Dr. Lonna Anderson, the district's Director of PK-12 Curriculum and Instruction presented at the 2021 Decoding Dyslexia Iowa Conference in Ankeny on Thursday, October 28. Ottumwa was invited to present due to Anderson's work on the state's Dyslexia Task Force. Ottumwa Schools is also the first school in the state to take a whole-district approach to serving students with the characteristics of dyslexia.
Anderson was one of several speakers, including national experts. During her presentation, "Becoming a Dyslexia-Friendly District," Anderson shared the OCSD journey from a traditional system to one that recognizes and serves students with the characteristics of dyslexia.
Her interest in dyslexia began over 20 years ago when her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia. That experience has made her a fierce advocate for dyslexia awareness, understanding, and implementation of appropriate instruction for struggling readers.
"We're very grateful that Dr. Lonna Anderson agreed to present at our conference," said Katie Greving, Executive Director of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa. "Ottumwa is one of the first district plans that we've seen who want to address dyslexia district-wide. It's very unique and I hope that it can be used as a model for other districts. I think Lonna's talk will inspire other people to really make efforts to better serve our students with dyslexia."
Anderson has been a teacher, building administrator, assistant superintendent and AEA instructional services director. She has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and an Educational Specialist degree from Western Illinois University, a Master's in Educational Administration from the University of Texas, and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.
"We are proud of the vision of Superintendent McGrory and the implementation of Dr. Anderson as we lead the state in serving our struggling readers," said Aiddy Phomvisay, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. "These efforts will be life-changing, providing the gift of reading to our students."
