Led by secondary educator Kristen Luettchau, this cohort focuses on middle grade texts. Please see below for more information about the cohort members.
The cohort meets April 1, 2024 – August 15, 2024.
Meet the Cohort
Kristen Luettchau is a secondary educator, currently in her thirteenth year teaching in New Jersey. She currently teaches seventh- and eighth-grade literature at Crossroads South Middle School in South Brunswick, New Jersey, and English and writing courses as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey. A member of NCTE since she was a preservice teacher in 2009, Kristen has enjoyed her meaningful work with the organization. Kristen served as one of the inaugural Community Ambassadors for NCTE in 2017, and she is currently serving on the NCTE Standing Committee on Literacy Assessment.
Linai Booker serves as a district Literacy Coordinator for Columbus City Schools, where she supports K–5 educators with professional development and instructional practices to improve learning outcomes for struggling students. Prior to her current position, she spent twenty years in middle school classrooms as an ELA and social studies teacher. She loves books, which is why she’s always reading. And literacy is her jam because she wants every student to have the knowledge and skills they need to walk through life confidently. Linai is adamant that an engaging book is the cure for all forms of boredom.
Alexis Bryant’s career in education spans 24 years, four states, and charter, independent, parochial, and public schools. She is the Literacy Department Chair and a middle school literacy teacher at The Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove, IL. In addition to those roles, Alexis sponsors a student poetry club and acts as an advisor to the Student Council. Outside of the classroom, Alexis enjoys spending time with her family, writing poetry, and consuming media to ensure she maintains her status as a pop culture expert.
Nena Foster-Pritchard is in her twenty-sixth year of teaching and has taught every grade of 6–12 English language arts. She is also a reading specialist and has worked as a literacy coach. Foster-Pritchard is currently working toward adding a Teacher Leadership credential to her teaching certificate. She has spent most of her career teaching in Virginia, with a short time teaching in Ohio. She is an avid reader and enjoys sharing the books she reads through Instagram. Nena’s mission is to inspire everyone she knows to pick up a book and read.
Callie Hammond is currently a doctoral student in literacy and English language arts education at North Carolina State University, where she teaches preservice middle school teachers and works with lateral entry teachers working toward their certifications. She is involved with the Children’s Literature Assembly, and is excited to get more involved with NCTE! Before moving to Raleigh, NC, she taught middle school English for nine years in Philadelphia, Denver, and Houston, and was a 2022–2023 Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC) Action Research Fellow with the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools.
Ashleigh Tomcics is a seventh-grade English teacher in South Central Pennsylvania. In addition to her bachelor of arts in English and bachelor of arts in creative writing, she has a master of education in curriculum and instruction from Susquehanna University and is currently working toward a doctor of education degree in diversity and equity in education through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ashleigh is an avid reader, a fan of poetry and graphic novels, and an advocate for inclusive literature.