Dr. Deborah Rosenow
Dr. Deborah Rosenow, assistant professor of elementary education at Lee University, has been selected to serve on the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation’s Educator Advisory Council. She will serve a two-year term beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.
Dr. Rosenow is one of nine new members chosen from a pool of 48 applicants. She will serve on the rising third grade focus group of the statewide council, which is made up of 25 current and former K–5 educators, literacy specialists, librarians, and school leaders. The EAC supports GELF’s mission to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Rosenow representing Lee University and the broader educational community on this important initiative,” said Dr. Bill Estes, dean of the Helen DeVos College of Education. “Her experience and passion for literacy will be a valuable asset to the council and to students across the state.”
As part of her responsibilities, Dr. Rosenow will help review and select books for GELF’s K–3 Home Library program, which provides curated book sets to students across Tennessee. She will also collaborate in developing instructional resources, such as student Thinksheets and caregiver guides, to accompany selected titles. Additional duties include participating in focus groups, supporting community literacy outreach, and assisting with the foundation’s “Tenn Under 10” initiative.
"It is such an honor to be selected to serve on the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation Educator Advisory Council,” said Dr. Rosenow. “I look forward to collaborating with professionals from across the state as we work to provide engaging resources that will enrich the literacy experiences of Tennessee's youngest readers."
Dr. Rosenow joined Lee University’s Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education in the Helen DeVos College of Education as a full-time faculty member in 2020. With more than 30 years of experience in education, she has taught students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in Hawaii, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, South Korea, and Tennessee.
She holds a Doctor of Education from Carson-Newman University, an EdS in principal licensure, an MEd from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and a BS from Oklahoma Baptist University. Dr. Rosenow is a National Board-Certified Teacher and operates Rosenow Literacy Consulting, an education firm providing K–12 literacy training across the United States.
Her work has been published in the Journal of Literacy Innovation, and her professional affiliations include the International Literacy Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and NASA Explorer Schools.
For more information on the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation and its Educator Advisory Council, visit governorsfoundation.org.
For more information about Lee Helen DeVos College of Education, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/education/.