DDPA would like to introduce AMAZING ACT Leaders. Please join us in Thanking Rosette Roth, DDPA Co-Founder, for all of her hard work and dedication to our kiddos with Dyslexia.
Rosette Roth – DDPA Co-Founder
Rosette Roth co-founded Decoding Dyslexia PA (DDPA) out of the need to help create a community for other parents navigating issues involving dyslexia. Decoding Dyslexia is a parent grassroots advocacy group, which began when a group of parents in New Jersey joined forces in October 2011. Rosette discovered the Decoding Dyslexia New Jersey (DDNJ) group on Facebook. Soon after, Decoding Dyslexia Pennsylvania (DDPA), the second Decoding Dyslexia state, was born.
This was the start of a much bigger movement. There are now 50 Decoding Dyslexia states, Decoding Dyslexia DC and also several Canadian provinces and Decoding Dyslexia Bermuda, all expanding public knowledge about dyslexia. Thanks to the Decoding Dyslexia movement, many families have a community for sharing information about dyslexia resources and dyslexia awareness events.
Rosette is a member of several other dyslexia organizations and is a Parent to Parent volunteer, supporting others with children with learning differences. Rosette was recognized and honored for her work with dyslexia by the Robert Tate and Michele Washington Foundations in Harrisburg, PA in 2017.
Local progress in Pennsylvania regarding dyslexia includes Act 69 – Pilot Dyslexia Legislation, which was renewed. Recently, Chapter 49 was passed which brings new guidelines to the Department of Education. A task force will help that guideline become a reality in our schools.
Rosette is interested in Federal legislation supporting dyslexia and education as well as local legislation.
Rosette holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in English from the University of Delaware. Previous employment includes working at MacMillan Publishing Company and The Direct Marketing Association in New York, NY. She currently does freelance writing and social media marketing.
Jackie Behney – DDPA ACT Leader
Jackie Behney is a volunteer for Decoding Dyslexia Pennsylvania. She is a veteran public educator with a passion for reading, in particular, and educating, in general. Jackie joined the Decoding Dyslexia Action Committee in 2019 and works on all aspects of DDPA.
Jackie taught in the public school system for 32 years. As a classroom teacher, reading specialist, coach, and mentor, Jackie strove to find effective ways to reach all students. Frustrated by the lack of progress made by some, Jackie took a group of teachers to The Governor’s Institute in 2002. From here, her passion for professional development, or teaching teachers, was born.
Advocating for the struggling reader and writer, Jackie and a few close colleagues created summer and online professional development for teachers in their school district. She teaches a graduate-level cohort course for Wilson College, observes demonstration teachers as a clinical supervisor at Western Governors University, and has proudly joined The Reading League Pennsylvania.
She discovered Decoding Dyslexia Pennsylvania on Facebook and reached out to one of the leaders. Jackie is a strong leader with DDPA and collaborating DDPA events with other organizations.
Following the philosophy ‘when we know better, we do better’ Jackie’s visions include improvement of our teacher preparation studies, pre-school teacher professional development, as well as continued education in all school settings. Jackie holds a Master of Education/Curriculum Development from Penn State University.