Qualified Educators at Your Service
Helen Conahan-Dettrey is co-owner and Director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL). Prior to starting ITL in 2002, Helen worked for the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) for almost 30 years. She began her career as a Speech and Language Pathologist specializing in language, learning, and reading disabilities. Over a 17 year period, Helen provided direct instruction to students ages preschool to 21. She worked in several public schools throughout Chester County and at CCIU’s Child and Career Development Center, providing services to students exhibiting the full range of language, learning, and literacy needs. During this time, Helen also developed and operated a community outreach program for adult literacy.
From 1992 through 2002, Helen was CCIU’s Literacy Consultant, providing consultation and training in the area of K-12 Literacy throughout the twelve school districts of Chester County. In addition, Helen provided county-wide trainings and technical support in the areas of inclusion, co-teaching, differentiated instruction, peer coaching, and Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching. During this period, she also provided content development leadership and training for the Pennsylvania Governor's Institute for Partnerships in Reading; technical assistance to districts across the state of Pennsylvania; and was a member of the original Pennsylvania Reading First Committee.
In 2002, Helen retired from CCIU and joined with her long time friend and colleague Cathy Weiss to develop the Institute for Teaching and Learning. Helen now provides literacy program evaluation and planning services, training, consultation, and coaching to school districts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Helen is endorsed by Language Circle©, Project Read© both as a Consultant and as a Lead Facilitator Instructor. She continues to be a frequent presenter at education conferences and is widely recognized for her expertise in language, literacy, staff development and integrated systems change. Helen also served as the Content Development Coordinator for several Pennsylvania Department of Education on-line courses on scientifically-based reading research and research proven instructional strategies.
Cathryn Weiss is co-owner, Associate Director, and Business Manager of the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL). She retired from Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) in 2003 after co-founding ITL with her close friend and colleague Helen Conahan-Dettrey.
Within the course of her career of over 30 years, she has worked directly with students, preschool through adult, providing evidence-based instruction in both spoken and written language and their links through literacy. As a county-wide CCIU consultant, she consulted with school districts on literacy issues including: district-wide literacy program revision, professional staff development, data analysis and on-site support to teachers, specialists and administrators.
Cathy has a Master's Degree and Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech and Language Disorders and extensive ongoing personal professional development. Her experience spans both regular and special education in the areas of communication and literacy. She has been a participant in many state level projects and a member of the original content development team for the Pennsylvania Department of Education online literacy courses. She was a founding member of the
She also has responsibility for ITL's day-to-day operations, including financial management, special projects and internal consulting.
Dr. Linda Antonowich holds a Doctorate of Education and Masters of Education. She served as the Assistant Superintendent for the West Chester Area School District (WCASD) before retiring and now provides educational workshops and consultation for public and private schools as an educational consultant.
Dr. Antonowich has also served as a Supervisor of Language Arts/Reading K-12, a Coordinator of Gifted Education and a secondary English teacher. During her years of public school service, she also was an advisor to West Chester University 3E Institute, an adjunct professor for Graduate Education, Gywnedd Mercy College and an adjunct professor for Graduate Education, Immaculata University.
Over the years she has received numerous grants and awards including: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Response to Intervention Grant and a Read-to-Succeed Grant: awarded for three years for approximately $700,000.00 to develop reading programs for at-risk students. She has presented staff development workshops to teachers and administrators on the following topics: Curriculum Mapping, Domain Scoring (Writing) Reading/Writing Across the Curriculum, Responding to Open-ended Questions, Assessment Models, Assessment Anchors, Differentiated Instruction, Understanding by Design and Data Analysis to Affect Student Achievement.
Linda is endorsed by Language Circle©, Project Read© both as a Consultant and as a Lead Facilitator Instructor. She has presented for the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English, the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education, the PA ASCD, Pennsylvania Staff Development Council on Reading Achievement, and the National Staff Development Council on Literacy Coaching Models and served as Speaker’s Chair for the Pennsylvania Branch of International Dyslexia Association Conference.
