About Us
Who We Are: Champions for Literacy and Inclusion
At The REED Charitable Foundation, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to read, thrive, and succeed—regardless of their learning challenges.
We were founded by passionate parents and educators who witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of the Orton-Gillingham Approach on students with dyslexia. Since then, we’ve made it our mission to empower teachers with the tools and training to transform literacy instruction for ALL students.
We were founded by passionate parents and educators who witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of the Orton-Gillingham Approach on students with dyslexia. Since then, we’ve made it our mission to empower teachers with the tools and training to transform literacy instruction for ALL students.
Mission & Vision
Once we know better, we must do better.
Here's how we serve as your guide:
Advocacy
Raising awareness about dyslexia and the power of Structured Literacy.
Education
Equipping teachers with practical, research-based strategies that work in real classrooms.
Support
Providing ongoing resources and community to ensure every educator feels confident and empowered.
Your Guides to Literacy Success
Jennifer Ford Knopf, Esq.
President | Founding Director
Jen is the Founding Director of REED Charitable Foundation, wife to husband Andrew and mom to two amazing kids – a daughter, Mackenzie, and a son, Reed (who was diagnosed with dyslexia in January of 2018 at seven years old). Of course, her son Reed’s story of both struggle and strengths is the inspiration for REED Charitable Foundation (“RCF”) but her heart for RCF goes much deeper than that.
Jen’s background as both a litigation and commercial real estate attorney made her uniquely suited for researching and advocating for her own son’s needs – but she quickly learned that their family’s battle to find support for her son is a battle at least 20% of the population also faces. Jen also learned that even with personal resources, there is very little legitimate support for dyslexic students – even though we absolutely know how to support them. And, the worse realization of all was the lingering question of “What happens to all of those families and children with no resources at all?” Jen knew the answer and also knew it was only a matter of time before she joined with others to create a charitable foundation dedicated to supporting not only dyslexic students but literacy for all.
With a strong legal background, relentless determination and a steadfast belief that literacy is a fundamental human right – Jen is committed to the mission and purpose of this foundation named after her beloved son.
Jen’s background as both a litigation and commercial real estate attorney made her uniquely suited for researching and advocating for her own son’s needs – but she quickly learned that their family’s battle to find support for her son is a battle at least 20% of the population also faces. Jen also learned that even with personal resources, there is very little legitimate support for dyslexic students – even though we absolutely know how to support them. And, the worse realization of all was the lingering question of “What happens to all of those families and children with no resources at all?” Jen knew the answer and also knew it was only a matter of time before she joined with others to create a charitable foundation dedicated to supporting not only dyslexic students but literacy for all.
With a strong legal background, relentless determination and a steadfast belief that literacy is a fundamental human right – Jen is committed to the mission and purpose of this foundation named after her beloved son.
Kari Baker
Director of Training
Kari is a Fellow-in-Training and Certified member of the Academy of Orton Gillingham. She has over a decade of experience in the classroom, has enlightened hundreds of educators on methods for teaching students with dyslexia, and has a Master’s Degree in Education.
Kari is an advocate and educator on the subject of dyslexia education because she knows the power of these techniques personally. Kari has dyslexia and knows with absolute certainty that Orton Gillingham works and that it works for every student, not just students with dyslexia.
Jamie Dozier
Director of Structured Literacy
Jamie is a seasoned instructional leader with over 20 years in public education, dedicated to empowering educators to help students reach their fullest potential. Passionate about fostering vibrant learning environments, Jamie leverages her expertise in pedagogy, curriculum development, and instructional technology to equip K-8 teachers with best practices tailored to meet the needs of diverse classrooms.
Jamie holds dual Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership from the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida. Her commitment to excellence and lifelong learning led her to complete over 200 hours of advanced training in the Science of Reading, including Orton-Gillingham (OG) training at the Classroom Educator and Associate levels through RCF.
With support from RCF, Jamie has successfully led the implementation of the OG approach at two public schools over the past five years. She has seen the profound impact of this structured literacy approach—empowering educators, transforming school cultures, and changing the trajectory of students' lives. Jamie believes that every child deserves a teacher equipped with the skills to teach them how to read. As a key member of RCF’s OG Implementation Team, she is committed to making this vision a reality.
Jamie holds dual Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership from the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida. Her commitment to excellence and lifelong learning led her to complete over 200 hours of advanced training in the Science of Reading, including Orton-Gillingham (OG) training at the Classroom Educator and Associate levels through RCF.
With support from RCF, Jamie has successfully led the implementation of the OG approach at two public schools over the past five years. She has seen the profound impact of this structured literacy approach—empowering educators, transforming school cultures, and changing the trajectory of students' lives. Jamie believes that every child deserves a teacher equipped with the skills to teach them how to read. As a key member of RCF’s OG Implementation Team, she is committed to making this vision a reality.
Amanda Barnard
Structured Literacy Specialist
With nearly 15 years of teaching experience, Amanda has a rich background in early education, spanning preschool, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and K-5 Tier 3 Reading Interventions. In 2019, Amanda discovered the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach, which she recognized as the missing piece in her instructional toolkit. Since then, she has successfully integrated OG into her teaching, from whole-group Tier 1 instruction to targeted virtual and small-group interventions.
Amanda is an amazing member of RCF’s Implementation Team, bringing her passion for the science of reading to schools around the world. She is committed to empowering educators with proven literacy strategies that open doors for every child to succeed.
Amanda is an amazing member of RCF’s Implementation Team, bringing her passion for the science of reading to schools around the world. She is committed to empowering educators with proven literacy strategies that open doors for every child to succeed.
Megan O’Dell
Director of Implementation
Megan is a dedicated member of the OG Implementation Team at the REED Charitable Foundation. A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Megan has spent the past decade as a classroom educator, working with primary-grade students in public schools.
After experiencing the challenges of teaching with a reading curriculum that fell short of her students’ needs, Megan sought a more effective approach. Her search led her to Orton-Gillingham (OG) training at both the Classroom Educator and Associate levels through the REED Charitable Foundation, where she discovered the tools to unlock every child’s reading potential.
Megan, along with her husband John and their two sons, believes deeply in the transformative impact of structured literacy. She is committed to the REED Charitable Foundation’s mission of making a difference for all learners through the science of reading.
After experiencing the challenges of teaching with a reading curriculum that fell short of her students’ needs, Megan sought a more effective approach. Her search led her to Orton-Gillingham (OG) training at both the Classroom Educator and Associate levels through the REED Charitable Foundation, where she discovered the tools to unlock every child’s reading potential.
Megan, along with her husband John and their two sons, believes deeply in the transformative impact of structured literacy. She is committed to the REED Charitable Foundation’s mission of making a difference for all learners through the science of reading.
Melissa Edwards
Structured Literacy Specialist
Melissa has called the Orlando area home for over 20 years, where she lives with her husband, Marcus, and their two sons, Christian and Ethan. With nearly two decades of classroom teaching experience across grades Pre-K to 5, Melissa became increasingly aware of the reading challenges faced by some students. This insight led her on a journey of research and discovery, culminating in her commitment to the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach.
After months of dedicated study, Melissa completed intensive OG training through the REED Charitable Foundation. She has since applied this evidence-based approach in her work with 5th-grade students and private tutoring clients, seeing firsthand the transformative power of structured literacy in building essential reading skills that benefit all areas of learning.
After months of dedicated study, Melissa completed intensive OG training through the REED Charitable Foundation. She has since applied this evidence-based approach in her work with 5th-grade students and private tutoring clients, seeing firsthand the transformative power of structured literacy in building essential reading skills that benefit all areas of learning.
Caitlin Laberee
Structured Literacy Specialist
Caitlin is a former public school teacher whose passion for educating others on effective reading instruction led her to RCF.
Education has always been her calling, having graduated from Rollins College with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and later attending The Lynch School of Education at Boston College to complete a Master’s program in Early Childhood Education. Despite her extensive schooling Caitlin always felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing when it came to providing meaningful instruction to her struggling readers. After being trained in OG through RCF that missing piece finally became clear.
By joining the OG Implementation Team she hopes she can help empower other teachers and do her small part in the fight to ensure that ALL students leave our schools as proficient readers.
Education has always been her calling, having graduated from Rollins College with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and later attending The Lynch School of Education at Boston College to complete a Master’s program in Early Childhood Education. Despite her extensive schooling Caitlin always felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing when it came to providing meaningful instruction to her struggling readers. After being trained in OG through RCF that missing piece finally became clear.
By joining the OG Implementation Team she hopes she can help empower other teachers and do her small part in the fight to ensure that ALL students leave our schools as proficient readers.
Amy Gates
Structured Literacy Specialist
Amy has been a classroom educator in Central Florida for the last 12 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Flagler College and a Master’s degree in Exceptional Student Education from the University of Central Florida. She has taught primarily in an inclusive setting, excelling in guiding kindergarten and first graders of all ability levels to find success in reading.
After becoming aware of the growing research supporting the science of reading, Amy sought out ways to improve her pedagogy for the betterment of her students. She was granted that opportunity by being trained in both Classroom Educator and Associate’s Level of Orton Gillingham through the Reed Charitable Foundation.
After using the Orton Gillingham method in both classroom settings and 1:1 tutoring, Amy has seen the incredible growth that readers can make with explicit, prescriptive, and spiraling literacy instruction from highly trained teachers. She is excited to join Reed Charitable Foundation to continue to grow their mission of providing high quality literacy instruction to every child!
In her free time, Amy can be found lost in a Sarah J. Maas book, rooting on her team at an Orlando City Soccer match, or attending music festivals with friends.
After becoming aware of the growing research supporting the science of reading, Amy sought out ways to improve her pedagogy for the betterment of her students. She was granted that opportunity by being trained in both Classroom Educator and Associate’s Level of Orton Gillingham through the Reed Charitable Foundation.
After using the Orton Gillingham method in both classroom settings and 1:1 tutoring, Amy has seen the incredible growth that readers can make with explicit, prescriptive, and spiraling literacy instruction from highly trained teachers. She is excited to join Reed Charitable Foundation to continue to grow their mission of providing high quality literacy instruction to every child!
In her free time, Amy can be found lost in a Sarah J. Maas book, rooting on her team at an Orlando City Soccer match, or attending music festivals with friends.
Copyright © 2024 REEDCharitableFoundation.org. All rights reserved.
Created with
