Teaching Teachers and Empowering Parents

2025 Spring Newsletter

From the President

Grace Sharma

Much has happened in the first months of 2025! We started this year with our Annual Member Meeting, which Northridge Academy graciously hosted at their site in Mill Valley on February 8^th. It offered a chance to network with other IDA NorCal members and to hear about what our local branch and the national IDA office accomplished in 2024 and plan for 2025...continue reading

IDA NorCal Honors Glean Education Founder Jessica Hamman

Each year at its annual membership meeting, IDA NorCal honors someone for extraordinary local leadership and accomplishment in the field of dyslexia. This year’s honoree is Jessica Hamman, founder and CEO of Marin-based Glean Education, which provides accessible and affordable structured literacy training for educators...continue reading

Grace Sharma, Jessica Hamman, and Kristen Koeller

New Evidence-Based Early Literacy Legislation

A bill beginning to make its way through the California State legislature, AB 1121 (Blanca Rubio), marks a significant step toward improving early literacy outcomes for all students, particularly the state’s 3.6 million low-income learners, through focus on teacher training and instructional materials...continue reading

Don’t Miss This Free Webinar on Screening

Thursday May 8, 6:30-8pm

California’s Screening for Risk of Reading Difficulties

With Bonnie Garcia, Co-Director for CA Statewide Literacy, CA Department of Education

Are you curious about the upcoming mandatory reading difficulty screener mandate for California public schools? Join us for a free webinar and learn about this early screening process, which is already being implemented in 80 percent of the United States.

Dr. Garcia will provide general information about this preventative screening process, briefly describe the four screener options, and respond to participant questions as time permits. Find more information and an Eventbrite registration link here.

DyslexiaCon 2025

IDA’s Annual Reading, Literacy & Learning Conference will be held October 23-25, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown. This multi-day conference continues to deliver an unparalleled experience for professionals, families, and individuals impacted by dyslexia. Options for participation include in person and virtual, plus an advanced certificate option for those attending in person. Discounted Early Bird registration rates run through July 14^th. Click here for more information.

IDA NorCal

PO Box 487

Brentwood, CA 94513

1-650-328-7667