Dr. East has a dedication to public education. Her professional career includes more than twenty-six years of practicum experience in teaching on the elementary through collegiate levels, as well as in curriculum development. She served as a classroom teacher, an interventionist, literacy coach, curriculum writer, and a district instructional specialist. Her certifications include teaching in early childhood education, elementary education, K-12 reading, and ESOL. Most of her educational experiences include dual language schools with students from linguistically – diverse backgrounds. Her research focuses on primary writing, accountable talk, literacy engagement, and literacy for diverse language learners. Additionally, she co-authored an article in The Journal of Research in Child Education and is a presenter at major educational conferences. Dr. East is married to Daniel. They have two adult children and two grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family, reading, and traveling.