About Us

Rebecca Miles is a Literacy Consultant, Coach Coordinator, and PBIS Coach for a county in Southwest Michigan with over twenty years of experience. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University with early childhood, social studies, and science endorsements. Rebecca holds a Master of Literacy Studies degree with an additional Reading Specialist endorsement from Western Michigan University. Her school-level experience includes literacy coaching, development of MTSS systems, and classroom teaching at multiple grade levels from young five to middle school ELA and science, as well as participating in a successful school transformation. Rebecca’s school was identified as a Priority School performing at the third percentile on the MEAP and ascended to the fiftieth percentile on MSTEP in four years. She is also an Explicit Instruction (Anita Archer) Trainer of Trainers and is Orton Gillingham and LETRS trained.

Her primary focus is working with teachers and administrators in assessing needs and integrating multi-tiered systems of support for K-3 literacy, including coaching building level teams in data analysis, and developing and modeling high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction to ensure momentum and growth around all things literacy. Rebecca is also the parent of three grown children and five grandchildren. Two of her children are neuroatypical, one due to dyslexia and one to brain cancer.

Chelsea Boyd is a Consultant for Special Education Literacy Support for a county in Southeast Michigan. She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in special education with an endorsement for students with emotional impairments. She also holds a Master’s of Educational Media and Technology from Eastern Michigan University, where she holds both her degrees. She has been teaching and coaching for 13 years in the area of special education and tiered systems of support. She has developed training and coaching around Specially Designed Instruction for students with IEPs and guides districts in implementation of support plans that accelerate student learning. Her additional work as a PBIS external coach and trainer has continued schools on their journey of a comprehensive support system for students in the areas of academics and behavior. Her greatest accomplishment is her family, as a wife and mother of two young boys.

With over 20 years of experience working in education, Kirsten Rice is the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Coordinator for an ISD in West Michigan. She coordinates a multi-disciplinary team that provides training and coaching supports to teams from local school districts focused on increasing their capacity to implement a sustainable district-wide model of MTSS for both behavior and academics. She works closely with Michigan’s Technical Assistance Center for Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MiMTSS) to deliver professional development for district leaders and teachers in the areas of implementation science, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and scientifically based reading instruction. Kirsten received both her Bachelor in Psychology and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Michigan. Before her current position, Kirsten spent two years as a district-level PBIS Consultant and ten years as a school social worker.

Julie Tyrna is currently an interventionist in Livingston County and services K-4th grade students needing additional support in reading and math. She received her BA in Applied Psychology with an emphasis in Special Education from Grand Valley State University. In 2009, Julie was trained in F.A.S.T Learning, developed by Stephen Tatum, the research-based approach of direct instruction in basic reading skills. This training led Julie to research and study ways to implement the structured literacy approach into effective practice. After seeing the success with students, her passion was fueled to continue learning and to find different ways to deliver this high quality literacy instruction to as many students as possible. She became a private tutor in 2010 and has joined TRL MI to continue her advocacy and support for the Science of Reading.

Julie Tyrna is currently an interventionist in Livingston County and services K-4th grade students needing additional support in reading and math. She received her BA in Applied Psychology with an emphasis in Special Education from Grand Valley State University. In 2009, Julie was trained in F.A.S.T Learning, developed by Stephen Tatum, the research-based approach of direct instruction in basic reading skills. This training led Julie to research and study ways to implement the structured literacy approach into effective practice. After seeing the success with students, her passion was fueled to continue learning and to find different ways to deliver this high quality literacy instruction to as many students as possible. She became a private tutor in 2010 and has joined TRL MI to continue her advocacy and support for the Science of Reading.

David Pelc has been teaching for 20 years. He has spent the majority of his teaching career with 2nd graders, but also taught first, third and fourth grade. David received his Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Michigan University and Master’s Degree from Marygrove College. For the past 4 years, he has been enjoying and serving as a Reading Interventionist in a public school located in Romulus, Michigan. David Pelc recently discovered the Science of Reading and evidence-based instruction in November of 2020. Since then, he has been learning as much as he can to give his students the best possible instruction. In addition, David Pelc has been on a mission to share his new knowledge with his district and the use of social media to spread information about the Science of Reading.

For more than 2 decades, Nora has trained and coached thousands of teachers and taught countless students, from preschoolers to senior citizens, with instruction based on the Science of Reading. She is the author of a bi-weekly blog and host of monthly webinars that aim to educate educators and the public about effective, efficient literacy practices.

Julie Brehmer is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Saginaw Valley State University where she primarily teaches undergraduate and graduate literacy methods courses but also teaches in the special education program. Prior to joining SVSU in 2022, Julie spent two and a half years as a Literacy Consultant with the Michigan Department of Education, preceded by 14 years of classroom experience as a special education teacher and teacher consultant. During the years Julie was in the classroom her passion grew to ensure all students receive literacy instruction that meets all children’s needs. Motivated to deepen her understanding of literacy development and evidence-based approaches to literacy instruction, she decided to pursue a doctoral degree in special education with a specialization in language and literacy from Michigan State University. Julie has participated in numerous trainings grounded in structured literacy including Orton Gillingham and LETRS. She works with thinkSRSD to provide professional development training to educators in Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), a well-established evidence-based writing instructional framework. Julie lives in Brighton with her husband of 32 years and has two grown daughters, a son-in-law, and two grand puppies.

Heidi Turchan, M.Ed. is an Early Literacy Consultant for Calhoun ISD. During her 25 years in education, Heidi has worked as a reading specialist/Literacy Coach specializing in dyslexia, AD/HD and focused on urban school districts. She served as the Curriculum and Instruction Director for SLD Read in Kalamazoo. She has provided early literacy support to teachers in data analysis and implementation of MTSS processes; integration and implementation of the science of reading practices and is a National LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator. She has been a board member of SW MI CHADD, Ready to Read Kalamazoo and MI International Dyslexia Association Board President. Heidi lives in Portage with her husband and has three grown children, two of whom have dyslexia.

Heidi Turchan, M.Ed. is an Early Literacy Consultant for Calhoun ISD. During her 25 years in education, Heidi has worked as a reading specialist/Literacy Coach specializing in dyslexia, AD/HD and focused on urban school districts. She served as the Curriculum and Instruction Director for SLD Read in Kalamazoo. She has provided early literacy support to teachers in data analysis and implementation of MTSS processes; integration and implementation of the science of reading practices and is a National LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator. She has been a board member of SW MI CHADD, Ready to Read Kalamazoo and MI International Dyslexia Association Board President. Heidi lives in Portage with her husband and has three grown children, two of whom have dyslexia.

Craig Bulgrin is an elementary building administrator with Chippewa Valley Schools in Clinton Township, MI with 25 years of experience. He received his Bachelor’s degree in teaching from Western Michigan University, his Master’s Degree in Teaching from Marygrove College, and a Master’s Degree in Administration and Leadership from Wayne State University. Craig taught 5th grade for 6 years at Fox Elementary before moving into administration. After moving into the role of principal at Miami Elementary, Craig quickly established an MTSS model for interventions in 2006 (RtI at the time). While the building saw growth quickly with some of their students, they were not able to get ALL their students to reading proficiency. In 2019, Chippewa Valley Schools began the transition to using Science of Reading best practices and brought in the Reading League for principal and teacher training. From then on, Craig has fully committed to implementing building schedules, core instruction, and a new and improved MTSS model that all align with the Science of Reading best practices.

Craig has been happily married to his wife Andrea for 20 years, and they have a 16 year old son, Kenny. He enjoys spending time in northern MI fishing, hunting, and spending time with family and friend at the lake.