Contact & Information

Dr. Dooley has been a Certified Academic Language Therapist for 51 years.  She spent two years in public education and was then worked as an intern at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas in the original Alphabetic Phonics Program.  She was with the Shelton School for 12 years as a therapist and Curriculum Director.  She started a school, Southwest Academy, a school for Learning Different Children and was there for 18 years.  She was hired by McKinney Christian Academy to begin the Directed Studies Support Program and to continue with the teacher training program she began at the Shelton School.  She now observes trainees in the Take Flight Program at McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training Program.

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Pam Bazis has 30 years of experience in education. She spent her first 25 years in public schools as an elementary general education teacher, reading specialist, instructional specialist and dyslexia therapist.  Pam is a life-long learner and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with certifications in Early Childhood and English Language Learners, a Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, and a Doctoral degree in Educational Studies specializing in Special Education. In her doctoral program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Pam focused her research on intervention development for students with Dyslexia & Dysgraphia.  She is currently a professor at the university level and a Take Flight Instructor at McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training center. She received an award at the IMSLEC meeting, October of 2025 as an Outstanding Educator in a College or University. 

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Director of the Winston School Take Flight Reading Lab
Principal of the Winston Lower School

Dr. Sass has a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University, a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Fort Hays State University, a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, and her doctorate is in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.  She has served in elementary education for 20 years, 2 years as an Administrative Trainer, an Administrator for 25 years, served as Lower School Principal at McKinney Christian for 14 years, and is currently serving as the Lower School Division Head & Director of the Language Lab at the Winston School for the past 12 years.  She teaches classes as well in the Take Flight Curriculum, with three classes.

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Peggy Brooks has 36 years of experience in education. She spent 28 years in public schools teaching K, 1st, and 4th grades.  She spent her last 5 years in public school as a Dyslexia Therapist in Allen, Texas, at Allen ISD. After retiring in 2008, Peggy taught for  6 more years at Southwest Academy and at McKinney Christian Academy. Peggy works as a private therapist in El Dorado, Arkansas, and serves as a consultant at our Teacher Training division. 

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Dena began teaching at a private school in Anchorage, Alaska in 1995. After moving to Texas, she has worked in several public schools as a reading interventionist and dyslexia therapist, and is currently the Dyslexia Coordinator at Prestonwood Christian Academy. Dena holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Liberty University in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Education, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Texas A&M Commerce. Dena began her journey as a dyslexia therapist in 2010 at Southwest Academy (now McKinney Christian Academy MCA-MTT).She established her CALT in 2012 and QI in 2024. 

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Kara has worked in public education for 19 years.  She served as an elementary general education teacher before pursuing an interest in dyslexia therapy in 2012.  She credits her grandmother, a CALT who studied with Dr. Dooley in the early 1990’s, for sparking her love of working with struggling learners.  Kara is the Allen ISD district Dyslexia Coordinator.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music and History and a Master’s degree in Teaching.  Kara received her CALT training at McKinney Christian Academy and her QI training at McKinney Christian as well.  She instructs in the training center and also organizes and prepares for the Alta Exam Review classes.

Melody Herring has worked in public and private education for 24 years.  She has served as a special education and general education teacher, elementary and middle school campus administrator, dyslexia therapist, and educational diagnostician. She is the owner and founder of R.E.A.D. Evaluation and Dyslexia Center, where she conducts Psychoeducational evaluations for specific learning disabilities, specializing in but not limited to dyslexia and related disorders. Melody holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas Woman’s University.  She completed the credentials for certification as an Educational Diagnostician through Midwestern State University and is a Registered Professional Educational Diagnostician through Texas Professional Educational Diagnosticians. She received her CALT training as well as her QI training at McKinney Christian Academy.

Erika has worked in education for 17 years.  She worked in private school for five years and learned her true passion is to teach reading to dyslexics.  She attended McKinney Christian Academy and completed her CALT in 2014.  She worked as a Dyslexia Therapist ever since in several districts.  Erika currently works in Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD.  She holds a Bachelors in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University and Masters in Curriculum Instruction with a specialization in reading.

Tiffani Standridge has 15 years of experience in education.  She spent her first 5 years in public schools in elementary and high school as a resource inclusion teacher. She was the dyslexia therapist at a public charter school in McKinney for 10 years. For the last 3 years she was an educational diagnostician for McKinney ISD. She is excited to be moving back to teaching Dyslexia full time in Wylie ISD.   Tiffani holds a Master’s degree in Special Education Specializing in Dyslexia. She received her CALT and QI at McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training.  Tiffani is an instructor at the McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training Center.

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Kristina has worked in education for 14 years.  She served as a 1st and 2nd grade teacher and a dyslexia therapist.  Kristina has had the experience of working in both public and private education.  Kristina is currently a therapist and the Director of the Lower School LLC and Dyslexia Services at Legacy Christian Academy and was trained at McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training Center for her CALT and QI. Her Bachelor’s degree was in Social Work from Baylor University and a Master’s Degree from Midwestern State University in special education.  Kristina currently serves on the Board of Directors for ALTA.

Karen Widler is a QI for our trianing center and instructs in the Take Flight, Build and Jet Curriculum.  Karen is currently at Weatherford ISD as a therapist at Crockett Elementary and Weatherford NGC and Weatherford High School. She was trained at McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training Center for her CALT and QI. Her Bachelor’s degree was in Agriculture Science from Baylor University and a Master’s Degree from Midwestern State University in special education.

Tyler has worked in public education for 12 years. She has served as a 2nd and 5th grade classroom teacher as well as dyslexia therapist and evaluator from ages kindergarten through 9th grade. Tyler received her masters as a Reading Specialist with an added endorsement in Dyslexia in Arkansas from Harding University. She then relocated to Texas and began CALT training in 2017 at MCA MTT. Tyler is currently serving students with dyslexia at Rockwall ISD.

Tara has been teaching students in both public and private settings for over 30 years.  She has extensive training in the field of education.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction-Reading, and an American Montessori Society Elementary I Credential.
She is the co-founder of the Written Word Center for Dyslexia and Learning in Wheaton, Illinois, where she works with students as a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She was supported by instructors at the McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training Center.  As a QI, she trains individuals to implement Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia.  She was instrumental in launching the ALTA Illinois Chapter and has served on the board as President, and most recently as Vice President.

Noel Leif is a passionate educator focused on the educational development of children with dyslexia and learning differences using multi-sensory teaching methods.  In 2015, with the help of CoxHealth Hospital.  She founded the Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning in 2016, while  she began serving as part of Missouri’s Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia.  Noel has been a Dyslexia specialist for nine years.  The instructors at McKinney Christian Multisensory Teacher Training Program supported Noel with her endeavors at CoxHealth Hospital.

Marla was a public school teacher for 22 years.  She has taught K through 2nd grade, and Title I Reading.  She is certified Birth-6th grade and Special Education K-12.  Marla began her Dyslexia teaching journey in 2012.  She was trained at McKinney Christian and is a Certified Academic Language Therapist and a Qualified Instructor in Take Flight.  As the Center’s psychometrist, she also conducts all evaluations and screeners.