Jamila Mallard is a National Board Certified Teacher with more than two decades of experience in elementary education. She currently teaches a first/second-grade combination class and is passionate about connecting the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning to strengthen literacy instruction. Through evidence-based and data-informed practices, she cultivates rich language experiences and culturally responsive classrooms where confident readers, skilled writers, critical thinkers, and engaged learners thrive. She earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Tennessee State University and her master's degree in Reading and Language Arts from California State University, Los Angeles, where she also obtained her Reading Specialist Credential. In addition to teaching, Jamila serves as a California Reading & Literature Project (CRLP) Teacher Leader and Literacy Fellow, where she supports educators in strengthening research-based literacy instruction. She has also mentored National Board Certification candidates through Stanford University's National Board Resource Center and the California Black Educator Initiative. Beyond her work in education, Jamila values time with her family and church community and enjoys reading, photography, traveling, and trying new restaurants.