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Meet Our Team

Our Founders

Linda Diamond

Linda Diamond, CORE’s CEO, previously served as a public school teacher, principal, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for a K–12 school district, and Senior Policy Analyst with an emphasis on school to career, charter schools, and school reform. Mrs. Diamond is also the co-author of CORE’s professional books Teaching Reading Sourcebook and Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures.

Bill Honig

Bill Honig, CORE's founding President, served as California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1983 to 1993 and was a leader in the effort to establish a comprehensive improvement strategy in the United States.

Educational Services Management

Garla L. Brown, M.A.

Garla Brown is the Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for CORE. She holds a Master of Arts degree in educational leadership from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Brown has 18 years' experience in the public and private sectors of education. She has taught children of all ages, providing core content knowledge as well as supplemental support. She has served in several leadership roles at the school, district, and community levels. Since joining CORE, Ms. Brown has worked closely with districts of differing sizes and demographics as an Educational Consultant and later as a Regional Educational Services Manager. She has trained and provided support to a vast number of district leaders, coaches, and teachers in school districts across the country.

As CORE's Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Ms. Brown is passionate about the company's mission and is committed to ensuring that CORE continues to be a trusted advisor at all levels of K–12 education, working collaboratively with leaders and educators to support literacy and math achievement for all students.

Cris Goldy, M.Ed.

Cris Goldy is an Educational Services Manager with CORE. She is responsible for managing large client projects. She holds a Master of Education degree in special education from Central Washington University. Ms. Goldy has taught grades K–12; served as a reading consultant in Washington and Oregon; been a district federal projects director and an ESD program manager in Washington State; coordinated a state grant in Victoria, Australia; provided consultation and program facilitation at the school, district, and state levels; and presented numerous workshops and seminars at district, state, and regional events.

Ms. Goldy’s experience with CORE includes working in urban, suburban, and rural school settings. She is a lead consultant in special education and ESL/ELL workshops and is well versed in several commercial core reading programs, intervention programs, and supplemental materials. Most recently Ms. Goldy is serving as the lead and manager for a large implementation project throughout the state of Alaska, as well as working with both small and large districts throughout the country. Her interest in special needs students translates to a deep commitment to the success of each and every child learning to read.

Candace Rice, Ed.D.

Candace Rice is an Educational Services Manager with CORE. She is responsible for training CORE staff. She holds a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Rice has taught several grades at the middle and high school levels, has served as a reading/writing teacher specialist for low-performing schools in South Carolina, and has been a National Consultant for Soar to Success. In addition, she spent several years teaching adult education literacy courses.

Dr. Rice has presented numerous professional development sessions for classroom teachers, administrators, and district and state personnel. She has experience working in urban, suburban, and rural school settings. Her interest in literacy acquisition translates to a deep commitment for the success of each and every child learning to read.

Benjamin D. Scherz, Ed.M.

Benjamin Scherz is an Educational Services Regional Manager with CORE. He holds a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a focus on risk and prevention. Mr. Scherz has taught grade 1, grade 5, and special education, and has served as an educational consultant. Prior to joining CORE, Mr. Scherz worked as a reading coach for grades K–6 at a grant school in a small community located in the heart of the Navajo Nation.

Mr. Scherz's extensive knowledge of core curricula and intervention reading programs enables him to support school systems in implementing effective literacy programs.

Mr. Scherz’s career as an educator spans 15 years working in urban and rural school settings, primarily with Native American children and African American children from diverse educational backgrounds. His interest in reading and literacy is the foundation for his commitment to ensure the success of each and every child learning to read.

Educational Services Team

CORE’s Educational Services team brings the best expertise in the industry to clients we serve. Our highly qualified Educational Consultants bring on average over 15 years of professional development experience and have in-depth knowledge of the programs and curricula in place at school districts nationwide. We employ consultants who are subject matter experts in the fields of special education, English-language learners, Response to Intervention, and assessments. Meet our Educational Services Team.

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