Susanne Nobles is Chief Academic Officer at ReadWorks, a nonprofit edtech organization dedicated to expanding equitable learning. With over 30 years in education as a K–12 teacher, administrator, and adjunct instructor, she empowers educators and students through research-driven tools and strategies that support meaningful, effective learning across classrooms and communities.
Advancing Learning through Research and Technology
As the Chief Academic Officer at ReadWorks, a nonprofit edtech with a deep commitment to under-resourced communities, my work centers on empowering educators and students with research-driven tools and strategies that support meaningful and effective learning. I’ve had the privilege of working in education for over 30 years, with experience spanning K–12 teaching, administration, and higher education.
Throughout my journey, one focus has remained constant: understanding how students learn and how technology can amplify that learning in partnership with teachers, who are the most critical piece.
My Journey into Education and EdTech
My path into this field began in the early 2000s when my school introduced a one-to-one device program. We were among the first schools to roll out devices for every student, and I was in the classroom firsthand, witnessing both the excitement and the challenges that came with this new technology. As I saw the impact of these tools on my students, I became deeply interested in how technology could influence writing development, both positively and negatively. This led me to pursue a PhD, where I focused specifically on the role of technology in writing growth.
After earning my doctorate, I decided to pivot in my career, moving from being a full-time teacher to working in the nonprofit space, applying research to practice. At Digital Promise, I founded a grant program that helped edtech companies integrate research on learning differences into their product development cycle. This experience reinforced my belief in the power of research and its ability to shape better educational tools and outcomes.
Today, I continue this mission as Chief Academic Officer at ReadWorks. I work closely with our technology and content teams to ensure that every product we create is grounded in rigorous research and built with the feedback of educators. My role also involves studying the impact of our products, which allows us to continually refine them and ensure they make a real difference in classrooms across the country.
A Commitment to Excellence and Inclusion
Two core beliefs guide everything I do: that every student is a joyful learner and that every learner deserves to be seen and supported as a unique individual. These principles are also at the heart of ReadWorks’ mission and influence how we develop our products and form partnerships with educators.
Excellence is our baseline, and equity is non-negotiable. We approach each decision with the awareness that our tools are reaching real students—many in under-resourced classrooms. Our commitment to equity means that we are intentional about the impact of our work, ensuring that our resources are accessible to the schools and districts that need them most.
I also believe that supporting educators is just as essential. We don’t build around teachers—we build with them. Educators are our partners, and their insights and feedback guide every stage of product development. When we listen to teachers, we are learning from the experts who understand what students need on the ground. Their voices aren’t just a checkpoint—they are a compass that helps direct our work.
Measuring What Matters
To me, measuring impact goes beyond tracking the number of users or how much time people spend on a platform. It's about asking: Are we supporting learning with the students who need us most? Are we truly helping teachers in high-need schools? At ReadWorks, we don’t just track usage; we dig deeper into who is using our tools and whether our resources are making a meaningful difference in their classrooms.
“At ReadWorks, we don’t just track usage; we dig deeper into who is using our tools and whether our resources are making a meaningful difference in their classrooms.”
We measure success in context. I work with our team to examine whether our tools are being used in the schools that need them the most, whether we’re addressing the real instructional challenges teachers face, and whether our products reflect the voices of both educators and researchers. This means translating emerging research into practical tools that help educators meet their students' needs—even when those needs aren’t fully named yet.
We also invest heavily in classroom-based research. We’re fortunate to have an internal research team at ReadWorks, and we also partner with external researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of our tools. This feedback loop is continuous. We gather insights, refine our products, and ensure they’re not just functional or engaging—but that they lead to measurable student growth.
Listening Is the First Step
The voice of the educator is always at the heart of our design process. We’ve built an Educator Advisory Council, which brings together a diverse group of teachers and administrators who represent different grade levels, regions, and school types. We meet quarterly to discuss product ideas and challenges, and to ensure our products are meeting the needs of classrooms across the country.
In addition to the council, we make it a priority to respond to every email we receive from teachers within 24 hours. Our dedicated help desk is more than just a problem-solving service—it’s a critical tool for surfacing trends, capturing pain points, and understanding the real-time needs of educators.
When we’re building a new product, we don’t just ask for feedback at the end of development. We involve teachers early in the process—whether they’re from our advisory council or other educators doing the work in the classrooms we aim to support. They help us design pilots, test prototypes, and refine features before we release anything to a wider audience. And we don’t stop there: classroom feedback continues to shape and improve our tools after launch.
Staying Grounded in the Work
Being part of a nonprofit like ReadWorks gives us a unique freedom. Since we’re donor-supported and committed to being free to all users, we can focus on long-term impact over short-term profits. Our work is centered on improving student learning, not on generating revenue. This is a privilege, and it’s a responsibility we take seriously.
As a nonprofit, we’re also a trusted voice in the conversation around equitable education. We’re proud to help lead efforts that prioritize all students, especially those who are underserved. Being able to show donors that we’re making a real difference in the classroom is something I’m personally passionate about—it’s why I do the work I do every day.
Advice for EdTech Leaders and Educators
If I could offer one piece of advice to those working in edtech or education, it would be this: stay close to the classroom. This doesn’t mean you have to be a full-time teacher, but it’s essential to stay grounded in the realities of learning today. The best solutions come from collaboration, not assumption. When we partner authentically with educators, respect their knowledge, and design with humility, that’s when we create tools that truly make a difference.
And always, always fight for the rights of every student to be valued and nurtured. This will look different depending on the work you’re doing, but it’s the underlying mission of all meaningful education efforts. For me, at ReadWorks, this fight shows up in every product decision, every research partnership, and every conversation with an educator.
While ReadWorks may not serve students directly, the end result of all our work is the same: improved student learning. That’s our mission, and it’s why I show up every day.
