with the core tools and techniques of effective reading instruction.

To date, more than 9,000 people have enrolled in the Science of Reading Fundamentals microcredential, with many thousands more expected to enter the program through a new partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education.

The establishment of the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz was made possible by a $6.37 million private donation from the Ibis Group, the largest philanthropic gift in University history. The Ibis Group is a non-profit with the mission to ensure every student has access to evidence-based instructional methods to master grade-level reading by the end of the first grade.