Our Team
Linda Szakmary
Linda Szakmary has five decades of experience working as a classroom teacher, a district curriculum writer, a district facilitator of K-5 writing, and as a county K-8 literacy coach. She now works for Sullivan and Orange-Ulster BOCES as a content specialist. A poetry advocate and a lover of words and children’s literature, she has been a presenter at several state-wide conferences on vocabulary and writing. Currently, she is working with the staff developers of Mossflower to study intermediate vocabulary instruction within a reading workshop. Linda lives in Stone Ridge, NY where she enjoys gardening, yoga, reading, and rooting for the Yankees. You can often find her on a beach searching for sea glass.
Amanda Kovac
Amanda Kovac has twelve years of experience working as a classroom teacher. Formerly an Elementary Literacy Coach for Saugerties Central School District, she now serves as an intermediate Reading Specialist in the Onteora district. Her coaching and teaching philosophy is three dimensional; dream and set goals, dedicate time and enthusiasm towards those goals, and deliver to all. A leader in curriculum reform, research based instructional practices, and increasing student achievement levels, she is committed to creating equitable and joyful literacy experiences. She passionately provides educators, families, and students memorable opportunities towards lifelong reading and writing. Amanda lives in Saugerties, NY with her three young children. All three are learning words at a rapid rate! JOYcabulary was sparked by an experience her four-year-old daughter had with the multiple meanings of the word duck.