Dona McIlvain is an outstanding literacy specialist and teacher of struggling readers at Edmundson School in WIlliamson County, TN. She is also a mentor of future literacy specialists who are graduate students at Vanderbilt University preparing to complete their Masters degrees and serve as literacy specialists.
Dona is the ultimate professional leader among educators. She works tirelessly to support her students' literacy development, she conducts professional development sessions for other teachers in her county and around the U. S., she mentors new teachers and new literacy specialists, and she advocates for strong literacy instruction that builds on students' capabilities. She does not teach to the test, rather she teaches students to succeed both in school and in the world.