Susan Ruckdeschel

Author of Peer Coaching for Adolescent Writers, Susan Ruckdeschel is founder and executive director of Literacy Solutions in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York State. Susan travels throughout the country as a conference presenter and provider of professional development in transformational pedagogy, best practices, and research-based strategies that improve student achievement across all content areas.

Susan is also an afterschool provider of writing workshops for students in Dutchess and Putnam Counties, providing students with training in peer coaching, content area writing methods, and creative writing. With numerous professional publications, including for the New York State Middle School Association, Association for Compensatory Education, and the International Reading Association’s ReadWriteThink.org, Susan continues to publish and work in collaboration with districts and vendors across the country to produce sustainable, brain-friendly, and research-based curriculum. Susan continues to teach graduate literacy courses, consult, lecture, and present workshops and symposia at conferences and universities throughout the country.

Susan’s diverse background in education includes 16 years as a K-12 reading specialist where she pioneered many writing clubs and trained teachers regionally in establishing and maintaining afterschool writing workshops. The Young Writers’ Club at the Glens Falls Middle School in Glens Falls, NY was the template for many others regionally as it grew in popularity and the student peer coaching methods expanded. As a central office administrator, Susan directed programs as director of English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Academic Intervention Services in the Warwick Valley Central School District.

Susan worked with the National Urban Alliance and Pearson Education as national educational consultant, working with teachers throughout the country. She has served on numerous professional committees, including the International Reading Association’s Poetry and Prose Award Committee, presently on the Exemplary Readers Award Committee, the National Council of Teachers of English as School Anthology Contest judge, Writers’ Voice at Silver Bay, New York State English Council Conference committee. Susan has a bachelor of arts degree in creative writing from SUNY Empire State College, master of science degree in education from Nazareth College of Rochester (New York), and a certificate of advanced completion from Touro College in Manhattan. She has permanent New York certifications in Reading K-12, English 7-12, Classroom N-6, Gifted and Talented, and School District Administrator. Susan is completing her EDD in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction, with an expected completion date of May, 2011.

For more information on programs, please visit Susan's Web site at www.studentpeercoaching.com.