TALE'S ELECTED OFFICERS
Matthew Panozzo (2018-2020)
Matthew Panozzo has seven years of experience in the classroom, with his most recent responsibility being to help middle schoolers rekindle their passion for reading and develop their voices as writers. From July of 2017 to June of 2019, Matthew directed the TALE Community Involvement Committee and helped coordinate the monthly Literacy Strategy Spotlights. Matthew received a B.A. in Education from the University of St. Thomas, an M.S. in Reading from the University of Houston--Clear Lake, and is currently working on an Ed.D. in Literacy at Sam Houston State University. His research interests include: critical literacy, LGBTQ experiences in schools, and independent/free-voluntary reading. Matthew was also recognized as one of ILA's 2019 30-Under-30.
Tara Wilson (2019-2021)
Tara Wilson is a professor of reading at The University of Texas - Permian Basin. She teaches literacy courses for undergraduate and master's students. Prior to working in higher education, Tara taught in Texas public education for 11 years. Tara presents at the local, state, regional, national and international levels, as well as publishes in literacy and early childhood journals. Tara received her Doctorate of Education in Literacy from Sam Houston State University. Tara joined TALE to network with other literacy professionals.
Kelli Bippert (2018-2020
Kelli Bippert is Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. Kelli taught 4th–8th grades for fifteen years in elementary and middle schools. During this time, she served as a reading specialist who designed and implemented instruction for struggling adolescent readers and writers. Kelli holds both Texas Master Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist Certifications and earned her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a concentration in literacy education. Kelli’s work centers on adolescent literacy, cultural perceptions of struggling adolescent readers, technology-based reading interventions, and the integration of popular culture/media texts to support in-school literacies. Her university teaching experience includes teacher education courses that focus on content area reading and assessment of reading and writing difficulties.
Codi Freeman (2019-2021)
Codi Fowler-Freeman, Ed.D., is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She also provides literacy staff development and curriculum development trainings to several districts across the state and also works one-on-one with teachers to improve instruction for student success. Over the past twenty years, Codi has been a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, district literacy specialist, and coordinator of English language arts. She was recently awarded the Dean’s Award for Exceptional Graduate Student Research from the Southwest Educational Research Association.
Pearl Garden (2019-2021)
Pearl Garden is working on her doctorate in Supervisory Curriculum and Instruction-Elementary Education with an emphasis in Reading at Texas A&M University - Commerce. She currently holds a master’s degree in Advanced Literacy with a Reading Specialist Certification and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Pearl has 20 years of experience in Elementary Education with Dallas ISD. She is a Literacy Coach with Region 10 Education Service Center and an Adjunct Reading Professor at Paul Quinn College. She has been an active member of TALE for the last 4 years and brings a love of literacy and a passion for enriching the minds of the new and novice educator to the Board.
Kamshia Childs (2018-2020)
Kamshia Childs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University-Commerce. She obtained an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Southern University and also holds a B.S. in Elementary Education (ESL), and M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction (Reading and Language Arts) from Kansas State University. Kamshia has been a literacy educator for over 16 years and has worked in urban and rural settings in K-12 and higher education. She has published several literacy and multicultural education articles in peer-reviewed literacy journals, written a self-published book, and presents at various state, national, and international conferences on topics related to literacy, educator empowerment, parent involvement, and culturally relevant pedagogy.
