Dr. Rachel Lella began her career in education as a teacher. She spent 12 years working with students in grades PK-4, largely in the Red Bank Borough Public Schools, where she had the opportunity to work closely with multilingual learners and their families. Moving into administration, she served in the dual role of elementary curriculum and instruction supervisor and K-12 ESL supervisor in the Wall Township Public Schools.
Dr. Lella holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and American studies from Rider University, a master’s degree in elementary education from Monmouth University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Kean University, a master’s degree in language education from Rutgers University, and a doctorate in teacher leadership from Rutgers University. Based on her doctoral research at Rutgers, she was awarded the Edward Fry Fellowship in Literacy and the Center for Literacy Development Endowed Scholarship.
Dr. Lella belongs to a number of professional education associations and regularly presents at their local, state, national, and international conferences in the areas of literacy, ESL, and educational leadership. She currently serves as the President of the New Jersey Literacy Association and the Administrator Task Force of the International Literacy Association. She is co-author of Literacy Changemakers: Bringing the Joy of Reading and Writing into Focus for Teachers and Students (2021, Guilford Press).