Janice Brenes Catinchi
Janice Brenes Catinchi is a dedicated education leader with 20 years of experience across multiple roles in the field of literacy and education, including paraprofessional, classroom teacher, literacy coach, and district administrator. She currently serves as an Implementation Strategist with the AIM Institute for Learning & Research, where she partners with schools and education systems across the United States to strengthen literacy instruction through research-based, structured approaches. In this role, she supports seven client partnerships across multiple states, working closely with principals, district leaders, and state education teams to design and implement strategic literacy plans that drive measurable student growth. She also collaborates directly with instructional coaches, supporting coaching cycles and feedback practices that improve teacher effectiveness, while continuing to facilitate professional learning courses through AIM’s online programs.
Her professional journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to structured literacy and equity in education. In 2012, she received a scholarship from a nonprofit foundation in Puerto Rico to complete specialized Orton-Gillingham training with the Multisensory Reading Centers of Puerto Rico, an experience that transformed her instructional practice and long-term career focus. Following Hurricane Maria, she relocated her family to Florida, where she continued her work advancing the science of reading. She later led literacy and science of reading implementation efforts at Orange County Public Schools, overseeing systemwide rollout across 145 elementary schools and supporting large-scale instructional change grounded in evidence-based practices.
Today, Janice plays a key leadership role in AIM’s Early Reading Success Schools initiative, which is designed to transform kindergarten and first-grade literacy instruction through systems building, coaching support, and implementation science. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Universidad Metropolitana and is Orton-Gillingham certified. She is deeply passionate about ensuring every child becomes a confident reader, believing that literacy is a lifelong skill that fundamentally changes life outcomes. Outside of her professional work, Janice enjoys crafting, gardening, traveling, and spending quality time with her daughters. She is also grateful for the guidance and mentorship of Natalia Canto, Rebecca Carlos, Dave Gorham, and Megane Gierka, who have each played an important role in her personal and professional growth.
• CERI-Certified Teacher
• Orton Gillingham Certification
• Bachelor's Degree from Puerto Rico
• Master's Degree from Puerto Rico
• Orton-Gillingham Training (2012)
• Innovative Teacher Award
• CERI (Center for Effective Reading Instruction)
• Learning Forward
What do you attribute your success to?
I'm a hard worker and very determined. When we started from zero here in Florida with a baby, I told myself we're gonna do big things, and we're not gonna stop. Every chance I get, I continue to learn. I'm very open to learning and not stuck in that mindset of, okay, I have achieved so much, I don't have to learn anything else. I think determination and being a consistent learner is key to my success. I have to trust myself and my knowledge. Even though I am Hispanic and teaching English speakers how to learn about the English language, sometimes I have those moments of doubt, but I go back to the fact that I've studied, I do my homework, I do my research, and I have to believe in me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Treat every day like it's your interview for your next job. My previous supervisor told me that, and he was like, you're gonna meet so many people throughout your life. Always treat it like it's an interview. Don't put up the show when you think that you're gonna have an opportunity. Just be authentic, and treat it professionally. Since that advice, I think everything has been so positive in my life. That supervisor was a great believer in building up people around him, and his advice really helped me understand that when you're invested in people's growth, you don't want them to be stuck, and that motivates you.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think determination is key. You're gonna see that there are doors being closed, and you might feel frustrated, but that's not a sign that you're failing. Sometimes, I didn't even know that this line of work that I'm currently in existed, right? And it was because so many doors were closing up, this window opened, and it opened to a different world that I didn't even know existed. Surround yourself with people that are believers in your work, that will mention your name in that room with others, because that was my case. Don't listen to the noise about how so many people around you are gonna say no to you, but there's always that one person that believes in you, because you're authentic. People need to see that you're authentic. You have to trust yourself and your knowledge. Even though I am Hispanic and teaching English speakers, sometimes I have those moments of doubt, but I go back to the fact that I've studied, I do my homework, I do my research, and I have to believe in me.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A major challenge currently in education is funding. There's also a lot of changes in the laws right now. We're trying to do what's best for kids and embedding into law and legislation the science of reading, but sometimes we're not including leaders in the conversation. We forget that leaders are principals, for example, and we're not including that professional development to target leaders. We're always putting it on teachers, but in order for a school building to be successful, the leader needs to have professional learning on that as well. This resonates very closely to me because I work very closely with principals. There are so many things that teachers can do within the realm of their control, but so many that are outside of their control, like funding. Teachers don't control what professional development they get to be delivered. There are so many barriers that can only be removed by an administrator.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is extremely important to me. I'm a firm believer of honesty and trusting relationships. You cannot have one without the other. Transparency is also crucial. I think that in work and life with your family, with your friends, transparency goes a long way. We don't always have to agree on everything, but I think that transparency really fosters that trustworthy relationship. I'm very driven by my passion for my work, and I feel like that's my honest self. If I don't feel like my company or organization is fostering my values, I'm not driven by money or anything like that. I need to feel aligned with my values.