The Literacy Advisory Councils support the Maine Department of Education’s implementation of the State Literacy and Numeracy Action Plans by bringing practitioner voice and field-based perspective into statewide work.
Council members serve as thought partners and ambassadors, helping ensure that Maine’s literacy and numeracy efforts remain grounded in classroom practice and responsive to the diverse contexts of schools and communities across the state.
Specifically, the councils:
- Share insights from daily practice to inform ongoing refinement of resources, guidance, and professional learning
- Strengthen connections between the Department and educators, school leaders, and higher education partners
- Help surface implementation challenges and promising practices from the field
- Champion high-quality, equitable literacy and numeracy learning for all Maine students
- Support alignment and coherence across related statewide initiatives
The councils do not oversee programs or make policy decisions. Instead, they provide an ongoing forum for collaboration, reflection, and practitioner-informed guidance as Maine advances its long-term literacy and numeracy goals.
| County | Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | Dr. Peter Lancia | Facilitator, Westbrook Superintendent of Schools |
| Cumberland | Chris Pirkl | Portland High School ELS Teacher and MDOE MLTI Ambassador |
| Cumberland | Kim Fadrigon | Gorham K-8 Instructional Leader |
| York | Leslie Constantine | Saco Middle School Grade 7 Teacher |
| York | Julie Montalbano | Biddeford Primary School Literacy Coach and MTSS |
| Sagadahoc | Dawn Lee | RSU 1 Bath, Morse High School Librarian and Literacy Teacher |
| Washington | Amanda Belanger | AOS 90 Baileyville Superintendent |
| Kennebec | Amy Tucker | RSU 39 Middle School Teacher |
| Kennebec | Penny Inman | MSAD 11 Thompson Title I Teacher |
| Franklin | Jennifer Ladd | RSU 9 Cascade Brook and Mallett PK-5 Literacy Coordinator |
| Androscoggin | Amanda Doherty | Lewiston Connors Multilingual Teacher |
| Androscoggin | Carole Celani | Auburn Fairview Washburn Literacy Coach |
| Hancock | Rhonda Ulichny | Hancock K Teacher |
| Penobscot | Allison Woodard | RSU 34 Old Town Elementary Assistant Principal |
| Somerset | Carolyn Hatch | MSAD 54 Somerset ELA Teacher at CTE |
| Knox | Jennifer Strazzulla | Union 69 Hope Grade 3/4 Teacher |
| Piscataquis | Linda Martin | RSU 41 Milo MTSS Teacher |
| Penobscot | Lori Smith | RSU 19 Grade 3 Teacher |
| Alternates | ||
| Cumberland | Julie Riordan | Westbrook Grade 5-12 Instructional Coach |
| York | Shannon Swiger | MSAD 60 Director of Teaching and Learning |
| Washington | Haley Fenton | RSU 24 Ella Lewis School MTSS and Principal |
| Hancock | Tarsha Lescourd | School Union 19 Blue Hill MTSS |