Empowering Minds with Literacy

Lauren Szulc (formerly Lauren Kolbeck) is a highly experienced and dedicated educator with more than 25 years of expertise in teaching, instructional coaching, and designing impactful professional development. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of roles—including classroom teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and staff developer—bringing a deep commitment to both academic excellence and fostering a lifelong love of learning.

Lauren’s work spans rural, urban, and suburban school settings across the United States, as well as international experiences in Sweden, Hong Kong, and Singapore. These diverse perspectives inform her ability to thoughtfully design professional learning experiences that are responsive to the unique goals, contexts, and challenges of each school district she serves.

As the founding director of Your Literacy Connection, Lauren partners closely with district leaders, administrators, and educators to deliver customized, research-based professional development aligned to district initiatives. She regularly presents full-day workshops on a wide range of literacy and instructional topics, thoughtfully tailored to meet district needs. Lauren is passionate about demonstrating lessons, modeling instructional practices, and working side-by-side with teachers in classrooms to bring professional learning to life. By integrating the science of reading with practical, classroom-ready strategies, she ensures professional development is engaging, relevant, and immediately applicable. Her collaborative, hands-on approach empowers educators to build confidence, strengthen instruction, and implement sustainable practices that support all learners.

Deborah Linscott-Feinstein has been a teacher, literacy specialist and coach on Long Island for over 25 years. She has created elementary and college level curricula to foster best practices in reading, writing and assessment. Deborah thrives on coaching teachers and collaborating with administrators on literacy initiatives.  As a staff developer, her exuberance in presenting workshops sparks participatory audiences and practical outcomes. Deborah has authored nonfiction and personal narrative writing units, and a mentor author study for Schoolwide, Inc.  As a liaison to Teachers College for over 25 years, she helped pioneer school district best practices and build capacity for a National Blue Ribbon School.  Her credentials include graduate degrees in literacy and school building administration.  She works as a literacy consultant and literacy coach in New York.

Dr. Maureen Martin is an experienced educational leader and professional development presenter with a strong record of supporting schools in improving instruction and student outcomes. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, NY, her Master’s degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, and both her Professional Diploma and Doctorate in Educational Administration from Dowling College. Dr. Martin holds New York State certifications in Special Education, Elementary Education, and School Administration and Supervision.

With experience in both instructional and administrative roles across Long Island school districts, Dr. Martin brings a practical, classroom-informed perspective to her work with educators. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Long Island University and St. Joseph’s College, further strengthening her ability to bridge theory and practice.

Dr. Martin has dedicated much of her career to designing and delivering high-impact professional development for educators in Pre-K–12 settings. Her areas of expertise include literacy instruction, special education, integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), explicit and direct instruction, specially designed instruction, co-teaching practices, effective questioning, instructional coaching, and schoolwide improvement. Her professional learning sessions are grounded in research-based practices and emphasize practical strategies educators can immediately apply in their classrooms.

Known for her engaging and supportive presentation style, Dr. Martin partners with schools and districts to strengthen instructional practices, increase student engagement, and drive measurable improvements in teaching and learning.