Mississippi Chapter

Jenny King is a veteran teacher. She attended Mississippi University for Women and received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an add-on license in Mild/ Moderate handicaps. She attended Mississippi College and received her master’s degree in Dyslexia Therapy. Mrs. King is the co-founder and Dyslexia Therapy Administrator of Kaleidoscope Heights Academy, a school for students with all capabilities, located in Jackson, MS.

Laurie Weathersby received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Mississippi State University and her master’s degree from Mississippi College in Dyslexia Therapy. She recently received her Education Specialist Degree in Education Leadership at Mississippi College. Laurie served as a first-grade teacher and an elementary school interventionist, where she was selected as Teacher of the Year for her work in the intervention program. Laurie transitioned from school interventionist to district interventionist and dyslexia coordinator before becoming the elementary intervention specialist for the state. In her current position at the Mississippi Department of Education, she works as the Bureau Director of the Office of Intervention Services. Laurie is a Certified Academic Language Therapist and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist. She will begin working on her Qualified Instructor Certification this summer at Mississippi College.

Anna attended The University of Southern Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a Master of Education degree in Dyslexia Therapy. She later received my psychometry endorsement from William Carey University. She was the Dyslexia Specialist for a Mississippi Public School district for seven years where she served K-12 and worked closely with Curriculum and Instruction. Anna is currently the Dyslexia Specialist and Psychometrist at the DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi where she assists in evaluations, professional development, dyslexia therapy, and supervision of graduate students. She resides in Petal, MS with my husband and two children. 

“Teaching gifted minds to read” is her passion. Rene has been a Dyslexia Therapist since she graduated from Mississippi College in 2008 and became a CALT in 2010. She received her degree in Educationally Handicapped from Mississippi College in l983 and previously taught Special Education for 28 years in the public school system. Since her retirement in 2011 from Hinds County Schools, she has continued to provide dyslexia therapy in Hinds County Schools and Central Hinds Academy through her personal business, Dyslexia Therapy Services, Inc. She is a founding member of the MS ALTA Chapter and served as Treasurer for the first two years. She is proud of the chapter and its service to the community and therapists. She has been married for 42 years to the most wonderful dyslexic man and has two married children. Best of all, she has two grandsons who are her heart.

Ashley Runnels attended Millsaps College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Remedial Reading and Special Education. She was a Special Education teacher for six years. She attended Mississippi College where she received her Master’s of Education in Dyslexia Therapy. She is currently serving as the Director of Learning Services for St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. She lives in Brandon, Mississippi with her husband and daughter.