Eyes on Reading: When Researchers and Schools Work Together

Saturday, September 12, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

$15.00 | Friedman Family Auditorium

In 2018, Carmen Conner became principal of Pineview Elementary School. Just a few miles away, Dr. Nicole Patton-Terry became a professor at the Florida Center for Reading Research. They were working toward the same goal — helping more children learn to read — but they had never met.

When Patton-Terry reached out to Conner, the two discovered they each had something the other needed. Patton-Terry brought decades of research on reading development. Conner brought deep knowledge of her students, teachers, and school community. Together, they built a partnership that combined research, professional learning, and classroom expertise to improve reading instruction and student achievement.

Join journalist Emily Hanford for a conversation with Patton-Terry and Conner about what it takes to bring the science of reading into schools. Through stories from their work together, they’ll explore how researchers and educators can learn from one another, why lasting change depends on trust and collaboration, and what their experience offers for schools and communities everywhere. Following the discussion, Emily Hanford, Planet Word’s Journalist-in-Residence, will moderate an audience Q&A.

9:00 – 9:45 a.m. — Pastry reception (Planet Word Lobby)
10:00 a.m. — Program begins

This program is part of the Journalist-in-Residence Program, presented with support from the Ibis Group, and a featured event in the Eyes on Reading series.

For questions or concerns regarding accessibility needs, please contact [email protected].