​

Quick Story ~

I am an educator and life-long learner. For almost 30 years I have worked in a variety of educational settings - as an elementary classroom teacher, as an Education Specialist for Ocean Grove Charter School, a mentor teacher, ran a Learning Lab to help struggling readers and provided private tutoring for struggling readers using the  Orton-Gillingham approach. My passion is helping students learn to read and it has been my greatest pleasure to work 1:1 with students to help them unlock the reading code. I continually seek ways to further my knowledge and understanding of literacy.

​

Slightly Longer Version ~
 Reading came to me naturally (I was a lucky one!), am a voracious reader and remember getting “in trouble” from my mom for reading too much. I was part of the “whole language” cycle of educational philosophy and will never forget the first time (post college!) that I learned that there was reading “code.” So many lightbulbs went off in my head. It made me realize why it was so challenging for me to learn foreign languages ~ how could I understand the phonetics of another language if I didn’t understand the phonetics in my own language first?!

​

After graduating from Santa Clara University with a BS in Psychology, I volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Seattle, and then pursued my Multi-Subject Teaching Credential. Being a classroom teacher is the hardest job I have ever done. I want to bow down and worship classroom teachers. We all should - these are some of the most important people shaping the future generation. If only every person could take a rotation in a classroom to understand the challenges teachers face every day: meeting the needs of every student, being engaging for multiple subjects a day, and giving regular feedback for growth. But there is also so much joy, fun and connection... I am forever grateful for my years as a classroom teacher.

Community & Advocacy ~
Community service and building awareness of literacy challenges are a huge part of my core. My most recent community service project (“job”) was helping to start a Branciforte Committee of the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Library. I was mentored in the new role as chair and learned leadership skills, met and collaborated with amazing library people (and new friends) and made connections with our amazing library staff.

Through these connections, my colleagues and I hosted three Dyslexia Simulations at our libraries over the last two years to build awareness of the challenges that those with dyslexia face.You can listen to my interview on KSQD  (link to the right)  discussing the simulations.

We hosted online parent and educator follow-up sessions which is where I first learned about the great work that Dyslexia Advocates are doing to guide parents and help make change in schools. I decided to enroll in a Dyslexia Advocate certificate program and now have a deeper understanding of Special Education Law, the IEP process and how to advocate for struggling readers.

I am honored that Mayor Keeley designated July 16, 2026 as Megan Grenier Day for my community service with the Branciforte Library Friends.

What’s Next ~
I am excited to continue my work as a reading intervention teacher, Dyslexia Advocate, parent educator and a LITERACY ADVOCATE….

Want to stay tuned for events, training, or sign up for an occasional newsletter?
Send me an email: megangrenier@literacy-advocate.com