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One in five individuals has a learning disability - 80 percent of which are language-based. - NICHD

Jeanie Munsterman Joins IDA-UMB Board

We’re pleased to announce that reading intervention teacher Jeanie Munsterman has joined the Board of Directors of IDA-UMB. Munsterman currently works with small groups of first and second grade students in a public school setting using the Orton-Gillingham method. Her passion and desire for reading success for all students, combined with her constant quest for high-quality teacher training to fulfill that desire, led her to IDA-UMB in 2003.

Munsterman was recently appointed to fill a vacant board position left by Winnelle Carpenter, director of Powerful Learning Concepts, who served on the board for the past two years. Carpenter continues to volunteer as an active member of IDA-UMB. “Winnelle’s contributions to IDA-UMB have been many and substantial,” said IDA-UMB President Cindee McCarthy. “As an academic therapist, presenter, and advocate, she has been a strong voice and mentor for children with language-based learning disorders, and was instrumental in our conference Youth Strand offerings. She continues to serve on our conference planning committee as a valuable resource to IDA-UMB.”

McCarthy noted Munsterman’s professional achievements were a clear fit for the board appointment. “Jeanie offers our members an impressive career in education, as a teacher and Orton-Gillingham practitioner, and as a leader in literacy acquisition. We are honored to have her work with us and know her strengths will add to our board roster.”

Munsterman supplemented her elementary teaching degree with Orton-Gillingham training, and is an associate member of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE). She has served as director/teacher of a preschool, taught kindergarten, first, second and fourth grades, developed and implemented an after-school reading program, and volunteered as a reading therapist. And, she has served on the Content Advisory Committee Birth to Grade 3 Test Framework Review for the new reading rules and the MN Teacher Licensure Examinations Materials Review. Munsterman is currently completing her Masters in Human Development with a focus on scientifically research-based reading instruction.