OUR TEAM
Every member of the Literacy Partnership team is dedicated to helping kids become passionate readers.
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Greg WorrellPresident, Scholastic Education
GREG WORRELL
President, Scholastic Education
Worrell joined Scholastic in 1992, and was responsible for business development and marketing of Classroom Magazines. He also served as General Manager for Quality Education Data (QED), a former division of Scholastic, after Scholastic acquired this educational research and marketing database company in 1999.
In 2011, Greg oversaw the launch of Scholastic Family and Community Engagement (FACE), a team dedicated to creating programs and partnerships that support literacy anywhere a child encounters a caring adult: in classrooms, at home, in early childhood, after school, during the summer and through mentoring programs. Shortly after the launch of Scholastic FACE, Greg received an Upton Sinclair Award, which recognizes educational leaders who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that children around the globe succeed in life. In 2012, he received the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award from the Boy Scouts of America for “unselfish service to the youth of America.”
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KAREN BAICKERPublisher, Literacy Initiatives and FACE
KAREN BAICKER
Publisher, Literacy Initiatives and FACE
Baicker is the author of dozens of books for teachers and children. As Publisher for Scholastic Education’s FACE, Baicker develops books, products, and services that reach beyond the classroom to address the needs of students, educators, and families.
Prior to becoming Publisher, Baicker was the Director of Community Affairs for Scholastic. In that capacity, she focused on helping communities pilot innovative solutions for improving the lives of all children. She has also served as the Editorial Director for Professional Learning for Scholastic Education.
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Michael HaGgenChief Academic Officer, Senior Vice President Professional Learning, Scholastic Education
MICHAEL HAGGEN
Chief Academic Officer, Senior Vice President Professional Learning, Scholastic Education
Michael Haggen has over 20 years of academic experience, having served as a teacher, principal, Chief Academic Officer and direct report to superintendents in three school districts, where his hands-on approach led to significant change.
As Chief Academic Officer and Senior Vice President of Professional Learning for Scholastic Education, Michael oversees the creation of customized professional learning models for school leadership and contributes to the development of curriculum.
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I. YELEE JODirector, Research & Validation
I. YELEE JO
Director, Research & Validation
Yelee Jo has over nine years of experience in education as a researcher, curriculum designer, and technology specialist, in formal and informal settings. She also has rich international experience as a Pre-K–8 educator, administrator, and as
director of an early childhood R&D department at an English immersion academy. Yelee received her Master of Arts in Learning Sciences at Northwestern University, where she explored the educational and motivational advantages of using digital games for learning. As Research Manager, she is responsible for coordinating and overseeing research projects, liaising with districts and other research partners, and supporting new product development through research.
Research & Validation Site -
KAREN MAPP Ed.D.Senior Lecturer at the Harvard
Graduate School of EducationKAREN MAPP Ed.D.
Senior Lecturer at the Harvard
Graduate School of EducationDr. Karen Mapp is a lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and the Faculty Director of the Education Policy and Management Master’s Program.
Over the past twenty years, Dr. Mapp’s research and practice focus has been on the cultivation of partnerships among families, community members, and educators that support student achievement and school improvement. She has served, alongside Professor Mark Warren, as co-coordinator of the Community Organizing and School Reform Research Project, and as a core faculty member in the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EDLD) program at HGSE. She is a founding member of the District Leaders Network on Family and Community Engagement, a trustee of the Hyams Foundation in Boston, and serves on the board of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) in Washington, DC.
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ANDREA RIZZOSenior Director, Research & Validation
ANDREA RIZZO
Senior Director, Research & Validation
Andrea Rizzo has over 15 years of educational research experience in settings ranging from early childhood classrooms to secondary schools. She also has rich experience in schools as a kindergarten and prekindergarten teacher, and as a provider of technical and
professional development support to teachers. Andrea received her Ph.D. from Fordham University in Applied Development Psychology and completed her post-graduate work at Harvard Graduate School of Education. As Director of Scholastic’s Research and Validation department, Andrea oversees the research agenda for Scholastic Education, identifying opportunities for research designed to support Scholastic’s existing and upcoming products and services.