Presenter Biography

Laura Beltchenko is a seasoned educator with a passion for student motivation and engagement in all thing’s literacy. Her career in public education includes classroom teacher, reading specialist, as well as teacher and coordinator of gifted programs. Her public education career culminated as an associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction for a K-12-unit school district. Now in her “encore career”, She is committed to the professional development of teachers supporting the implementation of best practice literacy instruction. Laura believes in the use of high-quality children’s literature as a vehicle to support both the cognitive and affective development of all of students of all ages. Her personal children’s literature collection is vast and weaves an appreciation of quality authors and illustrators.

She was awarded the Illinois North Suburban Library System Library Advocate of the Year for her advocacy of school and public libraries and was also named the Lake County Illinois Innovative Educator by the Illinois Principals Association. As an advocate for literacy professional development for teachers and administrators, she held the post of president of the Illinois Suburban Council of the International Reading Association (SCIRA) for 4 years. She is also an active member of the Illinois Reading Council and writes a quarterly column in the IRC Journal entitled, Talent, Ability and Potential: TAPing into the Needs of Advanced and Gifted Literacy Learners. She is also very involved with the Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC) and National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and was awarded Administrator of the Year by NAGC for her advocacy of academically talented children. She is currently the Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, Gifted Education Advisory Council and a past Professional Development Chair of the Illinois Association of Title I Directors. She is a proud member of the Friends of the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books at National Louis University. She is an invited presenter at state and national conventions and conference on topics such as use of ELA Standards, strategic literacy development, gifted education, children’s literature, inquiry-based learning and assessment. She served on the Libertyville District #70 Board of Education for 24 years and is currently a Board of Trustee member for Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. Above all she values her involvement in education at all levels.

Additional Qualifications

ROE/ISC Contact

Diane Betts
[email protected]
Region 05 North Cook ISC 1