MEET THE WSRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 President

Ryanne Deschane is a primary teacher of 29 years currently teaching in a rural district in northern Wisconsin. She has a BS in elementary education with a minor in early childhood from the University of Wisconsin ~ LaCrosse.  Ryanne has a master’s in reading from the University of Wisconsin ~ Oshkosh. Ryanne was the 2023 WSRA conference chair, “Listening to our past…Embracing the present…Speaking to our Future,” bringing in an array of distinguished professionals for attendees to learn, connect, and grow with. She continues to be active in her local reading council and is a strong advocate for literacy learning and education that benefits all students.

President Elect

Sarah Schnuelle is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in Early-Middle Childhood ELA and a proud Kohl Fellow. She holds a B.A in Elementary Education from UW-Madison, an M.S. from Cardinal Stritch University in Literacy and Learning Disabilities and has 20+ years of experience teaching readers from birth to high school in both regular and special education.  She is currently employed in the School District of Jefferson as an elementary reading teacher, interventionist and literacy coach.  Additionally, Schnuelle edits manuscripts and mentors National Board Candidates.  During her career, she has served on the Wisconsin Education Association Council’s regional and state board of directors and as president of the Wisconsin Education Association Academy’s board.  Schnuelle is active in her local reading council and is an appointed member of Dr. Underly’s Reading Advisory Council. She is also an active volunteer in her local AFS student exchange organization, hosting and supporting students from around the world. Schnuelle is a passionate supporter of public libraries and joyfully reads banned books.  Her favorite of all time is Lois Lowry’s The Giver. 

Vice President

Dr. Jacqueline Witter-Easley has been an elementary classroom teacher, reading specialist, children's librarian, and college professor for over 35 years. She is currently a Professor of Education at Carthage College (since 2006). During her tenure at Carthage College, Jacqueline has served WSRA in a variety of roles: she was the president of the Racine-Kenosha Reading Council (2010 - 2015), the editor of the WSRA Journal (2015 - 2021), and the editor of the Update Newsletter (2021 - 2025). Her mission is to enhance the literacy lives of children from birth through high school by providing students with authentic and motivating experiences in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In 2024 she renewed this mission by founding and directing the Carthage College Community Literacy Center, located in the heart of Kenosha, WI. She has authored several books on teaching early literacy: Happy Birthday, Dear Author! (2012, Upstart Books), and Literacy Moments: Creating Daily Teachable Moments with Beginning Readers (2019, Rowman & Littlefield).

Second Vice President

Dr. Susan Tily has been in education for over 15 years. She completed an undergraduate degree in elementary education from Boston College with a minor in Special Education. She has a Master’s Degree from The University of Pennsylvania in Reading, Writing, and Literacy and completed her PhD in Language and Literacy from The University of Texas at Austin. Susan also has over 10 years experience as an elementary classroom teacher in South Jersey. She currently is an assistant professor at The University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and supports early-career teachers in evidence-based literacy methods and assessment. Susan is a member of Dr. Underly’s Reading Advisory Council as well as national educational and literacy organizations including American Educational Research Association (AERA) and The National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE). Publications Susan is an author on include Reviewing how preservice teachers are prepared to teach reading processes: What the literature suggests and overlooks and Mentoring in a university-based induction program.

Third Vice President

Dr. Emily Hines is a professor of reading at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  Since 2013, she has facilitated graduate reading courses for reading teacher and reading specialist licensure and more recently, undergraduate pre-service educator courses on multiculturalism.  Emily's research interests lie within the intersectionality of literacy and diversity, equity, and inclusion, where she believes they are interdependent and co-exist.  Prior to teaching at Stout, Emily was an elementary classroom teacher, reading teacher, and reading specialist for thirteen years.  Emily is part of the state’s Reading Advisory Council, DPI’s Reading Specialist Community of Practice, and UW-Professors of Literacy as well as a member of local, state, national and international literacy and multicultural organizations.  Emily received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (reading/language arts minors) from the University of Iowa, Master of Science in Teaching in Reading (reading teacher & reading specialist licensure) from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Doctor of Education (education leadership, critical pedagogy) from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota.  Publications include a chapter, “Fertile fluency practices” in Absolutely not another reading test study guide: Cultivating knowledge of responsive literacy practices to get ready to TEACH and pass the FoRT (2017) and a book entitled, Vocalizing silenced voices: White supremacy, social caste, cultural hegemony, and narratives to overcome trauma and social injustice (2024).

Past President

Debra Zarling has been an educator for over 40 years, serving as a classroom teacher, Title I Teacher, Reading Recovery Teacher, school level Reading Specialist, district level Literacy Coordinator, and an ad hoc university instructor teaching graduate and undergraduate classes in literacy/reading. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and holds a Wisconsin Master Educator License as a Reading Specialist. She has served in several roles in WSRA, including the presidential cycle, Zone Coordinator, Director of Membership, Committee Coordinator and is currently serving as Past President. She has also served as Wisconsin Membership Director for the ILA (formerly IRA), on the Board of Directors for the Reading Recovery Council of North America, and on a number of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction work groups.

Treasurer

Teri Lassig has 28 years in education in many positions: middle school Spanish teacher, first and second grade classroom teacher, elementary reading interventionist, district literacy specialist, lead teacher, middle school interventionist, and fifth grade classroom teacher. She also has worked as an adjunct instructor at Viterbo University in their reading teacher and reading specialist courses. She is currently supervising student teachers at the UW-Stevens Point. She has been active on her local council as well as a past president and at the state level since 1998, serving the board as the Northwest Zone Coordinator for 6 years and as the state treasurer since 2023.

 Recording Secretary

Deborah Cromer is currently retired and volunteering as a half-time reading tutor in a public elementary school. Deborah began her teaching career as a middle school English/language arts teacher in several schools in South Carolina before moving to Wisconsin in 1985. For three years, she worked as an English teacher in the School-Age Mother Program in La Crosse. She then became district reading specialist and a Title I reading teacher in Bangor, positions she held for thirty-one years. She was a teacher fellow in the first cohort of the Midlands Writing Project in Columbia, SC, a National Writing Project site. She received two grants for classroom research from Bread Loaf School of English and two READS grants from the Wisconsin DPI. Her involvement with WSRA includes serving on the RTI Task Force, the legislative committee, the Board of Directors, and as WSRA’s co-chair of a state-wide legislated committee. She is a past president of WSRA.

Committee Coordinator

State Council Coordinator

Brian Perrodin has an undergraduate degree from the University of LaCrosse with a double emphasis in education and marketing.  From UW-Oshkosh, he has a  Master’s Degree in Special Education.  While attending Oshkosh, as a graduate student for the Special Education Department, Brian tutored for Project Success. Brian taught for twelve years in Edgar and then married and took a teaching position at the School District of Tomahawk.  During this time, he earned 316 Reading Teacher and 317 Reading Specialist certifications. Brian was an adjunct professor for the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. He also was a  co-president of the Headwaters Literacy Council.  After a few years at the School District of Tomahawk, Brian became the District Reading Specialist, literacy coach and Title I Coordinator.  Brian retired from teaching in 2020 but continues to run a real estate business and serve on the WSRA Board of Directors as the State Council Coordinator.  Brian has also worked as a district literacy consultant, state diabetes manual consultant and Act 20 manual committee member.  

Legislative Chair 

Kathy Champeau is a reading specialist with over 40 years of experience, a former UW-Milwaukee adjunct instructor of 28 years teaching performance-based reading intervention courses, and a past president of the Wisconsin State Reading Association. She currently serves as their Legislative Committee Chair. Kathy taught first and third grades, was a Title I reading teacher, and a reading specialist working as a literacy coach in 4K-5th grade classrooms.  She served on Governor Walker’s Read to Lead Task Force and several Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction work groups, including several years on DPI’s State Assessment Consortium. Kathy has co-authored a recent book with Dr. Peter Johnston, Engaging Literate Minds, chronicling the results of ten years of her literacy coaching work in classrooms. This book received the Literacy Research Association’s 2021 Edward B. Fry Honorary Mention. She has co-edited the publication, Response to Interventions AT THE CROSSROADS as well as research articles on high-stakes assessments. She belongs to and presented alongside national researchers at the American Educational Research Association and the Literacy Research Association. She is a presenter at national professional conferences, including the International Literacy Association (ILA), the National Council of the Teachers of English, and several state literacy councils and organizations, including AWSA and WASBO.  In 2021, Kathy was honored by the ILA with the Maryann Manning Special Service Award. She is a former Herb Kohl Teaching Fellow recipient.

Public Relations Liaison

Norman Andrews has worked in education for over 30 years in the School District of Elmbrook. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a BS in elementary education and a minor in Spanish. He holds a M.S degree in education from Cardinal Stritch University and earned his certification for Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist through Viterbo University. Norm worked in the classroom with sixth grade, fourth grade and first grade students. He was a school Reading Specialist for 13 years and worked as an adjunct for UW Milwaukee and Viterbo University. Norm co-edited the publication, Response to Interventions AT THE CROSSROADS. He was a participant on the Next Generation Assessment Task Force, RTI work group, and the Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts work group for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Norm has devoted over 30 years working with the Wisconsin State Reading Association. He is a WSRA Past President and International Literacy Association State Coordinator and a Past President of the Waukesha County Reading Council. He was recognized through the Waukesha County Reading Council with the ILA Celebrate Literacy Award and through WSRA with the Friend's of Literacy Honor Role and the WSRA President's Award. 

Update Editor 

Director of Membership