Dr. Laurie Curtis currently serves as the Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager at the Kansas State Department of Education and has been in that role since December of 2021. In her position, she supports teachers across Kansas recognize the characteristics of dyslexia and the components necessary for effective reading instruction, providing guidance to Kansas teachers aligning their instructional practices with structured literacy. To reach these goals, she is honored to lead the Early Literacy/Dyslexia team, a group of 10 Kansas educators, selected for their passion and expertise in literacy. She believes that teachers make the difference and exemplary literacy instruction is the key to unlocking the amazing potential of all students in our schools.