About Us
"Great vision without great people is irrelevant." - Jim Collins
Our Story
Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job.
With over 25 years of experience in diverse schools between them, Heather and Deirdre witnessed countless teachers working tirelessly to help their students succeed only to find themselves frustrated at the results. Recognizing teachers have the greatest impact upon student achievement, and the science of reading is not yet taught in most educator prep programs, they began to imagine an approach to support and grow the people who do the work.
Root Literacy Design was born to empower teachers and build sustainable structures within schools so ALL students learn to read and write.
Meet The Team
Heather Ballantine
Founder & Chief Vision Officer
Heather is a Rhode Island Department of Education approved provider of professional learning in the science of reading and Structured Literacy. She works part-time as a Literacy Coach at The Compass School in Kingston, RI. She earned a master’s degree in Literacy Education from Roger Williams University and is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach. Heather has experience as a teacher, literacy coach, reading specialist, adjunct professor, and educational consultant. She is happiest when in classrooms coaching teachers and working with students.
An “Endo Warrior,” Heather is passionate about education and advocacy for endometriosis. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Adam, and their dog and cat.
Deirdre Tarpey
Thought Partner
Deirdre is the spunk and practicality behind Root Literacy Design, with over 16 years of professional education experience as an administrator, academic coach, and teacher. She believes teachers are the foundation upon which all schools stand, and has a goal to empower educators with high-quality professional development, voice, and choice. She has recruited, trained, and championed cross-curricular teaching teams who lead their colleagues in developing literacy action plans and implementing new strategies for success. Her professional background is a mosaic blending education, business, and non-profit experience and perspectives. Her passions are building collaborative relationships, nurturing organizations, and creating welcoming cultures that promote success.
Dawn Carusi
Literacy Partner
Dr. Dawn Carusi has extensive field experience as a special educator, classroom teacher, elementary & secondary reading specialist, regional literacy facilitator, MTSS/RTI coordinator, and literacy consultant. She is co-author of a Bridge-RI module in support of RI’s Right to Read Act, is a LETRS professional learning facilitator, and serves schools across the United States and Canada as a lead coach with Tools4Reading. She is a certified AIM Pathways Orton Gillingham practitioner, is Wilson Level 1 and CERI certified, and founded Baobab Literacy LLC. Dawn is the Coordinator for Carroll University’s Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist Graduate Program, and proudly serves as adjunct faculty for Rhode Island College, where she earned her undergraduate degree. Dawn is passionate about teacher preparation and supporting the needs of all learners – especially those who struggle.
Amy Goldblatt
Fellow in Training
Amy is a 3rd & 4th grade teacher in a multi-age classroom at The Compass School in Kingston, RI. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Rhode Island in Psychology and a master’s degree at New York Institute of Technology in Elementary Education. She has been working with Root Literacy Design to implement the science of reading and Structured Literacy in her classroom since 2020. Amy grew up in New York, But spent all of her summers in Narragansett, RI. She loves singing, dancing, and teaching, and is so happy that she finally found her niche in the classroom where she can do all three. She most enjoys teaching students how to read, recognizing that doing so gives them the tools they need to unlock all opportunities that come their way in life.
Amy loves to be outside, play ultimate frisbee, and paddle board. She lives in RI with her cat, Kevin, and her many house plants.
Enneagram Type: 7, The Enthusiast
Sarah Craft
Fellow in Training
Sarah is a 3rd & 4th grade teacher at The Compass School in Kingston, RI, where she once attended as a student. She has experience teaching early childhood and elementary education in urban and suburban settings. She earned her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She has been working with Root Literacy Design to implement the science of reading and Structured Literacy since 2020. As a teacher, Sarah is passionate about helping students fall in love with learning and tackle challenging skills, like long division and reading & spelling multisyllabic words.
If Sarah wasn’t a teacher, she would be an archaeologist. She lives in Rhode Island with her partner, Tyler, and their pet fish.