Sara Beach is an independent consultant, founder and President of Synapse Early Learning Systems. A Program Support Specialist for state Pre-K Expansion grant programs throughout Illinois, she works with instructional leaders to create and strengthen systems for high quality programming. Her work in ECE spans 3 decades, and has taken her throughout the U.S. and to China to provide training on a multitude of topics including the Pre-K, Infant, Toddler, and K-3 CLASS, the ECERS3, the Pyramid Model for Infants/Toddlers and the Pyramid Model for Pre-K, Language and Literacy, and Math, as well as training and consultation on Organizational Systems and Supports, Instructional Leadership and Early Childhood Professional Development/Learning. She lives in Aurora, but you can usually find her running around all different parts of the state, visiting programs and attending or giving training. Connect with her at synapseearlylearning@gmail.com, or visit synapseearlylearning.com. Her favorite animal is a Boxer-terrier mix named Ladybug, and her favorite new role is being Gramma to a feisty 9-month old named Terra Rose.