About me
Laura Beltchenko is a 34 year veteran educator. Her career in public education included classroom teacher, reading specialist, teacher and coordinator of gifted education programs as well as an associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction for a Chicago suburban school district. She is an adjunct faculty member as well as doctoral student in the Reading and Language Arts Department of National Louis University in Illinois. She is committed to the professional development of Kindergarten – 12th grade teachers as they implementation of the Common Core Standards as well as the education of the whole child.
She continues to advocate for the educational needs of high ability and gifted learners and was a past recipient of the prestigious Administrator of the Year by the National Association for Gifted Children. She serves as the current chairperson of the Illinois State Board of Education Gifted Advisory Council.
In 2009 she was named the Illinois North Suburban Library System Library Advocate of the Year for her advocacy of school and public libraries and in 2010 she was named the Lake County Illinois Innovative Educator by the Illinois Principals Association. As the program chair for the Illinois Association for Title I Directors, she works closely with the Illinois State Board of Education staff to plan educational professional development for Illinois school administrators. As an advocate for literacy she held the post of president of the Illinois Suburban Council of the International Reading Association for 3 years. She values her 24 year tenure on the Libertyville Illinois District #70, Board of Education and held a Master Board Member status during her tenure on the board.
Laura is an invited presenter at state and national conventions on topics such as balanced literacy, gifted education, children’s literature and more recently her doctoral studies have her researching and presenting on the English Language Arts Common Core Standards. Her interests outside of the educational field include collecting children’s literature/picture books, antique shopping, and spending quality time with family and friends.