Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods selects Amy Denty to lead statewide literacy efforts

 State School Superintendent Richard Woods has selected Amy Denty, a proven K-12 educator with extensive experience supporting quality instruction and the development of robust literacy initiatives, as Director of Literacy for the Georgia Department of Education.

Denty will lead GaDOE’s coordinated literacy efforts, including the training and implementation process for the new K-12 English Language Arts standards; the agency’s work to support students with dyslexia; the Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) initiative, and GaDOE’s responsibilities under the Georgia Early Literacy Act.

“We are fundamentally committed to the development of early literacy skills for our students – knowing that children need that foundation of strong reading ability to enable the rest of their learning throughout their academic career,” Superintendent Woods said. “Amy’s background, experience, and commitment to student success make her the perfect choice for this new role, and I am confident she will take Georgia to new heights in the development of literacy skills for our students.”

Over the last decade, GaDOE has established literacy as a core component of the agency’s mission, dedicating extensive efforts and resources to the improvement of literacy instruction and attainment. Those efforts include the L4GA grant program, which leveraged more than $240 million in federal funds to move the needle on literacy, and the expansion of literacy readiness instructional supports and teacher training. The creation of a dedicated Director of Literacy role will ensure enhanced cohesion and collaboration with supports and resources to be coordinated across the agency.

“Amy brings literacy expertise and knowledge to this role, and she has also established relationships with educators across the state that will be a tremendous asset to the strategic work that lies ahead,” said Dr. April Aldridge, GaDOE Deputy Superintendent for Teaching & Learning. “I am confident that working together, we can lead Georgia into the future with a focused and intentional approach to literacy instruction.”

“I am excited about Georgia’s focus on and commitment to improving literacy in the state,” Denty said. “We are experiencing a unique synergy around literacy in Georgia – with collaboration and strong coordination of effort, we have the opportunity to positively impact students, teachers, and communities across our state. I’m grateful for the chance to be part of this work.”

About Amy Denty
Amy Denty is a proven K-12 educator with extensive experience supporting quality instruction, professional learning, support for teachers, and the development of robust literacy initiatives that ensure success for Georgia students.

Denty currently serves as Instructional Specialist for GaDOE’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation. In that role, she facilitated literacy support contracts with Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) across Georgia to provide literacy professional learning for educators and served as a liaison between rural districts and GaDOE to support curriculum and instruction needs at the local level. She collaborated with GaDOE Teaching & Learning to develop and revise Georgia’s new ELA standards and served on the Dyslexia Task Force, which oversaw revision of the GaDOE Dyslexia Informational Handbook.

Prior to that, Denty served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction and then Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the Wayne County School System, where she was directly responsible for K-12 curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and more. She also planned, developed, and implemented professional learning on the Science of Reading for all of Wayne County’s K-5 teachers, early intervention program teachers, and teachers of English Learners.

She previously served as an Assistant Principal and Instructional Coach in Wayne County and began her career as a classroom teacher in both Wayne County and Oconee County Schools.

Denty is a past chair of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the 2000 Georgia Teacher of the Year, and a winner of the prestigious Milken Educator Award.​