Literacy Coordinator

Mandy is a dedicated educator with 23 years of experience in the field of education. She is a proud product of Santa Rosa County District Schools and holds a B.A. in Elementary Education, along with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. The first 10 years of her career, she had the honor to teach both elementary and high school reading. The knowledge gained through these experiences provided insight and perspective as she transitioned out of the classroom to serve as a school-based literacy coach and district coach for secondary literacy for the next 10 years. Upon receiving her master’s degree in Educational Leadership, she served the district for three years as the Coordinator of Continuous Improvement. As the current Coordinator of Literacy, she strives to promote excellent teaching and innovative learning in literacy to ensure every student in Santa Rosa County reaches their greatest potential.

Literacy Secretary

Balinda Sexton has been with the Santa Rosa County School District since January 2023 after relocating from Northern California and settling in Milton, Florida. Balinda comes from a substantial background of secretarial and management knowledge. She started her career in the medical field working in a comprehensive chiropractic office for 18 years.  During her time at the chiropractic office, she mastered coaching, secretarial, and management skills. She grew a passion for supporting and helping people be the very best they can be.

Once she became a mom, she began volunteering in her children’s classrooms. This is where her passion grew in education. Every spare minute she had, she volunteered in the classrooms, coached volleyball, cross country, and track.

In 2020, she resigned from the medical field and entered into education as a Paraprofessional / Front Office Secretary. She felt like this was the best of both words. She was able to work in small groups with students and help support the teachers and staff’s needs.

After moving to Milton, she joined SRCDS and the Literacy team. She is excited to offer her knowledge, skills and support to the Literacy Department as well as the Santa Rosa County District Schools.

Elementary TSA

Beth Lees has been an educator for 27 years and has been a part of the Literacy Department since 2012. Prior to that, she served as a teacher in the Santa Rosa County School District where she was honored to be named as the 2010 Santa Rosa County Teacher of the Year. Throughout her years in education, she has served as a classroom teacher, site-based literacy coach, and is currently serving as a Teacher on Special Assignment for Elementary Literacy. In this role, she plans and delivers district-wide professional development and assists teachers in implementing the core curriculum and other literacy initiatives. She is a product of the Santa Rosa County School System and is proud to support teachers and students in this outstanding school district.

TSA for Literacy

Whitney graduated from the University of West Florida in 2007, with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and continued her education at Troy University to earn a master’s degree in Counseling and Psychology. She started her teaching career at Benny Russell Elementary School as a Kindergarten teacher, as well as a third grade teacher. During these teaching years, she was honored to be named ‘Rookie of the Year’ as well as ‘Math Teacher of the Year’ for Benny Russell Elementary School. Since leaving the classroom, she has served as a School Counselor, Behavior Coach, and is currently serving as a teacher on special assignment for the literacy department. In this role, her goal is to continue to expand literacy tutoring programs throughout the county, training and equipping tutors to provide the most effective literacy instruction to our Santa Rosa County students.

Elementary School Literacy Coach

Kristen graduated from the University of West Florida, in 2006, with a degree in Elementary Education and a desire to change the world- one student at a time. After graduation, she was hired as a Kindergarten teacher at East Milton Elementary. Soon after she started teaching, her desire to learn and become the best teacher possible sent her back to the University of West Florida for a master’s degree in Reading Education (K-12).

She spent nine, glorious years in kindergarten: teaching hundreds of amazing five- and six-year-old students and learning valuable lessons from them. She then spent three years working as an Elementary Reading Interventionist and STEAM Lab Instructor for students in grades Kindergarten through Fifth grade. In 2017, she was named Santa Rosa County’s Teacher of the Year and had the opportunity to join the Florida Teacher Lead Network. The Teacher Lead Network provided coaching on her instructional practices and helped her develop skills to mentor colleagues. As she learned new information and became more knowledgeable, she felt it was her calling to share with others. She has a passion for leading professional development and collaborating with her colleagues. This passion led her to become a District Mentor Coach for two and a half years before returning to East Milton Elementary as their Literacy Coach.  She has a strong love of Literacy and enjoys supporting and mentoring teachers. She strives to provide guidance, encouragement, constructive feedback, and individualized support. She loves that she can help teachers discover their potential, become more capable and confident, and ensure success for the students of Santa Rosa County!

Elementary School Literacy Coach

Heidi Hancock has been a teacher for 15 years. She has always been an avid reader, but found her passion for literacy instruction when her son struggled to read in the 1990’s. She spent years in the classroom equipping herself with professional development in literacy by obtaining a reading endorsement, a master’s degree in reading, and a state certification in reading for grades K-12.

As a reading coach, Heidi has the opportunity to work with grades kindergarten through fifth grade, as well as with parents and faculty, to develop lessons that enrich the reading curriculum. Heidi is proud to be surrounded by professional educators who are passionate about literacy and professional development.

Elementary School Literacy Coach

Lucy Poole is a 2000 graduate of the University of West Florida with a degree in Pre-K/Primary Education. She began her teaching career in Escambia County teaching Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade over the course of 21 years. Lucy also obtained her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education in 2005. She went on to continue her learning and earn her reading endorsement. In 2021, Lucy made the move to Santa Rosa County to take a position as an Elementary Literacy Coach. She loves learning about the science of reading and is excited to share her knowledge with others. Lucy has a passion for literacy and is excited to help other teachers develop that passion as well.

Secondary TSA

Angela Hoomes began her career teaching middle school ELA in Palatka, FL.  After 3 years, she moved to Pace High School and taught 9th-11th ELA for 13 years and then served as a media specialist for 13 years.  In 2021, she became a literacy coach. She loves helping teachers be successful.  Reading is a passion for her, and there's nothing better for her than sharing that passion with others.

Secondary Literacy Coach

Leslie Briggs is joining the Literacy Department as a secondary literacy coach at King Middle School.  Leslie brings 32 years of experience teaching language arts for Santa Rosa County.  Her teaching career began at Hobbs Middle School and for the last 22 years, she has been a teacher at Milton High.  While at MHS, she taught reading classes, English I Honors, AP Literature & Composition, and she also advised the yearbook staff.  Throughout the years, Leslie has delivered district level writing in-service, and she was the 2006 Santa Rosa County Teacher of the Year.  She is excited to be in this new role because the success of this community matters to her.

Secondary Literacy Coach

Kelly has been an educator in Santa Rosa County for 26 years. She began her career teaching seventh-grade Language Arts and eighth-grade Drama at Gulf Breeze Middle School. Over the next decade, she taught a variety of grades at the elementary level, including several years in fifth grade. Following her love of reading, she transitioned to the Library Media Specialist role where she served for nine years. After completing her Master's in Reading, she then moved to Avalon Middle School where she taught seventh and eighth-grade Intensive Language Arts. She has spent the last six years at Navarre High School teaching Intensive Language Arts and serving as an ELA Interventionist. She is excited to move into her new role as the Literacy Coach at Avalon Middle School.

Secondary Literacy Coach

Katie Brown brings over 11 years of teaching experience to her new role as a literacy coach. Throughout her career, spanning from middle school to kindergarten, Katie has dedicated herself to fostering a love for reading and learning in her students. In her most recent position as the literacy leader and intervention specialist at Jay Elementary, she honed her skills in supporting both students and fellow educators. Katie is deeply passionate about literacy education and thrives on collaborating with teachers. Katie is eager to embark on this new chapter,  as the literacy coach for Hobbs Middle School.

Secondary Literacy Coach

Brooke is a 2000 graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Secondary Language Arts. She began her career at Pace High School teaching English Language Arts and Theatre.

Five years later, she moved to her hometown of Jay, Florida where she continued her 23 years of teaching at Jay High School and Jay Elementary School. During this time, she discovered her passion for students with varying needs, receiving her Exceptional Student Education Certification. She began finding ways to meet the needs of her students and began a mission of influencing others to do the same.

Years later, she began to learn even more about the science of reading and was inspired to received her reading endorsement. This brought an opportunity for her to teach secondary reading classes, where she has been able to motivate and help students to become successful readers.

Brooke is deeply passionate about literacy education and helping teachers problem solve with curriculum and classroom management. She has always been an idealist with the desire to help others and believes that all students and teachers can thrive when given encouragement, support, and respect. Brooke will be the literacy coach for Milton High School and Jay High School and is thrilled to embark on this new chapter.

TSA Library Media Specialist

Ruth Witter brings over 14 years of dedicated service to school library media, fostering a love of reading and promoting the effective use of information among students, families, and educators. As a leader and advocate for quality school library programs, Ruth’s work emphasizes access, innovation, collaboration, and empowering library professionals to create dynamic learning environments.

Currently serving as the President of the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME), Ruth has been an active member since 2011. Her contributions to the organization include serving on the Legislative Committee and representing Region 1 as a member of the Board of Directors. In her leadership role as FAME President, she champions statewide efforts to support school libraries and media specialists in delivering impactful resources and services.  Additionally, Ruth served on the Florida Department of Education work group that developed the library media training for school librarians across the state.

Ruth holds a Master of Library Science degree from East Carolina University and has held influential roles within both Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County School Districts. As a Library Media Specialist and District Library Media Specialist, she has guided countless educational initiatives designed to enhance library services and literacy engagement. Her experience and dedication make her a trusted leader in shaping the future of school libraries and media programs.

When she’s not advocating for libraries, Ruth enjoys connecting with fellow professionals, staying at the forefront of educational tech and library trends , and supporting literacy development at all levels.