**PRIVATE** Atlanta Public Schools Cohort 1 In-Person Classroom Educator Spring 2026
In-Person Training | Available
****PRIVATE COURSE**** (By Invitation Only)
Learn how to effectively implement the Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach in your classroom. This course provides a thorough understanding of English language structure and sequential teaching, essential for multisensory, structured literacy, and fulfills the coursework for the Orton-Gillingham Academy Classroom Educator Level.
NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS: 30 hours (3 CEUs)
- Prerequisite: None
- Course Dates: Feb 7th, Mar 7th, Mar 28th, & Apr 25th, 2026
- Course Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm EST (1 hour lunch break)
- Location: Delivered In Person @ APS, Instructional Service Center, 433 Peeples St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
- Instructor: Jen Burch, Fellow/OGA
The training curriculum for the OGCE level leads to a basic understanding of the following elements of Orton-Gillingham (OG) instruction:
Reading acquisition in all learners and the nature and needs of the dyslexic learner
The Orton-Gillingham Approach
Awareness of the OGA seminal works
Brain Research in relation to reading
Understanding the difference between an Approach and a scripted program
Knowledge of the principles of the instruction and the ability to explain why the principles of the Orton-Gillingham Approach are effective
Knowledge and Structure of the English Language
Development of the Orton-Gillingham Lesson Plan for Groups or Classroom
Course expectations:
- Attend all class meetings in person for the entire duration of the course
- Complete homework assignments between classes.
- Read assigned required readings and reading reflections
- Take a brief final exam
We are so excited to have you join us! To ensure you get the most out of this experience and to maintain the continuity of our group discussions, we kindly ask that you attend all scheduled sessions within your chosen cohort.
Because our curriculum builds upon itself each week, we are unable to accommodate "cohort hopping" or switching between groups once the course begins. By selecting a cohort, you are committing to all the specific dates listed for that group. This helps us create a stable, supportive environment for everyone involved!
- Course manual and all visual drill decks are provided and will be available the first day of training.
Jen Burch
Jen has worked at Readsource for seven years, as an outreach program coordinator to remediate students in an underserved elementary school in Atlanta, a teacher trainer, and now as the Director of Academic Programs. Jen began her career as a molecular biologist at Emory University. It wasn’t until 2013, when her then second grade daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, that she began her training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to better understand her child’s needs. Since then, Jen has become a Fellow with the Orton Gillingham Academy. She believes that the ability to read is a basic human right, and literacy is the great equalizer. In her role as Director of Academic Programs, her goal is to help ALL students read on grade level by strategically working to bring high-quality instruction based on the Orton Gillingham methodology to more teachers across the US and around the world.