Connection Consultants is an educational consulting and training company with extensive experience working in the public and private sectors. Our primary focus is on using Literacy as a stimulus for improving schools and communities.
We work with school district and community leaders to insure that key stakeholders understand the purpose, importance and consequences of achieving high levels of student and adult literacy.
Achieving high levels of student literacy requires:
Using valid and reliable educational research information, Connection Consultants provide consulting and training services for all members in the school and local community to ensure that:
We believe that Literacy Leadership can be a powerful stimulus for improving the quality of life for children and adults. Most importantly we provide communities access to the world of literacy for the purpose of seeing individuals achieve the highest level of literacy skills and become productive citizens.
We believe that it is crucial that school communities understand the purpose, importance, and consequences of achieving high levels of student literacy.
Literacy is synonymous with liberty. Low-level literacy skills have a devastating impact on an individual’s opportunity to become a productive citizen and make positive contributions to society.
Students and community members with low literacy skills are basically eliminated from participation in postsecondary education, which is a necessity to gain access to middle class status and earnings (Diploma to Nowhere, 2008).
Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking are basic life skills and foundational blocks upon which all intellectual learning takes place. Literacy proficiency is critical for students to be successful in middle school and high school, as well as college, and to their ability to lead successful lives as adults. (Alliance for Excellence in Education, 2006).
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School District leaders, building principals and community leaders are responsible for creating an environment that promotes Literacy.
Principals and teachers who operate as skillful leaders contribute to improving student achievement (Lambert, 2007).
Insufficient literacy skills are a consistent predictor of dropping out of school, spending time in incarceration, poor health, and earning low wages (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009).
If society truly wants to see people free to become productive citizens that make positive contributions to the communities they live in, the nation must be concerned, particularly from a moral and ethical perspective, with the literacy skills of the students enrolled in our schools, especially adolescent students.
Karen P. Walker, Ed.D.
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Karen is an Educational Consultant. She most recently served as a university administrator and faculty member. As a university administrator Dr. Walker was responsible for overseeing undergraduate student success and retention. In her faculty position she served as an Assistant Professor of Education with a focus on Literacy education. Her professional journey which spans for over 20 years started with her serving as classroom teacher and instructional leader in the public and private school sectors. She holds State of Illinois teaching and administrator licensures.
Karen recognizes the purpose and consequences of achieving high levels of literacy and works diligently connecting under-served communities to the world of literacy. Karen has a Master’s degree in Language and Literacy and a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She combines her experiences as a classroom teacher, university professor and administrator with her knowledge of Literacy and Educational Leadership to increase student achievement.
She believes it is crucial that society, particularly school communities, understand the purpose, importance and consequences of achieving high levels of student literacy. Dr. Walker’s research interests include: first generation college student success, policy advocacy, independent student reading and literacy leadership development. Karen is married and resides in Northern Illinois where she enjoys gardening, traveling, relaxing while reading a good book and spending time with her family and friends.
