Session Presenters

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  Estelle Acquah

  Executive Director, Equity, School District of Philadelphia

  Estelle Acquah

  Executive Director, Equity, School District of Philadelphia
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  Jorge Aguilar

  Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District

  Jorge Aguilar

  Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District

  Jorge A. Aguilar became the twenty-eighth Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District on July 1, 2017. He leads the thirteenth largest school district in California with 42,231 students, more than 4,700 employees and a budget of more than $640 million. Aguilar was selected Superintendent by the Board of Education because of his proven track record using data to improve student outcomes.

  Prior to serving as Superintendent, Mr. Aguilar was the Associate Superintendent for Equity and Access at Fresno Unified School District. In his career, Superintendent Aguilar has also served as an Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational and Community Partnerships and Special Assistant to the Chancellor at the University of California, Merced; as a Spanish teacher at South Gate High School; and a legislative fellow in the State Capitol.

  A son of farm workers who grew up in the central valley, Superintendent Aguilar is a product of the migrant education program. He spent his early childhood migrating back and forth between Parlier, California and the state of Michoacán, Mexico. He graduated from Parlier High School and was accepted into the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish and Portuguese. He spent his junior university year abroad at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mr. Aguilar also earned his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles after graduating from college.

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  June Ahn

  Associate Professor and Faculty Director OCEAN, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  June Ahn

  Associate Professor and Faculty Director OCEAN, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  Dr. June Ahn is an Associate Professor of Learning Sciences and Research-Practice Partnerships at UC Irvine (UCI) School of Education. His core research interest is understanding how technology and information can enhance the way we learn and deliver education. He partners with local organizations, after-school programs, and schools to design new learning environments. The goal of this design-based research is to explore how we might broaden participation and create more equitable learning pathways for learners. He is also interested in designing and studying the impact of new technologies, to solve problems within Research Practice Partnership and Networked Improvement Community settings. His projects are varied ranging from creating social media tools for young learners to share science and alternate reality games for scientific inquiry, to creating AI chatbots for college mentoring and data visualization systems for K-12 teachers to improve their instruction.

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  Stacey Alicea

  Director of Early Learning Strategy, Newark Trust for Education

  Stacey Alicea

  Director of Early Learning Strategy, Newark Trust for Education

  Stacey Alicea is the Director of Early Learning Strategy at the Newark Trust for Education. She leads the Trust’s efforts to strengthen Newark’s early childhood ecosystem with a focus on equitable healthy development and successful transitions to Pre-K learning environments. Stacey is a community psychologist with a deep commitment to bridging research and practice initiatives grounded in community participatory action, critical pedagogy, social network, continuous improvement, and systems design frameworks. Stacey holds a PhD in Psychology and Social Intervention from New York University and a MPH in Population and Family Health from Columbia University.

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  Eve Arbogast

  Director, Instructional Reform Facilitator Network, San Francisco Unified School District

  Eve Arbogast

  Director, Instructional Reform Facilitator Network, San Francisco Unified School District
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  Richard Arum

  Dean UCI School of Education, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  Richard Arum

  Dean UCI School of Education, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education
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  KaCee Ballou

  Missoula Education Association President, Missoula County Public Schools

  KaCee Ballou

  Missoula Education Association President, Missoula County Public Schools
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  Rhonda Beasley

  Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Los Gatos Union School District

  Rhonda Beasley

  Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Los Gatos Union School District

  Dr. Rhonda Beasley is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at the Los Gatos Union School District. Prior to joining Los Gatos, Rhonda served as the Assistant Director of Differentiated Assistance and District Support for the Santa Clara County Office of Education. In this role, she oversaw differentiated assistance and MTSS implementation across the county. Rhonda has also served as an elementary classroom teacher, a Reading First Coach, and a Coordinator of English Language Arts/ English Language Development.

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  Rebecca Beaulieu

  Principal, Neuse River Middle School

  Rebecca Beaulieu

  Principal, Neuse River Middle School
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  Jacobē Bell

  Network Director, Teaching Matters

  Jacobē Bell

  Network Director, Teaching Matters

  Jacobē Bell, Network Director, leads Teaching Matters’ network of 16 middle schools focused on improving outcomes for students through a culturally responsive lens utilizing continuous improvement methods. Previously as a Field Leader and Senior Educational Consultant, Jacobē was a change agent who supported leaders and educators in strengthening their literacy and academic programs. Prior to joining Teaching Matters, Jacobē served as a National Board Certified Teacher, Instructional Coach, Network Administrator, and consultant in both the public and charter sectors. At the foundation of Jacobē’s work is the belief that schools must be places where cultural pluralism, high expectations, asset-based pedagogy, and student voices flourish. To cultivate change in schools, Jacobē believes we must stop the “spirit-murder” of students by humanizing every aspect of education. She is a graduate of Stanford University and a current doctoral student at Teachers College, Columbia University in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching.

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  Rachel Bello

  Senior Director of Design and Development, Bank Street College of Education

  Rachel Bello

  Senior Director of Design and Development, Bank Street College of Education

  As the Senior Director of Design and Development at the Bank Street Education Center, Rachel works with teams to develop, implement and scale high-quality adult learning solutions to complex instructional problems. She is passionate about establishing systems to promote thoughtful collaboration and about measuring meaningful outcomes. Prior to joining the Ed Center team, Rachel worked as a Director of Professional Learning Design in the NYC DOE’s Office of Teacher Effectiveness and spent eight years teaching 11th and 12th-grade English in New York City public schools. She holds a BA from Harvard University and an MAT from Brown University; her current interests include watching Bob’s Burgers with her 10-year-old and catching up on back issues of The New Yorker.

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  Brandon Bennett

  Principal Advisor, Improvement Science Consulting, LLC; Senior Fellow, Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Brandon Bennett

  Principal Advisor, Improvement Science Consulting, LLC; Senior Fellow, Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Brandon Bennett, MPH, Principal Advisor for Improvement Science Consulting began his career as a United States Peace Corps volunteer, where he worked to continuously improve microfinance repayment rates for people living with HIV and struggling in poverty. He has served as an improvement advisor in the fields of healthcare and education, leading and advising on diverse initiatives from disease specific processes to country wide improvement programs. Brandon has published on the application of improvement science methods and has been a featured speaker at quality conferences around the world. He is currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, faculty for the Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program offered through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, faculty for the Improvement Science for Academics offered through HAELO (a UK based innovation and improvement center) and senior advisor to Ko Awatea, a New Zealand based organization that delivers health system innovation and improvement services to Australasia.

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  Al Bertani

  Senior Advisor, Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Al Bertani

  Senior Advisor, Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Al Bertani is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He also serves as a senior advisor with the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago and a senior advisor with LEAP Innovations at 1871 in Chicago. His work focuses on designs for professional learning; 21st century personalized learning models; leadership and organization development; and innovation and improvement for large-scale change. Al spent the last third of his career working on urban school reform in support of the Chicago Public Schools, having served as: senior researcher for the Urban School Leadership Program with University of Illinois at Chicago; chief officer for professional development with Chicago Public Schools; senior executive director for Chicago Leadership Academies for Supporting Success with the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association; and co-director of School and Leadership Development with the Center for School Improvement at the University of Chicago.

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  Manuelito Biag

  Senior Associate, Networked Improvement Science; Managing Director, Center for Post-Secondary Innovation, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Manuelito Biag

  Senior Associate, Networked Improvement Science; Managing Director, Center for Post-Secondary Innovation, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Manuelito Biag joined the Carnegie Foundation in 2016. As a senior associate, he provides leadership, instructional, and research support in the area of networked improvement science. Currently, he aids the Foundation’s field-building efforts in higher education by directing the Improvement Leadership Education and Development (iLEAD) network – a community of 12 district-university partnerships committed to localizing leadership preparation through the use of improvement science principles, methods, and tools. Manuelito comes to Carnegie from Stanford University where he served as senior researcher at the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities at the Graduate School of Education. His work, which has been presented in community forums, professional conferences, and published in academic journals, policy briefs, and edited volumes, examines the organizational structures, policies, and programs that influence students’ learning and overall development—particularly those from vulnerable and historically-marginalized backgrounds. Manuelito holds a doctorate in school organization and education policy from the University of California, Davis.

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  Heidi Black

  Director of Collaborative Improvement, StriveTogether

  Heidi Black

  Director of Collaborative Improvement, StriveTogether

  As director of collaborative improvement, Heidi Black builds the capability of local leaders and practitioners across the country to improve outcomes for children and youth through data-driven decision making, systems thinking and community voice. Heidi developed StriveTogether’s unique improvement science approach combining tools and techniques from continuous improvement, design thinking, Results Counts™ and equity. She received a Spotlight on Quality in Continuous Improvement from the Carnegie Foundation in 2018 for this work. While at StriveTogether, she has supported more than 30 communities in applying StriveTogether’s improvement strategies toward key outcomes including prenatal to age 3 development, kindergarten readiness, third grade reading, high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and workforce. Heidi is currently working to develop StriveTogether’s Training and Talent Hub, which focused on building people’s knowledge and skills in the leadership competencies to create equitable systems change in their communities

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  Shay Bluemer-Miroite

  Director of Improvement Advising, Shift

  Shay Bluemer-Miroite

  Director of Improvement Advising, Shift

  Shay Bluemer-Miroite leads the improvement advising team at Shift. She supports a team of improvement advisors and project managers as they partner with organizations transforming systems across multiple sectors like education and public health. Her journey to improvement work began as a global health training program evaluator. Removing systems-level barriers that prevented healthcare workers from applying their learning led her to the improvement field. She has firsthand experience leveraging improvement science and human-centered design for equity. Shay is passionate about creating inclusive design spaces that center the experience of those often overlooked by the system and putting their insights into practice. A Michigan native, Shay has resided in Seattle, WA for more than 15 years. She is happiest on a beach with her husband, Tony, and two children, Mika and Adele.

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  Erica Boas

  Improvement Specialist, WestEd

  Erica Boas

  Improvement Specialist, WestEd

  Dr. Erica Boas has been serving roles in K-12 education for over 20 years — as a teacher, resource specialist, researcher, and teacher educator. She is currently an Improvement Specialist at WestEd where she supports stakeholders in K-12 and institutions of higher education in equity-engaged continuous improvement projects. holds a PhD and MA in Education, Social and Cultural Studies and a Designated Emphasis in Gender, Women, and Sexuality from the University of California, Berkeley.

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  Andrew Brannegan

  Senior Research Associate, WestEd

  Andrew Brannegan

  Senior Research Associate, WestEd

  Andrew Brannegan is a Senior Research Associate at WestEd. He has expertise in research methods, analytics and data visualization. He previously served as research director at Hamilton Families, as senior data analyst at Aspire Public Schools, and as a special education teacher in Oakland Unified School District. Brannegan has his MPP and PhD in Public Policy & Administration from American University.

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  Jennie Brotman

  Director of Service Design, Teaching Matters

  Jennie Brotman

  Director of Service Design, Teaching Matters

  Dr. Jennie Brotman is the Director of Service Design at Teaching Matters and leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of professional learning programs, including the Teaching Matters Network for School Improvement. Jennie also served as a Senior Educational Consultant at Teaching Matters for many years, supporting teachers and leaders in enacting and sustaining high quality instruction and assessment across subject areas. Prior to joining Teaching Matters, Jennie was a middle school science teacher, taught preservice and inservice teachers as a Barnard College adjunct faculty member, and led professional development and curriculum development work in numerous New York City public schools. She has conducted and published research focused on gender and science education, as well as on urban high school students’ learning and decision-making about controversial science issues. Jennie holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

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  Mai Anh Bui

  Data Analyst, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Mai Anh Bui

  Data Analyst, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Mai Anh Bui is a data analyst in the evidence and analytics group. Her work helps education systems improve outcomes through analytics, automates analytic processes, and works with collaborative technology for social network analysis. Mai Anh previously worked at the World Bank Group as a statistical analyst who utilized time series analysis and regression models to provide timely updates on global economic developments and gross domestic product forecasts. She also worked as a research analyst at the International Monetary Fund assessing country risk from the Vulnerability Exercise for Low-Income Countries.

  Mai Anh received an M.A. in statistics from the University of California, Berkeley. She also holds a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Grinnell College.

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  Angela Bush

  Principal, Erwin Middle School, Jefferson County Schools, Birmingham, AL

  Angela Bush

  Principal, Erwin Middle School, Jefferson County Schools, Birmingham, AL

  Dr. Bush received a B.A. and M.Ed. from Alabama A&M University, an Ed.S. from the University of Montevallo, and an Ed.D from Samford University. Dr. Bush is completing her 26th year as an educator. She served as an English teacher for 9 years, Supervisor of Student Services for 10 years, and Principal for 7 years. As the Principal of Erwin Middle, she has made notable strides to move the school from a low-performing school with a goal of becoming a model high-performing school in the school district, state, and nation. She has facilitated and presented at conferences locally, statewide, and nationally. Dr. Bush prides herself on always putting the best interest of the students first, and valuing people. “When you value people, you will always yield positive results.” Dr. Bush currently serves as a mentor to assistant principals and novice principals in the Jefferson County School District.

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  Stacey Caillier

  Director, Center for Research on Equity & Innovation, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Stacey Caillier

  Director, Center for Research on Equity & Innovation, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Stacey Caillier, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Research on Equity & Innovation (CREI) at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, where she supports improvement work within HTH schools and beyond. She has helped to launch and facilitate improvement networks focused on abolishing the phrase “I’m not a math person”, increasing 8th grade on-track, improving K-12 literacy instruction, and supporting college access for students who are Black, Latinx or experiencing poverty. Stacey has been with the HTH GSE since its inception in 2006, previously serving as the Director of the Teacher Leadership M.Ed. program and Co-Director of Instructional Support for HTH schools. She began her career as a high school physics and math teacher at a Portland, Oregon high school affiliated with the Coalition of Essential Schools. Stacey holds degrees from Willamette University and the University of California, Davis.

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  Alexis Canalos-Castillo

  Senior Director of Coaching, StriveTogether

  Alexis Canalos-Castillo

  Senior Director of Coaching, StriveTogether
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  Ryan Carpenter

  Superintendent, Estacada School District, Oregon

  Ryan Carpenter

  Superintendent, Estacada School District, Oregon

  Ryan Carpenter currently serves as the Superintendent for the Estacada School District (Oregon) While serving as Superintendent, the Estacada School District has also received accolades for organizational excellence. In 2020, the Estacada School District was honored as one of only nineteen school districts in the United States to be recognized as a Model PLC District by Solution Tree. Estacada Schools also achieved the highest honors from its employees and in 2020 was selected for The Oregonian’s Top Workplaces in the State of Oregon. For 6 consecutive years, Estacada High School has also been recognized as a “Top High School” by US News and World Reports. Carpenter is also a published author in several national journals and books.

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  Kimberly Carter

  Superintendent, Battle Creek Public Schools

  Kimberly Carter

  Superintendent, Battle Creek Public Schools
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  Victor Cary

  Senior Director, National Equity Project

  Victor Cary

  Senior Director, National Equity Project

  Victor Cary has worked in education for over 40 years, starting as a high school teacher in Richmond, CA. As Senior Director at the National Equity Project, he leads the development of an equity-centered coaching and leadership model, and currently facilitates Leading in C.A.O.S. (Complex, Adaptive, Oppressive Systems) with educators and communities across the country, particularly collective action initiatives. Prior to joining the National Equity Project, Victor served as Director of the California Alliance for Mathematics and Science (CAMS) Initiative – a statewide initiative aligning secondary and post-secondary institutions around mathematics. He also served as Director for Regional Center and School Support in the national office of the Coalition for Essential Schools. He received his B.A. and Teaching Secondary Credential from UC Berkeley, and M.A. in Education from Stanford University.

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  Lora Cawelti

  Graduate Student Researcher, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  Lora Cawelti

  Graduate Student Researcher, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  Lora Cawelti is a PhD student in the School of Education at UC Irvine and a community research fellow with the Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN). Before coming to UCI, Lora was Associate Director overseeing in-school programs and teacher development at P.S. ARTS, a Los Angeles area non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing arts education to underserved public schools and communities. Her background as a performing artist, teaching artist, and nonprofit administrator informs her research agenda where she prioritizes community engaged research, equity and inclusion, and seeks to bridge the gap between policy and practice in arts education.

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  Cate Challen

  Improvement Coach, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Cate Challen

  Improvement Coach, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Cate Challen is an educator and improvement coach working within the Center for Research on Equity & Innovation at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. Cate supports school teams in continuous improvement to address educational inequities. Cate also supervisors new teacher residents in the San Diego Teacher Residency program. Previously, Cate taught high school mathematics, biology and physics, where she emphasized student-centered instructional techniques and alternative assessment strategies for more equitable academic outcomes. Prior to her career in education, Cate spent ten years in the biotechnology and venture capital industries, commercializing biomedical innovations. Cate earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Doctorate in Biotechnology from the University of Queensland, Australia and is an Encorps Fellow.

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  Ronald Chaluisan

  Executive Director, Newark Trust for Education

  Ronald Chaluisan

  Executive Director, Newark Trust for Education

  Ronald is the Executive Director of the Newark Trust for Education. A former mathematics, English, and dance teacher for elementary, middle, and high schools, he co-founded and directed the NYC Museum School, coordinated the New Visions New Century High School Initiative, established a network of NYC charter public high schools, and designed and executed a clinical high school leadership certification program. Throughout his career, he has explored how students learn, how schools support student learning, how schools learn from each other, and how families and schools can leverage community resources to improve student outcomes. His role currently entails bringing together diverse individuals and groups to establish common ground, develop and implement aligned actions, and evaluate progress on collaborative plans designed to help 78,000 Newark youth succeed at home, at school, and in their communities.

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  Kevin Chase

  Superintendent, Education Service District 105

  Kevin Chase

  Superintendent, Education Service District 105
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  Jennifer Ciok

  Middle Grades Network Coach, UChicago's To&Through Project

  Jennifer Ciok

  Middle Grades Network Coach, UChicago's To&Through Project

  As the Middle Grades Network Coach for the University of Chicago’s To&Through Middle Grades Network, Jennifer works closely with schools, partners, and the To&Through team to create more equitable and supportive educational environments where middle grades students thrive. In this role, she supports six middle schools in CPS to help build these systems using both qualitative and quantitative data and research to define problems of practice and implement change ideas to better support students. Prior to her work at To&Through, Jennifer was a middle school social studies and English teacher for 15 years and a Social Emotional Learning Manager at the high school level for five. Jennifer went to Ohio University where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Education and her Masters in Reading Education. She also has her credentials in College and Career Advising and Gifted Education.

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  Andrea Clay

  Director of Legal Strategy and Policy, Center for Public Research and Leadership

  Andrea Clay

  Director of Legal Strategy and Policy, Center for Public Research and Leadership

  Andrea is a Director of Legal Strategy and Policy at CPRL. She provides policy advice and leads student teams on projects on topics addressing high-quality instructional materials and teacher professional development to use those materials, the use of continuous improvement methodologies to improve teacher training and instructional practice, and the spread of innovative, interdisciplinary practices in professional education. Prior to joining CPRL, Andrea worked at various organizations in the education sector, including community-based organizations, legal services groups, and schools. She is also a former middle school English teacher, having taught in Newark, New Jersey. She earned a JD from Harvard Law School and an AB from Princeton in English.

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  Benjamin Cooper

  Benjamin Cooper, Founder and Principal Consultant, Benjamin Cooper Consulting LLC

  Benjamin Cooper

  Benjamin Cooper, Founder and Principal Consultant, Benjamin Cooper Consulting LLC
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  Ben Daley

  President, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Ben Daley

  President, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Ben joined High Tech High to teach physics as a founding faculty member in fall 2000. He has been a school director, chief operating officer, and chief academic officer for High Tech High and is now the president of the Graduate School of Education. As a student at Haverford College, Ben majored in physics and was credentialed in secondary physics and math, student teaching at Lower Merion High School outside Philadelphia. After graduation, he traveled to the Philippines and taught science and math at an international school in Manila. Upon his return to the U.S., he taught physics and AP physics at the Madeira School, a girls’ boarding school in suburban Washington, D.C. He then moved to California to coach basketball and to teach physics at Pomona and Pitzer Colleges. He earned an M.A. in Science Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of California, San Diego.

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  Tanisha Dasmunshi

  Middle School ELA Teacher and Fellow for Fluency, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Tanisha Dasmunshi

  Middle School ELA Teacher and Fellow for Fluency, Baltimore City Public Schools
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  Cori Davis

  Improvement Advisor, Shift

  Cori Davis

  Improvement Advisor, Shift

  Cori Davis is an Improvement Advisor that joined Shift in 2019. At Shift, she supports the design and implementation of improvement networks and collaboratives. She also provides technical facilitation and coaching of improvement science through Shift’s Improvement Methods for Equity (IM4E) program. Prior to joining Shift, Cori spent 10 years working for the University of Michigan and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital supporting Learning Health Systems and Collaboratives focused on a variety of pediatric chronic diseases. Cori is passionate about leveraging the voices and perspectives within systems to support a human centered design approach to network development that centers equity for those least well served and integrates improvement science throughout.

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  Patrice Dawkins-Jackson

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science; Director, Organizational Learning & Development

  Patrice Dawkins-Jackson

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science; Director, Organizational Learning & Development

  Patrice Dawkins-Jackson is an associate in networked improvement science. She joined the Foundation in 2017 as a networked improvement fellow. Most recently, Patrice was an instructional leader, learner, and assistant principal at Sandy Springs Charter Middle School in Georgia. There, she used her knowledge of design-thinking to help impact professional development, engagement, and instructional practices there.

  Prior to joining Carnegie, Patrice had worked as an educator in Fulton County Schools for 12 years. During that time, she served two terms as a U.S. Department of Education Classroom Teaching Ambassador Fellow, where she worked on recruitment and support of teachers of color in partnership with TEACH.org, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Her passion for teacher leadership was further ignited when she joined Teach to Lead, an initiative convened by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, ASCD, and the U.S. Department of Education, whose mission is to advance student outcomes by expanding opportunities for teacher leadership.

  Patrice earned her certified associates in project management as well as a bachelor of science in early childhood education from the University of Central Florida. She went on to receive a masters in education in early childhood education also at the University of Central Florida, with specializations in home-school-community and educational leadership with aspirations of pursuing her doctorate and opening her own school.

  Marytza is an associate for networked improvement science at the Carnegie Foundation. Prior to joining Carnegie, Marytza worked as an assistant professor for Wayne State University and Florida State University in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department. In addition, she served as a senior research associate at the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University. As a faculty member, Marytza worked to prepare teachers and teacher leaders for the principalship and superintendent roles. Marytza’s research and expertise spans policy and organizational sociology, focusing primarily on the intersection of research and practice in leadership, accountability and school choice. Most recently, Marytza worked for the Jacobs Institute for Innovation at the University of San Diego, developing and designing a blueprint for administrator standards and dispositions.

  Marytza has also served as a Freedom School Teacher in Hunter’s Point, San Francisco through the Children’s Defense Fund and developed an Afro-centric curriculum for second and third graders in literacy and mathematics.

  Marytza earned a doctorate in education policy from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s in economics from the New School for Social Research, and a bachelor’s from University of California at Berkeley in psychology.

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  Loren Demeroutis

  Regional Director, Big Picture Learning

  Loren Demeroutis

  Regional Director, Big Picture Learning

  As School Design Coach, Loren gets to combine his passion for interest-based learning with a mission to sustainably undo systems of oppression. Loren is an experienced administrator and educator who has worked with numerous schools and districts to develop context-sensitive strategies serving the interests of students, staff, families, and community. These strategies include: restorative practices, developing non-cognitive competencies, personalized learning plans, internship-based learning, project management, and ways to authentically increase student, staff, family, and community voice.

  In 1999, Loren began his career as a middle school teacher in Los Angeles. While the experience was often magical, Loren found himself losing too many students to a poor education paradigm. In 2005, and as principal intern, Loren joined the founding team of Seattle’s Highline Big Picture High School. He committed to three months and found himself often emphatically criticizing Big Picture’s approach to learning. Loren kept asking: “How can we tolerate so much ambiguity? How will students learn the standards?” Lo and behold, after three months – and despite his reluctance to an uncomfortable teaching and learning design, Loren started witnessing profound changes in the ways students and staff, walked, talked, worked, and envisioned their futures. Leaving was no longer an option. Ten years later, Loren was principal of the school and had added a middle school to Highline’s campus.

  Loren currently resides in Seattle and enjoys the ‘wonder and awe’ that his two daughters bring to the world. He holds Bachelor’s Degrees from Stanford University in Psychology and Political Science and an M.Ed. from the University of Washington in Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

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  Dana Diesel

  President and CEO, Schools That Lead

  Dana Diesel

  President and CEO, Schools That Lead

  Dana Diesel is President and CEO of Schools That Lead, Inc. She also teaches courses at Wilmington University on the use of improvement science in schools to students pursuing their doctorates in educational leadership. Previously, Diesel led school development efforts at a statewide education nonprofit in North Carolina and worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, central services director, and superintendent in states throughout the country. Diesel has a B.S. in Education from Old Dominion University, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an Ed.D. Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.

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  Sydney Dion

  Literacy Consultant and Former District Literacy and Design Coach, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

  Sydney Dion

  Literacy Consultant and Former District Literacy and Design Coach, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

  As a literacy consultant, Sydney supports the literacy system for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District and works with the instructional coaches and literacy intervention teachers in each school. She believes in building capacity in educators to support all students on their journey toward success. Throughout 36 years in the educational field, Dion has served as a teacher, reading specialist, professor of student teachers, and district academic coach. She served on a team to help develop the California state literacy plan. She holds a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction and has earned awards including the Linda Brown Fellows Award, Literacy Achievement, and Placer County Teacher Who Makes a Difference. She is a Professional Certified Coach recognized by the International Coaching Federation. She has provided executive coaching in the private and educational industry and presented many workshops on Coaching Skills, Brain Research, and Positive Language.

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  Christina Dixon

  Improvement Advisor and Independent Consultant,, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Christina Dixon

  Improvement Advisor and Independent Consultant,, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Christina J. Dixon is an advisor, consultant, and coach partnering with education leaders to transform their organizations through continuous improvement. She currently collaborates with the Improvement Collective, WestEd, the University of Pittsburgh, Studer Education, A+ Schools, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, where she recently served as an associate for networked improvement science. Prior to joining the foundation, she provided coaching and professional development to leaders of education, health care, and nonprofit organizations seeking to use systems principles to better meet the needs of the people they serve. She co-founded True North Institute, where she co-created a model for using Toyota Production System principles to improve student achievement, and was a principal of Value Capture LLC, where she consulted with health care systems to accelerate their transformation to achieve safety, quality, and financial goals. Dixon holds a B.A. from Stanford University, an M.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education, and an Ed.D. in Education Leadership from the University of Virginia.

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  Mark Dunetz

  President, New Visions for Public Schools

  Mark Dunetz

  President, New Visions for Public Schools

  Mark Dunetz began his career as an educator teaching English as a second language and social studies in New York City public schools. In his two decades working in education, Dr. Dunetz has worked as a program evaluator, an educational consultant and a professor of research methods and educational administration. He first worked at New Visions for Public Schools in 2006 when he supported the implementation of the organization’s first certification program for aspiring school administrators. While at New Visions, Dr. Dunetz also led the design of the first public high school to provide pathways to students from underrepresented communities into well-paid “below the line” careers in New York City’s television and film industry. Dr. Dunetz served as the founding principal of the Academy for Careers in Television and Film from 2008 until 2013 as it developed into one of the city’s most academically successful non-selective high schools.

  In 2013, Dr. Dunetz returned to New Visions as Vice President for School Support and Operations responsible for leading the organization’s partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the support of 80 partner schools. To strengthen this work, he led a significant expansion of the organization’s data and analytics capacity, the launch of a software development team and the creation of open source high school curriculum in core subjects. In 2016, Dr. Dunetz was selected to replace Robert L. Hughes as the president of New Visions. Dr. Dunetz holds a B.A. in U.S. History from the University of California, Santa Cruz; an M.A. in Teaching Speakers of Other Languages from New York University; and a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in education policy from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Dr. Dunetz sits on the boards of the New York City Charter School Center and The Research Alliance for New York City Schools.

• 

  Shelah Feldstein

  Senior Improvement Specialist, WestEd

  Shelah Feldstein

  Senior Improvement Specialist, WestEd
• 

  Enikia Ford-Mothel

  Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, San Francisco Unified School District

  Enikia Ford-Mothel

  Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, San Francisco Unified School District
• 

  Tracy Fray-Oliver

  Vice President of Bank Street Education Center, Bank Street College of Education

  Tracy Fray-Oliver

  Vice President of Bank Street Education Center, Bank Street College of Education

  Tracy Fray-Oliver is the Vice President of the Bank Street Education Center. In this role, she leads the division of the college that is committed to disrupting inequity through systems-level change by working closely with partners to design better educational learning experiences for everyone. Fray-Oliver began her career in education as a middle school mathematics teacher; later, she transitioned into the role of a mathematics coach and instructional specialist. She continued her commitment to curriculum and instruction at New York City Department of Education’s district office, where she served first as the Director of Mathematics Curriculum and the Common Core Fellows Program to support the city’s transition to the Common Core Standards and then as the Senior Director of STEM, playing a major role in defining the city’s approach to STEM instruction. Fray-Oliver earned a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies at John Jay College and a master’s degree in Mathematics Teacher Education from City University of New York-Brooklyn College.

• 

  Blake Frazier

  Assistant Director of Federal Programs, Jefferson County Schools, Birmingham, AL

  Blake Frazier

  Assistant Director of Federal Programs, Jefferson County Schools, Birmingham, AL

  Mr. Frazier received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Florida in 1999 and a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2005. He also earned an Education Specialist Degree in Instructional Leadership from Samford University in 2012. An educator of 20 years, Mr. Frazier has served in a number of roles in his teaching/education career from teacher, interventionist, assistant principal, principal, and Federal Programs assistant director. Mr. Frazier believes in servant leadership and strives to support schools and administrators on their improvement journey, including Federal Programs guidance. If we believe that all students can be successful, then we must remove barriers for students, identify problems of practice, address those problems of practice, and maintain an improvement mindset.

• 

  Marytza Gawlik

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Marytza Gawlik

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Marytza is an associate for networked improvement science at the Carnegie Foundation. Prior to joining Carnegie, Marytza worked as an assistant professor for Wayne State University and Florida State University in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department. In addition, she served as a senior research associate at the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University. As a faculty member, Marytza worked to prepare teachers and teacher leaders for the principalship and superintendent roles. Marytza’s research and expertise spans policy and organizational sociology, focusing primarily on the intersection of research and practice in leadership, accountability and school choice. Most recently, Marytza worked for the Jacobs Institute for Innovation at the University of San Diego, developing and designing a blueprint for administrator standards and dispositions.

  Marytza has also served as a Freedom School Teacher in Hunter’s Point, San Francisco through the Children’s Defense Fund and developed an Afro-centric curriculum for second and third graders in literacy and mathematics.

  Marytza earned a doctorate in education policy from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s in economics from the New School for Social Research, and a bachelor’s from University of California at Berkeley in psychology.

• 

  Nikki Giunta

  Chief of Staff, New Visions for Public Schools

  Nikki Giunta

  Chief of Staff, New Visions for Public Schools

  Nikki is the Chief of Staff and Project Manager of the organization’s Gates College Readiness Network for School Improvement grant. She joined New Visions in 2013 and is responsible for supporting cross organizational project management, developing and refining the organization’s continuous improvement strategy, training coaches in implementing the strategy with schools and overseeing the scaling of the Portal by New Visions. Prior to working at New Visions, Nikki was a kindergarten teacher in Alexandria, Virginia. Nikki holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, a Master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Virginia and a second Master’s degree in Education in measurement, evaluation, statistics and assessment from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

• 

  Corey Golla

  Superintendent, School District of Menomonee Falls, Minnesota

  Corey Golla

  Superintendent, School District of Menomonee Falls, Minnesota

  Corey Golla is presently serving in his third year as Superintendent in the School District of Menomonee Falls, WI. Previously, he served two years as Director of Curriculum and four years as Principal of Menomonee Falls High School. Throughout this time, he has been a lead learner as the team worked to apply the principles of improvement in the education setting. He began as a classroom teacher and now has over 25 years of experience in education in myriad roles. In addition to his work as a middle and high school educator, he has completed training in Project Management and the Kepner Tregoe Decision Analysis framework. Golla earned a B.S. in History and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Marian College and a Superintendent Certification from Concordia University. He is presently working toward a doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

• 

  Heather Gomez

  Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  Heather Gomez

  Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  Heather Gomez works as an Executive Leadership Coach on the Differentiated Assistance team with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, supporting various districts to eliminate inequities using improvement science. Prior to joining the county office, she served as a site and district administrator, overseeing some of the most vulnerable and at-promise students in the county. Before moving to Fresno, Gomez worked with San Diego Unified, supporting students at risk of being expelled for violent offenses, and as an AmeriCorps counselor with students on juvenile probation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies from University of San Diego, M.S.W from San Diego State University, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Fresno State, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University.

• 

  Louis Gomez

  Professor of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Louis Gomez

  Professor of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Louis Gomez is Professor of Education (and of Information Studies) at the University of California, Los Angeles. Gomez has served since 2008 as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, where he leads the Network Development work. Beginning in 2009, he held the Helen S. Faison Chair in Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was also director of the Center for Urban Education and a senior scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center. From 2001 to 2008, he held a number of faculty appointments at Northwestern University, including the Aon Chair in the Learning Sciences at the School of Education and Social Policy. Prior to joining academia, he spent 14 years working in cognitive science and person–computer systems and interactions at Bell Laboratories, Bell Communications Research Inc. and Bellcore. His research interests have encompassed the application of computing and networking technology to teaching and learning, applied cognitive science, human–computer interactions and other areas. Gomez received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1974 and a doctorate in cognitive psychology from UC Berkeley in 1979.

• 

  Pritha Gopalan

  Director of Research and Learning, Newark Trust for Education

  Pritha Gopalan

  Director of Research and Learning, Newark Trust for Education

  Pritha Gopalan is the Director of Research and Learning at the Newark Trust for Education. She leads formative and summative research on NTE’s initiatives, and supports the continuous improvement of NTE and partner programs through research-practice partnerships. She is an applied anthropologist, committed to centering stakeholder engagement and educational equity. Pritha holds a Ph.D. in Educational Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, and has a rich portfolio of published work.

• 

  Carmen Graf

  Principal, East Garner Elementary School

  Carmen Graf

  Principal, East Garner Elementary School
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  Patricia Greco

  Superintendent Emeritus, School District of Menomonee Falls; Senior Director of Thought Leadership, Huron Studer Education

  Patricia Greco

  Superintendent Emeritus, School District of Menomonee Falls; Senior Director of Thought Leadership, Huron Studer Education

  Patricia Greco serves as the Senior Director for Thought Leadership with Studer Education℠. Pat dedicated her life to education serving 38 years in Wisconsin public schools; 15 as a superintendent. Greco is a champion of organizational excellence. She is skilled in building system, leader, and team capacity for Evidence Based Leadership. Greco is internationally published and extensively trained in systems thinking, organizational learning, and continuous improvement processes. Her work has been published by the Carnegie Foundation, Time Magazine, USA Today, Education Week, AASA, ASQ among many others. Her efforts, and those of her Menomonee Falls Colleagues, received the Carnegie Foundation Spotlight Organization Award and the Top Work Award Place for Large Businesses. Geco received the WI Public Policy Forum Lifetime Achievement Award, the Dr. Mike Kneale Distinguished Leader Award, AASA WI Superintendent of the Year, WASCD Educational Influence Award, and WI Manufactures & Commerce Educator of the Year Award.

• 

  Alicia Grunow

  Co-Founder and Improvement Specialist, Improvement Collective; Senior Fellow, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Alicia Grunow

  Co-Founder and Improvement Specialist, Improvement Collective; Senior Fellow, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Alicia Grunow is an educational improvement expert, specializing in how to apply the science of improvement to help teams, organizations, and networks reach their improvement goals. Alicia started her career as a bilingual teacher in Denver Public Schools and then in New York City, working to improve outcomes for students that speak a language other than English. Through this work she discovered a passion for redesigning systems to better meet the needs of students. She pursued a specialization in improvement science and has spent the past seven years adapting these methodologies for education at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, where she coauthored the seminal book on the topic—Learning to Improve: How America’s Schools Can Get Better at Getting Better.

  Alicia remains senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation and recently co-founded the Improvement Collective, a partnership dedicated to helping organizations to build their improvement capacity in order to solve important problems in education and the broader social sector. She holds a BA in psychology from Reed College, an Improvement Advisor certificate from the Institute from Healthcare Improvement, and a master’s degree in economics and PhD in education from Stanford University.

• 

  Sarah Gudenkauf

  Educational Consultant, Catalyst @ Penn GSE

  Sarah Gudenkauf

  Educational Consultant, Catalyst @ Penn GSE

  Sarah is a consultant who supports organizations with academic and improvement initiatives. Prior to her current role, Sarah was a Research Assistant at Catalyst @ Penn GSE where she convened and co-lead multiple continuous improvement communities. Sarah has worked in school systems at the school and district level as a curriculum director, a science coordinator, assistant principal, and middle and high school science teacher.

• 

  Elise Guest

  Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Missoula County Public Schools

  Elise Guest

  Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Missoula County Public Schools

  Elise M. Guest, Ed.D is honored to serve and work in the Missoula, Montana community where she was raised. As the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Missoula County Public Schools, Elise is committed to leading our educational community, with integrity and collaboration, by creating positive and successful academic and social education experiences for all students, families, and staff. Her career spans across the globe from beginning as a US Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Malawi to teaching students with special needs in South Africa to most recently, leading as a High School Vice Principal in Oregon and an Elementary School Principal in Singapore. She holds a Doctorate of Education from the University of Oregon in Education, Methodology, Policy and Leadership, as well as a Masters of Special Education and two Bachelor of Arts Degrees, English and French.

• 

  Charisse Gulosino

  Associate Professor, University of Memphis

  Charisse Gulosino

  Associate Professor, University of Memphis
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  John Hall

  Chief Technology Officer, African Leadership University

  John Hall

  Chief Technology Officer, African Leadership University
• 

  Michael Hanson

  Former Superintendent, Fresno Unified School District; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Michael Hanson

  Former Superintendent, Fresno Unified School District; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Mike Hanson is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He is the former superintendent of the third largest urban school district in California, and co-founder and inaugural president of CORE, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve student achievement by fostering highly productive, meaningful collaboration and learning between California’s largest school districts. Mike currently serves on the Board of Valley Children’s Healthcare System where he chairs the compensation committee.

  Prior to his 12-year tenure as superintendent, Mike served in many roles as a public educator in both New York and California, including deputy superintendent, high school principal, social science teacher and coach.

  His work has focused on teacher, school and district improvement through building capacity in others, systems knowledge, formalized collaborative relationships and improved governance. His work in continuous improvement focuses on issues of equity and access. Areas of demonstrated expertise are improved student achievement, improved behavior of students, increased diversity of high-quality human capital, and leadership development. His interests include strategic creation and use of data systems as well as supports for public school employees. Mike is a California native who lives in Sacramento with his wife, Julie. They laugh constantly with their three children.

• 

  Benjamin Hargrave

  Principal, Estacada School District, Oregon

  Benjamin Hargrave

  Principal, Estacada School District, Oregon

  Ben Hargrave is the Principal at Estacada Middle School in Estacada, Oregon. As an educational leader, Ben follows evidence-based leadership strategies to strengthen staff capacity when practicing DuFour Model PLCs, supporting the inclusion of all learners, implementing restorative discipline practices, and developing the school’s intervention models. Ben’s leadership actions are problem-specific, solution-oriented, and supported with evidence.

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  Chris Hartley

  Deputy Executive Director, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

  Chris Hartley

  Deputy Executive Director, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)
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  Mandy Harvell

  Instructional Coach, Ritenour School District

  Mandy Harvell

  Instructional Coach, Ritenour School District

  Mandy has been in education since 2002, teaching math in both Illinois and Missouri. Her sixteen years of mathematics teaching experience has all been at the middle school level. In recent years, she has presented at NCTM conferences in Orlando, Kansas City, and Seattle as well as co-developed Math Camp for Teachers, a 2 day professional development opportunity that provides teachers with hands on rich task experiences and practice implementing high quality discourse in their math classrooms. For the past five years she has served as a secondary math instructional coach in the Ritenour School District in St. Louis County, Missouri.

• 

  Heidi Hata

  Director, SELPA System Improvement Leads, El Dorado County Office of Education

  Heidi Hata

  Director, SELPA System Improvement Leads, El Dorado County Office of Education
• 

  Susan Haynes

  Partner Success Manager, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Susan Haynes

  Partner Success Manager, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Susan Haynes is the partner success manager for the Carnegie Foundation’s collaborative technology team. She provides product development support, partnership management, and technical assistance for various products and platforms developed by Carnegie for faculty and community partners. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2016, she worked as a legal and policy assistant in the Silicon Valley’s tech sector, specializing in print and digital copyrights. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Stanford University, where she specialized in creative writing and Shakespearean studies.

• 

  LaRena Heath

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science; Director, Professional Education Offerings, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  LaRena Heath

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science; Director, Professional Education Offerings, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  LaRena is an associate in the networked improvement science group as well as the director of professional education offerings. She joined the Foundation in 2018 as a networked improvement science fellow. Most recently, LaRena was Senior Manager of Content and Instruction at Actively Learn, an online literacy platform. Her work focused on creating instructional resources and delivering professional development to teachers and administrators emphasizing evidence-based practices for critical reading, formative assessment, and scaffolding.

  LaRena started her career at American Institutes for Research and worked on numerous projects investigating factors that led to success in high-performing, high-need schools. Inspired by the dedicated teachers she met through this work, LaRena spent the next several years teaching in San Jose, CA and Brookline, MA where she enjoyed designing project-based units that supported the needs of diverse learners. As a teacher leader, LaRena facilitated grade-level teams in data analysis and developed intervention plans to support ELLs and struggling students. She also served as an instructional technology coach where she helped teachers throughout her district effectively utilize digital tools in their classrooms.

  LaRena earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy and a master’s degree in education from Stanford University.

• 

  Erin Henrick

  President, Partner to Improve

  Erin Henrick

  President, Partner to Improve

  Dr. Henrick, President of Partner to Improve, is an education researcher, evaluator, professional development provider, speaker, and author. Dr. Henrick is a professional development facilitator for the Research+Practice Collaboratory and has facilitated over seven National Science Foundation CSforALL workshops, supporting teams of researchers and education practitioners to develop high functioning research-practice partnerships aimed at ensuring that all students in the United States have access to high quality computer science education. Dr. Henrick has facilitated sessions for the Education Leadership Institute at Union University, focused on developing school leaders’ capacities to use continuous improvement methodologies and view improvement as an organizational issue that requires improvement across multiple layers of a system. Dr. Henrick has also served as faculty for the Governor’s Academy for School Leadership at Vanderbilt University, leading sessions on parental engagement, improving instruction at scale, and improvement science. Dr. Henrick also provides school improvement consulting services, and most recently has consulted with The Webb School, a private boarding college preparatory school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. She also conducted an ½ day seminar for high school principals in Denmark on system-wide instructional improvement and was the invited speaker for a professional development retreat for over 150 teachers from the Silkeborg high school, the largest high school in Denmark.

• 

  Kimberly Hinton

  Leadership Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Kimberly Hinton

  Leadership Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Dr. Kimberly Hinton joined the Network for College Success in 2018 as a Leadership Coach. She partners with and supports school leaders in dismantling and disrupting inequities using data, research, continuous improvement and radical love for self and others. She works collaboratively and across difference to move from schooling to control to education for liberation. Prior to joining NCS, Dr. Hinton taught and held various leadership positions for 15 years in Chicago Public Schools.

• 

  Jill Hoogendyk

  Chief of Staff, San Francisco Unified School District

  Jill Hoogendyk

  Chief of Staff, San Francisco Unified School District
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  David Imig

  Professor of Practice, College of Education, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  David Imig

  Professor of Practice, College of Education, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  David Imig, PhD, is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and a Professor of the Practice in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. He teaches courses in teacher education policy and practice, school and teacher leadership. A founder of the Carnegie Project on Education Doctorate (CPED), a national organization of some 85 graduate schools of education, he is co-leading an effort at Maryland to transform doctoral education to focus on “expectations, outcomes and achievements” of four professional cohorts of EdD students in large metropolitan school districts in areas surrounding the campus.

  Prior to coming to College Park in 2006, Imig was the president and chief executive officer for the Washington, DC-based American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) for twenty-five years. He was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement from AACTE. Imig has also served as chair of the NCATE executive committee, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration and the Forum for Education Organization Leaders, as well as the National Society for the Study of Education. He has conducted program reviews and served on numerous college and university advisory committees in the US and abroad. He holds a lifetime achievement award from the UK-based Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET).

• 

  Gregory Imhoff

  New Faculty Instructional Coach, Missoula County Public Schools

  Gregory Imhoff

  New Faculty Instructional Coach, Missoula County Public Schools

  Greg Imhoff is a New Faculty Instructional Coach for the Missoula County Public School District who specializes in working with first-third year teachers. During his 26 years in public education, Greg has taught 2nd-8th grade, served as the Teachers’ Union President, and coached basketball, baseball, soccer and track. Greg hails from the Great Lake State of Michigan where he received his B.A. in Elementary Education from Michigan State University before moving to Seattle to begin his teaching career. Greg also holds a M.Ed. from The University of Washington and is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at The University of Montana. When Greg isn’t mentoring new teachers, he can be found enjoying the mountains, streams, and valleys of Montana with his family.

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  Zachary Jaffe

  Literacy Coordinator for Continuous Improvement, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Zachary Jaffe

  Literacy Coordinator for Continuous Improvement, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Zachary Jaffe has been a literacy educator in Baltimore City Public Schools for 19 years. He currently is the Coordinator of Continuous Improvement for Blueprint Literacy. Before that he was a Blueprint Literacy Coach for three years and a high school English teacher for 15 years. Zack has a bachelor’s in biology from Amherst College and a master’s in teaching from Johns Hopkins University.

• 

  Amy James

  Educational Recovery Leader, Kentucky Department of Education

  Amy James

  Educational Recovery Leader, Kentucky Department of Education

  With a steady focus on curriculum and instruction, Amy James has worked as a science teacher, an instructional coach, a curriculum developer, an educational consultant and master trainer, and most recently as an Education Recovery Leader with the Kentucky Department of Education. Throughout all these roles, she has worked to support the education of all students in order to create educational equity with autonomous thinkers, bold innovators, and empathetic collaborators in every child. With a keen awareness of the power teachers hold in students’ education, Amy works to build teacher capacity by building a culture of thinking, investing in educators to find their voice as designers, as transformational leaders, and as improvement scientists in order to build ever-better schools.

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  Emily Jaskowski

  Middle School ELA Teacher and Fellow for Fluency, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Emily Jaskowski

  Middle School ELA Teacher and Fellow for Fluency, Baltimore City Public Schools
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  Beverley Jenkins

  Project Coordinator, SELPA System Improvement Leads, El Dorado County Office of Education

  Beverley Jenkins

  Project Coordinator, SELPA System Improvement Leads, El Dorado County Office of Education
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  Derek Jones

  Vice President of School Support, New Visions for Public Schools

  Derek Jones

  Vice President of School Support, New Visions for Public Schools

  Derek joined New Visions in 2012 and is responsible for guiding the instructional and operations support New Visions provides to its network of 70 district schools. He manages the organization’s relationship with the NYC Department of Education (DOE) and leads the support of DOE schools and initiatives. Derek also leads the organizational efforts related to diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. Prior to New Visions, he worked for the NYCDOE as the founding principal of Excelsior Preparatory High School in Queens for six years, and as a deputy network leader responsible for overseeing leadership, professional development and youth development for thirty-one schools, as well as conducting school quality reviews. He has an M.S. in multicultural education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, and an M.S. in educational leadership from Baruch College.

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  Rebekah Kang

  Assistant Principal, UCLA Community School

  Rebekah Kang

  Assistant Principal, UCLA Community School

  Rebekah M. Kang is the Assistant Principal and one of the founding teachers of the RFK UCLA Community School. Rebekah has led the school’s efforts to embed Improvement Science principles and tools to support professional learning and collective leadership at the school. Rebekah is a National Board Certified Teacher, a UCLA Writing Project Fellow, the Teacher-Powered Schools LA Lead, and the School Leadership Fellow for UCLA Center for Community Schooling.

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  Jennifer Karnopp

  Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education, San Diego State University

  Jennifer Karnopp

  Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education, San Diego State University
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  Edit Khachatryan

  Founder and Principal Consultant, Sovoroom: Carnegie National Faculty, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Edit Khachatryan

  Founder and Principal Consultant, Sovoroom: Carnegie National Faculty, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Edit Khachatryan is an improvement facilitator, researcher, and educator with a mission to create lasting educational improvements by facilitating and strengthening collaborative learning among educators. Edit started her career as a high school teacher, and cares deeply about strengthening the teaching profession and ensuring that educators have the collaboration time, necessary supports and resources, and authentic professional development opportunities. The desire to understand how to do this well led her out of the classroom to engage in federal policy at the U.S. Department of Education as a Teaching Ambassador Fellow, then to earn her doctorate from Stanford University. Edit’s scholarly work has focused on feedback on teaching from classroom observations, teacher professional development, teacher and district leadership development, and improvement coaching. Most recently, Edit co-authored an article with Emma Parkerson on how to organize the social dimensions of school improvement in Kappan magazine.

  In order to truly address educational disparities and ensure sustainable change for our most vulnerable students, Edit believes that we must invest in accessing and utilizing both research and practitioner expertise within our system. She recently founded Sovoroom, an organization committed to supporting continuous improvement through professional development, research, and strategy development. Edit holds a B.A. in sociology, two master’s degrees and teaching and administrative credentials from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and teacher education from Stanford University.

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  Jennifer Kim

  Lead Instructional Continuous Improvement Coach, New Visions for Public Schools

  Jennifer Kim

  Lead Instructional Continuous Improvement Coach, New Visions for Public Schools

  Jennifer supports school teams in the Instructional Network for School Improvement with math curriculum adoption and continuous improvement cycles to improve academic outcomes for Black, Latino, and low-income students focusing on 9th grade success. She has also collaboratively developed an inquiry-based curriculum aligned to the NYS Mathematics Learning Standards and Instructional Routines that foster student Mathematical Practices. Before joining New Visions in 2013, she worked as a middle and high school math teacher and instructional coach for pre-service and in-service educators. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and a master’s degree in secondary education from Loyola Marymount University.

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  Ayeola Kinlaw

  Consultant, Center for Public Research and Leadership

  Ayeola Kinlaw

  Consultant, Center for Public Research and Leadership

  Ayeola Kinlaw is a Project Director at CPRL. She provides research, organizational strategy and development, and philanthropic advising services to nonprofit organizations and foundations. At CPRL, she has developed strategic plans and measurement frameworks, designed and conducted a formative evaluation of improvement networks, and facilitated trainings on evolutionary learning. Prior to launching her consulting practice, Ayeola served as a Senior Program Officer at the Wallace Foundation. Where she focused on school and district leadership. She was also the Founding Director of the 100Kin10 Funders’ Collaborative where she supported the strategic philanthropy of more than 34 national, regional, and corporate funders. Kinlaw has a B.A. from Duke University in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education in Education Policy and Management.

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  Megan Kizer

  Supervising Improvement Partner, Partners in School Innovation

  Megan Kizer

  Supervising Improvement Partner, Partners in School Innovation

  A drive to learn has always been one of Megan’s core values. She began working for Kalamazoo Public Schools directly from her studies, in a small, urban school district known for their scholarship program, The Kalamazoo Promise. It was here, and under the opportunity such a generous scholarship provides, that she developed additional passion for preparing traditionally underserved students for college and beyond. As a member of the Partners team for the last 9 years, Megan has pushed this work. Her classroom experience, of seven years, combined with the strategic and deliberative steps it takes to move students over their achievement hurdles help to solidify a belief that something can be done about this country’s educational crisis and now is the time to do it.

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  Madison Knapp

  Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Colorado Succeeds

  Madison Knapp

  Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Colorado Succeeds

  Madison Knapp is a Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager at Colorado Succeeds, overseeing strategic partnerships and special projects such as the Homegrown Talent Initiative. Madison tenaciously translates innovative ideas into impactful strategies to help ensure all of Colorado’s kids have high-quality learning experiences. Her expertise in grant writing, project management, and stakeholder engagement support the entire organization in achieving its mission. Madison has served Colorado Succeeds since 2017. Prior to that, she supported the development team at PACER Center, an information and advocacy nonprofit serving children and youth with disabilities and their families, as well as the national bullying prevention center. She managed grant writing, donor relations, and numerous fundraising events annually. Madison holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and master’s degrees in business administration and nonprofit management from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.

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  Jim Kohlmoos

  Partner, Edge Consulting; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jim Kohlmoos

  Partner, Edge Consulting; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jim Kohlmoos is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, co-founder and partner of EDGE Consulting LLC, and a senior advisor to the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships. With more than four decades of experience in education leadership, Kohlmoos supports new innovative approaches in policy development, organizational management, research and development, marketing, and evaluation. Prior to founding EDGE, Kohlmoos was executive director of the National Association of State Boards of Education, a non-partisan non-profit membership association dedicated to serving and strengthening State Boards of Education. From 2001-2012, he was the president and CEO of Knowledge Alliance, a nonpartisan nonprofit trade association in Washington, D.C. dedicated to the effective use of research-based knowledge in education policy and practice. Prior to joining the Alliance, Kohlmoos was vice president of The Implementation Group. From 1993 to 2000 Kohlmoos served at the U.S. Department of Education as both deputy assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education and as senior adviser and special assistant. He also served on the presidential transition team in 1992. A graduate of Stanford University, Kohlmoos started his career in education with the U.S. Teacher Corps in Salinas, CA, and subsequently served two years in the U.S. Peace Corps in Malaysia as a professional development specialist.

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  James Korndorffer, Jr.

  Assistant Professor and Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgery, Stanford University

  James Korndorffer, Jr.

  Assistant Professor and Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgery, Stanford University

  James R. Korndorffer, Jr. MD MHPE FACS is Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Surgery at Stanford University. He received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University, his Medical Degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine and his Masters in Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois Chicago. His general surgery residency was completed at The Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and his Advanced Laparoscopic Fellowship was completed at Tulane University.

  He is actively involved in numerous national societies, the American College of Surgeons, the Society for Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the Association for Surgical Education, and the Association for Program Directors in Surgery. He serves as co-chair of the education council for SAGES and also serves as the APDS research division chair. He was inducted as a member in the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators in 2021.

  Dr. Korndorffer has published over 80 papers in peer reviewed journals, editor of 2 published books, contributed to 8 book chapters and has over 120 presentations at national meetings. Dr. Korndorffer’s research interests include surgical education, surgical simulation, trainee assessment and patient care quality. His clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery for gastrointestinal disorders and hernias.

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  Uma Kotagal

  Senior Executive Leader, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Uma Kotagal

  Senior Executive Leader, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Dr. Uma Raman Kotagal currently serves as the Executive Lead for Community and Population Health at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Cincinnati. A neonatologist and Health Services Researcher by training, Dr Kotagal previously served as Senior Vice President for Quality Safety, and Transformation at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Executive Director of the James .M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence. Dr. Kotagal has been a pioneer in the application of System Science to improve outcomes in health care delivery across the world with the goal of dramatically changing medical and quality of life outcomes, patient and family experience, and value Dr. Kotagal directed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pursuing Perfection initiative at Cincinnati Children’s. As a result of Dr. Kotagal’s endeavors, Cincinnati Children’s has received several prestigious national and international awards for their efforts to transform health care delivery. Dr. Kotagal is a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, serves on the Board of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and Chairs the Quality Improvement Committee of the Children’s Hospital association. She has served on the Advisory Committee of the Toronto Patient Safety Center, and as Associate Editor of BMJ Quality and Safety. Dr. Kotagal is a member of the Institute of Medicine and is a recipient of the Prestigious Daniel Drake medal from the UC college of Medicine, Dr. Kotagal holds a MS in Epidemiology from Harvard University-School of Public Health, and an MBBS and a Bachelors of Medicine, Surgery from Grant Medical College in Mumbai, India.

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  Andy Krumm

  Assistant Professor of Learning Health Sciences; Assistant Professor of Information, University of Michigan

  Andy Krumm

  Assistant Professor of Learning Health Sciences; Assistant Professor of Information, University of Michigan

  Andrew Krumm is an Assistant Professor in the Medical School, Assistant Professor in the School of Information, and Affiliated Faculty with the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on data-intensive quality improvement. Prior to joining the Department of Learning Health Sciences at U of M, he was the Director of Learning Analytics Research at Digital Promise and a Senior Education Researcher in the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International where he directed the Improvement Analytics group. At both organizations, Andrew developed data-intensive research-practice partnerships with educational organizations of all types.

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  Jennifer Lambie-Biagio

  Director, Mid-State Collaborative (Geographical Lead), Tulare County Office of Education

  Jennifer Lambie-Biagio

  Director, Mid-State Collaborative (Geographical Lead), Tulare County Office of Education

  Jennifer Lambie-Biagio is an educational improvement coach and leader with the Tulare County Office of Education. Currently in her sixth year, Jennifer has devoted her service in three divisions; Special Services supporting SELPA and foster youth learners, Leadership Support Services as an administrator of Differentiated Assistance; and presently, Educational Resource Services where she leads district support services. Additionally, she serves as the Director of Mid-State Collaborative, a geographical lead of eleven COEs in the geographical region. Through the systems of support initiative, MSC gathers leaders to focus on specialized topics which include NICs, MTSS, ELD, equity, and accountability. Her passion for improvement science and systems improvement can be seen woven throughout her work. Jennifer holds a BA in Organizational Leadership with two master’s degrees in special education and administrative leadership. In her second year of a doctoral program, Jennifer is focusing her research on SEL with adults in educational systems.

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  Katie LaPointe

  K-5 New Faculty Mentor Program Instructional Coach, Missoula County Public Schools

  Katie LaPointe

  K-5 New Faculty Mentor Program Instructional Coach, Missoula County Public Schools

  Katie LaPointe is a New Faculty Instructional Coach for Missoula County Public School District. Prior to working at the district level, Katie taught third grade and provided mental health support as a behavior specialist at one of Missoula’s nine elementary schools. As a Massachusetts native, Katie started her career in New England as the director of a truancy alternative program for middle and high school students. She is passionate about supporting educators in the early years of their career, and is a self-proclaimed “data nerd”. Katie holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and Psychology from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, and is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Montana. In addition to her professional roles, Katie is the proud partner of Michael and the lucky “mumma” of Penelope and Theodore.

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  Robin Largue

  Senior Director, Huron Studer Education

  Robin Largue

  Senior Director, Huron Studer Education

  Dr. Robin Largue is the cofounder and lead educational specialist for Studer Education. She has more than 30 years of education industry experience in secondary and higher education that she brings to her consulting work. She specializes in assisting school districts with implementing Evidence-Based LeadershipSM principles to create cultures of excellence and accountability in education.

  Robin’s experience is rooted in teaching in the classroom. She began her career as a high school history teacher before being promoted to the assistant principal at Escambia High School and then to principal of Pine Forest High School. Robin went on to become the lead for the educational leadership program at the University of West Florida, where she served for five years.

  In 2003, Robin cocreated the first pilot program for TeacherReady, an online alternative certification program. In 2005, the program received State of Florida approval to professionally certify teachers.

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  Hien Larson

  Principal, Alder Creek Middle School, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

  Hien Larson

  Principal, Alder Creek Middle School, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

  Hien Nguyen Larson, educational preparation includes a Masters in Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno; a Bachelors of Science from UC Davis. As an educator with 30 years of experience, she has served as a teacher and a site administrator. Hien’s experience as an immigrant and a second language learner gives her a vast understanding of the whole child, learning, and leadership. She earned awards including Linda Brown Fellows Award and Placer County and Region Principal of the Year. Her school was recognized as a Gold Ribbon School by the state of California and nationally as A School to Watch: National Forum for Middle-Grade Forum. Her decisions will always be under the filter of what is best for students. Hien is committed to providing challenging and engaging learning opportunities in order for our students to thrive in college, career, and life.

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  Gina Le

  Special Educator, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Gina Le

  Special Educator, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Gina Le is a special educator at Academy for College & Career Exploration (ACCE) in Baltimore, MD. She is a former Hollyhock Teaching and Leading Fellow at Stanford University. She began her teaching career in 2013 as a founding teacher at a charter school in Brooklyn, NY and taught English courses across the spectrum of general education, integrated co-teaching, Pre-AP, AP, and Honors. She later earned an additional certification in Special Education from Brooklyn College and was a mentor to new special education teachers in a teacher residency program. She also worked with Girls for Gender Equity, where she facilitated after-school programs through the lens of social consciousness and youth empowerment. Gina holds dual degrees in English and Psychology from Ohio State University and a Master of Arts in English Education from Columbia University. Gina’s pedagogy is rooted in literacy as liberation and equitable access for all learners.

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  Ashley Leonard

  Associate Director of the Middle Grades Network, UChicago's To&Through Project

  Ashley Leonard

  Associate Director of the Middle Grades Network, UChicago's To&Through Project

  Ashley N. Leonard is the Founding Associate Director of the To&Through Middle Grades Network (MGN), a cohort of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) dedicated to creating more equitable and supportive educational environments where middle grades students thrive. Prior to joining the MGN, she was the Executive Director for Spark in Chicago, a career exploration and self-discovery program that helps middle schoolers pursue what’s possible. Ashley’s diverse experience in education also includes special projects roles at the Chicago Public Education Fund and CPS. She holds a Masters of Education in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Vassar College. Ashley is a proud alumna of the 2017 Surge Institute Fellowship and is eager to see how her new role as mom deepens her commitment to the field.

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  Tarima Levine

  Senior Director of Content Development, Bank Street College of Education

  Tarima Levine

  Senior Director of Content Development, Bank Street College of Education

  Tarima Levine, the Senior Director of Content Development at the Bank Street Education Center, is responsible for overseeing, researching, and designing high-quality professional learning content aligned to the Bank Street approach to improve district-wide systems and instructional practices. In her role on the YPS NSI and BKS NSI teams, she is responsible for developing and building network capacity around core content including continuous improvement processes, equity-oriented systems and instruction, and high-quality developmentally meaningful practice. Tarima has developed and overseen professional learning creation across a wide range of the Education Center’s school system partnerships including the NY Network, Newark Public Schools, the New York City Department of Education, Providence Public Schools, New Haven Public Schools, and Cleveland Public Schools. Tarima holds a B.A. from Barnard College and M.S. Ed from Bank Street College of Education.

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  Angel Li

  Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Angel Li

  Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Angel Li joined the Foundation as an associate in the evidence and analytics group in 2020. Prior to joining the Foundation, Li worked for Denver Public Schools (DPS) as an innovation and improvement specialist holding the position of analytics lead of the College Ready On Track Network for School Improvement. In her time with DPS, she leveraged her expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, as well as training in liberatory design and networked improvement science to support network initiation and progress monitoring. She is interested in studying how an equity X design X networked improvement model can be applied at the classroom, school, network, and district level.

  Li earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Hong Kong. Reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of her work, she holds publications in education, communication, psychology, and sociology.

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  Abbey Loehr

  Research Director, Institute for School Partnership, Washington University in St. Louis

  Abbey Loehr

  Research Director, Institute for School Partnership, Washington University in St. Louis

  Abbey Loehr, Ph.D., is the Research Director at the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis. She works with collaborative teams of researchers and practitioners to improve STEM education and address inequities in K-12 schools located in the greater St. Louis region. She is currently working with interdisciplinary district teams to support mathematics teachers’ use of ambitious and equitable teaching practices using the disciplined approach of improvement science and strengths-based positive change. She has a Ph.D. in cognitive developmental psychology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where she studied how children learn math.

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  Jennifer Nebelsick Lowery

  Superintendent, Tea Area School District, South Dakota

  Jennifer Nebelsick Lowery

  Superintendent, Tea Area School District, South Dakota
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  Megan MacDonald

  Research Assistant, Doctoral Student, Catalyst @ Penn GSE

  Megan MacDonald

  Research Assistant, Doctoral Student, Catalyst @ Penn GSE

  Megan MacDonald is a doctoral student at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. She works with Catalyst @ Penn GSE to coordinate and conduct research on several different inquiry networks focused on continuous improvement. Prior to starting at Penn, Megan led the team responsible for recruitment and selection in the Office of Talent at the School District of Philadelphia. She has also worked as a recruiter for Teach For America and as a middle school special education teacher and coordinator in Washington, DC and Brooklyn, NY.

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  Roger Macdonald

  Superintendent, Northern Humboldt Union High School District

  Roger Macdonald

  Superintendent, Northern Humboldt Union High School District
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  Tom Malarkey

  Director, National Equity Project

  Tom Malarkey

  Director, National Equity Project
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  Logan Mallonee

  Principal, Truckee High School, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

  Logan Mallonee

  Principal, Truckee High School, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

  Logan Mallonee is the principal of Truckee High School; a 9-12 comprehensive public high school. Logan’s educational background includes teaching in the San Francisco Unified School District, teaching English Language Arts for Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, and serving as an academic coach at the middle and high school level. She has been a professor of student teachers at the University of San Francisco and an administrator at the high school level for ten years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, a master’s degree in teaching, a teaching and an administrative credential all from the University of San Francisco. Mrs. Mallonee believes that students are the focus of all decisions. She is passionate about offering opportunities for all types of scholars at the high school level including reading at grade level, CTE courses, and caring relationships with adults on campus.

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  Jojo Manai

  Senior Associate, Managing Director, Collaborative Technology,, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jojo Manai

  Senior Associate, Managing Director, Collaborative Technology,, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jojo Manai is a senior associate managing director for collaborative technology at the Carnegie Foundation. He leads the technical team to provide Foundation-wide support for a variety of technology, including the development and administration of an information infrastructure for the Carnegie Foundation’s Design, Development & Improvement Research work, as well as the development of technology solutions for a wide range of collaboration tools to facilitate the work of Carnegie’s programs. Before coming to the Carnegie Foundation, Jojo was a search technical lead & project manager at Yahoo! where he supported rich results direct display, query pattern mining, intent analysis and impact prediction. He holds degrees in computer science and information technology from the Faculté des Sciences Economiques et de Gestion – Sfax University. In the summer of 2005 he was awarded The UC Davis Citations for Excellence and Achievement Award, as an acknowledgment of his achievements and quality of work at the University of California Davis.

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  Ed Manansala

  Superintendent, El Dorado County Office of Education

  Ed Manansala

  Superintendent, El Dorado County Office of Education

  Dr. Ed Manansala serves as the County Superintendent of Schools for El Dorado County, California. His tenure has been marked by strong collaboration with leaders to increase achievement, equity, and the successful implementation of the California Statewide System of Support for all schools. He began his career addressing systemic barriers to learning with Sacramento City Unified School District. He transitioned to Principal and Superintendent of St. HOPE Public Schools. As the Principal of Sacramento High, the school demonstrated significant academic growth, and the four-year college acceptance rate increased from 25% to 75%. Dr. Manansala was the 2019 President of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, served on Governor Newsom’s Charter School Task Force, and is currently the Vice Chair of the State Board of Education’s California Practitioners Advisory Group. Dr. Manansala’s is committed to create the conditions for all students to flourish in college, a career, and civic engagement.

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  JoDee Marcellin

  Director of District to District Programs, California Education Partners

  JoDee Marcellin

  Director of District to District Programs, California Education Partners

  JoDee Marcellin, Ed.D., grew up in the Bay Area and moved to Fresno in 1986 to attend California State University, Fresno, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies. JoDee’s 18-year educational career in Sanger Unified School District afforded her experiences in all levels of k–12, from high school science teacher to site and district leadership. Her own struggles as a student acted as a driving force in her work to improve instruction and educational systems to better meet students’ needs, especially those unsupported by the current structures. During JoDee’s k–12 tenure, she built a multifaceted background that provided her a unique opportunity to join the California Education Partners team. Ed Partners’ innovation, drive, and passion to facilitate success for all students are a match for JoDee’s own—allowing her to expand and deepen the amazing work she was blessed to be involved in at Sanger to a larger scale throughout California. Marcellin received a B.S. in Physical Education, an M.P.H. in Public Health, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Fresno State.

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  Landon Mascareñaz

  Vice President, Community Partnerships, Colorado Education Initiative

  Landon Mascareñaz

  Vice President, Community Partnerships, Colorado Education Initiative

  Landon is the Vice President for Community Partnerships at The Colorado Education Initiative. In his role, he is responsible for district implementation work in the Denver Metro Area, Northeastern Colorado and Southwestern Colorado. His projects include the Homegrown Talent Initiative (focused on rural economic development), Youth Connections (Social Emotional Development) and launching Equity Councils to drive community change. He also leads the organizations efforts rethinking accountability in Colorado and how we might reframe the questions toward what families and communities need from the system. He leads the organizational equity initiatives and integrating how we might work with communities to open systems across the state. He was appointed in 2019 by Governor Jared Polis to the state board for Community Colleges & Occupational Education for a four-year term. Most recently during the COVID Crisis, Landon worked with many organizations to help launch the Denver Metro Emergency Food Network that delivered over 320,000 meals for free to families and elderly in need.

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  Sarah May

  Developmental Evaluator, Partners in School Innovation

  Sarah May

  Developmental Evaluator, Partners in School Innovation

  Sarah May is a Developmental Evaluator at Partners in School Innovation, a nonprofit that supports educators in becoming change agents by building their capacity to transform their schools. She joined Partners in School Innovation in 2020 eager to embrace the tools of evaluation in service of disrupting inequity in our education system. Her previous work included analyzing data about elementary school recess and supporting program staff to make timely, data-informed programmatic adjustments as they implemented play-based school climate initiatives. Sarah received a B.A. in Psychology from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and later earned an M.S. in Social Administration from the Mandel School at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It was her grounding in social work that catalyzed her passion for systemic solutions that ensure all students can thrive regardless of background.

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  Kara McElvaine

  Senior Program Manager, Shift

  Kara McElvaine

  Senior Program Manager, Shift

  Kara is committed to advancing racial and social justice by creating more equitable spaces in the K-12 education landscape. She supports Shift’s continuous improvement work within their Education portfolio, where she’s currently building out theories of change and change packages for key issues such as equitable grading and culturally responsive pedagogy and math. Kara holds a B.A. in both Anthropology and Art History from the College of William and Mary and an M.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oregon State University, where she is currently working towards her PhD.

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  Rohini McKee

  Associate Partner, Catalyst:Ed

  Rohini McKee

  Associate Partner, Catalyst:Ed

  As an Associate Partner at Catalyst:Ed, Rohini manages the K12 portfolio on the Strategic Initiatives team. That includes working with improvement networks to build capacity, expanding the expert network to better serve organizations, and building the Catalyst:Ed community. Prior to joining Catalyst:Ed, Rohini was a management consultant for 12 years. She worked with a variety of education organizations, including improvement networks, to establish and maintain continuous improvement practices, develop and implement strategic plans, initiate and sustain strong data governance processes among other areas of work. In 2009, Rohini was a member of the Education Pioneer fellowship in Boston, MA. Rohini earned her Master’s in Public Policy from the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the George Washington University.

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  Sherry McLaughlin

  Deputy Director, Postsecondary Success, Connecticut RISE network

  Sherry McLaughlin

  Deputy Director, Postsecondary Success, Connecticut RISE network
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  Kelly McMahon

  Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Kelly McMahon

  Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Kelly is an associate in the evidence and analytics group. She joined the Foundation in 2018 as a networked improvement science fellow. Prior to joining Carnegie, Kelly was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, where she worked on the COHERE Project which investigates school districts’ efforts to create alignment and continuity in math instruction for Pre K-3 grades and the influence these initiatives have on students’ math learning. Kelly is particularly interested in the design and implementation of system-level reforms that promote continuous improvement of instruction and school quality. Using qualitative research methods, Kelly explored the effects of school accountability policies and networked school support structures.

  Kelly earned a Ph.D. in education administration and policy from the University of Michigan. She also has a masters in education administration, leadership and technology from NYU and a masters in English education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She worked as a high school English teacher at Stuyvesant High School in New York City, a teacher-educator at the University of Michigan, School of Education in Ann Arbor, and a business consultant at Arthur Anderson in Detroit and Chicago.

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  Eva Mejia

  Chief Learning and Strategy Officer, Big Picture Learning

  Eva Mejia

  Chief Learning and Strategy Officer, Big Picture Learning

  Eva Mejia is the Chief Program & Strategy Officer at Big Picture Learning. In that capacity, she stewards strategic thinking and programs to maximize the impact that Big Picture can have on young people and the educators that serve them.

  Always seeking to learn and improve life outcomes for disenfranchised communities, Dr. Mejia has served in many capacities across pre-K-16 systems. She began her career in direct services as a social worker and coordinator for parent engagement, mentorship, and tutoring programs. During this time, she developed her skills as a strengths-based social worker, bridging divides across systems and communities to support young people and their families.

  Prior to joining Big Picture, Mejia developed her skills in networked improvement and adult development. Most recently, she served as the Director of Networked Improvement Science for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. At Carnegie, she oversaw efforts to solve some of the most pressing problems in education through the use of networked improvement communities. She also served as an Improvement Coach for the Data Wise Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and as an institutional effectiveness consultant helping community colleges and university teams use data to inform their student success programing.

  Dr. Mejia holds an Education Leadership Doctorate (Ed.L.D.) from HGSE, as well as a B.A. in psychology, and an M.A. in sociology from Stanford University.

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  Sergio Mendoza

  Superintendent, Burton School District, CA

  Sergio Mendoza

  Superintendent, Burton School District, CA

  Sergio Mendoza has served as Superintendent since November 19, 2018, and has had experience as a district level director both in Porterville Unified School District and Burton Elementary School District since 2006. Sergio has been education since August 1989, serving as an instructional bilingual aide, tennis coach, Special Education teacher PK-2 and high school, resource teacher, vice principal of elementary, middle and high school, and a district level director. Burton began its work on continuous improvement with Carnegie and CVNIC in 2015, which led to the partnership with Studer Education. Mr. Mendoza holds a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from California State University, Fresno, as well as, professional clear credentials in teaching and administration.

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  Amanda Meyer

  Senior Director of Improvement, CORE Districts

  Amanda Meyer

  Senior Director of Improvement, CORE Districts

  Amanda Meyer is a designer, facilitator, coach, and improvement advisor who builds educators’ capacity to leverage continuous improvement in service of high-quality learning experiences and outcomes for all students. Amanda is a cisgender, middle-class, able-bodied, white woman who interrogates her own privilege and positionality as she integrates improvement science, human-centered design, and an equity consciousness in her practice. In her work at CORE Districts, Amanda contributes to the strategic design, management, and facilitation of the Breakthrough Success Community, a 9th grade on-track improvement network. Prior to joining CORE, Amanda spent four years at the Carnegie Foundation, where she created improvement science learning experiences, including the EdX online course, “Improvement Science in Education,” taken by thousands of learners around the world. She began her career teaching high school English in San Antonio, and currently resides in Oakland with humility and reverence for its rich traditions in arts and activism.

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  Vivian Mihalakis

  Deputy Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  Vivian Mihalakis

  Deputy Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  Vivian is a Deputy Director with the K-12 team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She supports the foundation’s place-based delivery strategy which seeks to test, codify, and scale school improvement models that significantly increase the number of students who are Black, Latino, and experiencing poverty who earn a high school diploma, enroll in a post-secondary institution, and are on track in their first year to obtain a credential with labor market value. Prior to joining the foundation, Vivian was a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Learning (IFL) at the University of Pittsburgh where she led the English language arts product and professional development teams. Her work focused on ensuring traditionally underserved students have access to ambitious and engaging instruction that prepares them for college and careers. During her tenure at IFL, Vivian partnered with public school districts across the country to provide professional learning and coaching for teachers, coaches, and administrators in addition to developing ELA curriculum and performance assessments. Vivian began her career as a high school ELA teacher. She holds a Ph.D. in Instruction and Learning from the University of Pittsburgh.

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  Sarah Miller

  Director of Student Services and Partnership Development, TeacherReady, Huron Studer Education

  Sarah Miller

  Director of Student Services and Partnership Development, TeacherReady, Huron Studer Education

  As TeacherReady® Director of Students Services, Dr. Sarah Miller leads a team that strives to provide excellent service and a high-quality, rigorous program for each teacher candidate. She has served with the TeacherReady Teacher Certification Program for 11 years. The program grown exponentially during her tenure. Program outcomes and candidate success are exceptional, and candidates outperform traditional college programs. The team applies continuous improvement processes to meet the needs of students and successfully demonstrate their capabilities once employed. During her career, Dr. Miller taught both elementary and secondary students, led special education teams, and earned her National Board Certification from The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. A dedicated leader, Dr. Miller also helped establish the Baldwin County Transition Team and the first School to Work Program at Fairhope High School for special needs students. Dr. Miller’s passion for improving education shines through in her daily work with teacher candidates.

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  Cynthia Nambo

  Leadership Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Cynthia Nambo

  Leadership Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Cynthia C. Nambo, a Leadership Coach with the Network for College Success (NCS) at the University of Chicago. She leads a portfolio of five Chicago Public High Schools and two multi-disciplinary coaching teams. The areas of equity centered coaching are Freshman Success, Instruction, Post Secondary Success, Data, and Executive & Teacher Leadership. She coaches high school principals, assistant principals, and their instructional leadership teams. A marked accomplishment was as Project Director leading a community and district partnership to open four small high school campus to serve predominantly Mexican and African American young people. Before coming to NCS she was the founding principal of a social justice high school that reached adaptive and quantitative gains using competency and liberatory practices and systems.

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  Kari Nelsestuen

  Co-Founder, Community Design Partners

  Kari Nelsestuen

  Co-Founder, Community Design Partners

  Kari Nelsestuen is an improvement coach, researcher, and facilitator. Her favorite role is coaching and facilitating teams as they learn and practice the mindsets and tools of equity-centered continuous improvement and design thinking. As a white, cis-gender woman, Kari has prioritized deep learning on her own path towards being an anti-racist in both her personal and professional life. Kari prides herself on being flexible, humble, and a good listener.

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  Shannon Nicholas

  Chief of Staff, Colorado Succeeds

  Shannon Nicholas

  Chief of Staff, Colorado Succeeds

  Shannon is Chief of Staff at Colorado Succeeds where she works closely with the President and the Board of Directors on the strategic priorities of the organization. In her role, she oversees the communications, advocacy, and program implementation teams. She considers herself lucky to be air traffic controller, cheerleader, and trail guide for Colorado Succeeds. Most days she just gets to work with really smart people. Shannon is passionate about educational equity and advancing opportunities for all young people in Colorado to experience an education that helps them unlock and live out their potential.
  Prior to Colorado Succeeds, Shannon worked at the US Department of Education on federal policy and program implementation. She’s worked in the private sector in public affairs and public relations in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. She began her career as a Teach For America corps member teaching high school in Las Vegas. Shannon has a master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a master’s degree in Strategic Communication from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.

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  Dwight Nolt

  Director of District Leadership, Literacy Design Collaborative

  Dwight Nolt

  Director of District Leadership, Literacy Design Collaborative

  Dwight Nolt is the Director of District Leadership at Literacy Design Collaborative. His experiences as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, and school district central office administrator have led to expertise in curriculum development and evaluation, professional development of teachers and administrators, and innovative teacher practices. Nolt earned a B.A and M.Ed. in English Education from Millersville University, Principal Certification in Educational Leadership from Penn State University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he holds a Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from the University of Pennsylvania.

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  Jon Norman

  Managing Director and Senior Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jon Norman

  Managing Director and Senior Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jon Norman is an associate managing director for evidence and analytics at the Carnegie Foundation. In this role, he supports networked improvement communities through analytics, developmental evaluation, and improvement research.

  Jon comes to Carnegie from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago where he was a researcher on projects designed to improve the well-being of vulnerable youth. He previously worked at JBS International and Abt Associates on evaluations and research related to education, health, and human services. His prior projects include evaluating school-based health centers’ effect on student well-being in Chicago, providing expertise in research design to the Corporation for National and Community Service, and investigating barriers to providing increased mental health services to youth. Jon also previously held faculty positions in the departments of sociology at DePaul University and Loyola University Chicago.

  Jon earned his Ph.D. in sociology and M.S. in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He also holds a B.A. in public policy from Brown University.

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  Lauren Okano

  Director of Resource, Innovation, and Data, Puget Sound Educational Service District

  Lauren Okano

  Director of Resource, Innovation, and Data, Puget Sound Educational Service District
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  Kathleen Oropallo

  Leader Coach, Huron Studer Education

  Kathleen Oropallo

  Leader Coach, Huron Studer Education

  Kathleen Oropallo is currently a Director and Leader Coach for Huron, serving organizations as a thought partner and intellectual resource for organizational excellence. Her leadership experience spans 35+ years across K12, Higher Ed and FLDOE. Kathy is currently engaged in continuous improvement projects nationally, leading, collaborating and learning from the practice of improvement. Together with her improvement partners, she recently co-authored and published chapters in two books on improvement: Pandemic and A Wildfire Evacuation: Serving Historically Underserved Students During Disasters (February 2022), Improvement Science as a Tool for School Enhancement: Solutions for Better Educational Outcomes by Deborah Peterson and Susan Carlisle; Ch. 10 Aligning Values, Goals, and Action and Processes to Achieve Results (2020) Teaching Improvement Science in Educational Leadership by Spaulding, Crow and Hinnaut-Crawford. She also contributed to the article, Building Resilience in an Organization by Ryan Carpenter (April 2021), published in AASA’s School Administrator Journal.

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  Katie Pak

  Director, Special Projects, School District of Philadelphia

  Katie Pak

  Director, Special Projects, School District of Philadelphia

  Dr. Katie Pak oversees the development and implementation of differentiated professional learning for equity-centered leaders in the School District of Philadelphia within a broader system of supports for leaders, and this work is driven by a commitment to improvement science and transformative leadership. Prior to this role, she was a doctoral student in educational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania and a special education teacher in Washington, D.C. She is also the proud co-editor of Critical Leadership Praxis for Educational and Social Change.

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  Simone Palmer

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Simone Palmer

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Dr. Simone Palmer is an associate in the networked improvement science group. She joined the Foundation in 2018 as a networked improvement science fellow. Prior to joining the Foundation, Simone served as the Science and Technology Specialist for the Rhode Island Department of Education. Simone had a career as a pediatrician before entering the field of education. She taught secondary science for 8 years before completing a principal training program through the University of Denver where she also earned a masters in educational leadership. Simone returned to her native Rhode Island to complete an urban turnaround leader program through the New York City Leadership Academy. She then served as STEM director for South Kingstown School District before working at the state level.

  Simone holds a bachelors in biology and an M.D. from Brown University.

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  Sandra Park

  Co-Founder and Improvement Specialist, Improvement Collective; Senior Fellow, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Sandra Park

  Co-Founder and Improvement Specialist, Improvement Collective; Senior Fellow, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
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  Emily Pallin

  Executive Director, Connecticut RISE Network

  Emily Pallin

  Executive Director, Connecticut RISE Network

  Emily serves as the Executive Director of the RISE Network. The RISE Network’s mission is to ensure all RISE high school students graduate with a plan and the skills and confidence to achieve college and career success; RISE partners with Connecticut high schools to lead statewide networks where school communities work together to use data to learn and improve. Emily co-founded RISE six years ago and has grown the organization to include 33 staff and more than a dozen partner high schools across nine districts; together, RISE staff and partners are improving Grade 9 on-track, graduation, and college access and readiness rates. Prior to leading RISE, Emily served as Engagement Director at Mass Insight Education and previously worked at New Visions for Public Schools. Emily holds a B.A. in public policy and education studies from Hamilton College and a Master’s in Public Administration/Nonprofit Management from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.

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  Stephanie Parry

  Director, P-12 Programs, Newark Trust for Education

  Stephanie Parry

  Director, P-12 Programs, Newark Trust for Education

  Stephanie Parry is the Director of P – 12 Strategy at the Newark Trust for Education. In this role, she oversees the organization’s P – 12 portfolio of work focused on creating safe and supportive learning environments through high-quality partnerships, stakeholder engagement and promotion of effective practices in program design and implementation.

  Stephanie brings a diverse set of experiences in the education sector to the work including teaching middle school children, driving grass roots community education programs in her home state of California, overseeing regional grant-funded education initiatives in South Africa and Uganda and leading cross-sector place-based education strategies in Newark, NJ. Her interest is in understanding how to bridge the gap between education improvement theory and practice through collaboration and knowledge-sharing amongst researchers, practitioners, communities, and decision-makers.

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  Ami Patel Song

  Lead Coach and Math Specialist, Bank Street College of Education

  Ami Patel Song

  Lead Coach and Math Specialist, Bank Street College of Education

  Ami Patel Song serves as a mathematics specialist to the Yonkers Public Schools Network for School Improvement in partnership with the Bank Street Education Center as part of their efforts to improve student and teacher learning in middle-grades mathematics. Since 2003, she has served as a grade 6–12 mathematics teacher, coach, and policymaker, and now serves in a consultant role as a teacher coach, facilitator, and advisor to school districts on school improvement and equity-centered leadership. Patel Song has a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan in Finance and Organizational Behavior, an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Mercy College as a NYC Teaching Fellow, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from the Principal’s Institute at Bank Street College as a Wallace Foundation Fellow.

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  Andrea Perez

  Assistant Superintendent, Tulare County Office of Education

  Andrea Perez

  Assistant Superintendent, Tulare County Office of Education
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  Lauren Perez Pietruszka

  Freshman Success Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Lauren Perez Pietruszka

  Freshman Success Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Lauren Perez Pietruszka is a Freshman Success Coach and Freshman Success Improvement Community hub facilitator with the Network for College Success in Chicago. She coaches in partner high schools to increase leader and team capacity to transform the Freshman experience and improve schools. Her career in education is built on the belief that all young people deserve an education full of authentic engagement, exploration, and opportunity.

  As a former Freshman AVID and literacy teacher in Chicago Public Schools, she created spaces and experiences to celebrate students’ identities while supporting their growth and advocating for equitable access to postsecondary paths. She established and engaged teams of educators to rethink student success and co-design systems in partnership with young people, families, school staff, and community members.

  Prior to joining NCS, she coached pre-service teachers, primarily first-generation college students, across Illinois in her role as Director of Academic and Social Emotional Supports at the Golden Apple Foundation. She designed and implemented post-secondary student support services that centered students’ voices, and academic, social, and emotional needs. These structures resulted in increased retention in the scholarship program and increased collegiate semester and cumulative GPAs, specifically for first-generation scholars, male scholars, and scholars of the global majority.

  Lauren earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Illinois Wesleyan University with concentrations in education and psychology. She holds her Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary English with a literacy endorsement from National Louis University. You can find Lauren exploring parks with her hounddog, Louie, or enjoying live music.

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  Abigail Petropulos

  Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  Abigail Petropulos

  Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  Abigail Petropulos has focused her career on reimaging the educational system in a way that gives voice and opportunity to the marginalized. An experienced educator of over 20 years, she has helped pioneer and develop personalized learning programs throughout the country that reflect her innovative style and cause necessary disruption to existing systems. In her new role, Petropulos supports California’s System of Support and works closely with districts to improve system effectiveness using improvement science methodology. Although she has held many roles, including principal, regional director, and executive leadership coach, her favorite title has always been teacher.

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  Donald Peurach

  Professor, University of Michigan; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Donald Peurach

  Professor, University of Michigan; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Donald J. Peurach, Ph.D., is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and an associate professor of educational policy, leadership, and innovation in the University of Michigan’s School of Education. His research examines large-scale, network-based educational improvement initiatives, focusing specifically on how these networks continuously learn and improve over time. Don is the author of Seeing Complexity in Public Education: Problems, Possibilities, and Success for All (2011, Oxford University Press) and co-author of Improvement by Design: The Promise of Better Schools (2014, University of Chicago Press). His most recent essay in Educational Researcher examines the development of system-level improvement and impact infrastructure to support network leadership.

  Don is the lead developer of the Carnegie Foundation’s Network Leaders for Learning, a professional development and field-building effort aimed at advancing improvement science in practice and policy. He is also the developer of Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement, a U-M/Carnegie collaboration that uses massive open online courses on the edX platform to provide a comprehensive introduction to improvement science.

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  Janet K. Pilcher

  Managing Director and Executive Leader, Huron Studer Education

  Janet K. Pilcher

  Managing Director and Executive Leader, Huron Studer Education

  Dr. Janet Pilcher is the founder and senior executive of Studer Education as well as a managing director for Huron. Janet and her team work with education leaders to elevate their organizations into places where people have purpose, do worthwhile work and make a difference.

  Janet transitioned from a nearly two-decade career in higher education to work with Quint Studer, founder of Studer Group, to determine how best to transfer healthcare leadership best practices to education.

  Before moving into consulting, Janet spent nearly 20 years at the University of West Florida (UWF) as a professor, associate dean and dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies. There, she received and oversaw $17 million of grant and contract projects and achieved one of UWF’s research distinction awards. While at UWF, Janet co-created TeacherReady, an online teacher certification program that prepares second-career teachers worldwide.

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  Michelle Pledger

  Director of Liberation, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Michelle Pledger

  Director of Liberation, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
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  Verenisse Ponce-Soria

  Graduate Student Researcher, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  Verenisse Ponce-Soria

  Graduate Student Researcher, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education
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  Anna Premo

  Doctoral Student and Researcher, Learning Sciences and Policy, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh

  Anna Premo

  Doctoral Student and Researcher, Learning Sciences and Policy, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh

  Anna Premo is a doctoral student in the Learning Sciences and Policy Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a graduate student researcher on an improvement network project where she works closely with the Carnegie Foundation, specifically attending to the use of data and measurement. Prior to her move to learning sciences, Anna received a Fulbright to pursue research on opportunities for redevelopment in Johannesburg, South Africa. Outside of academia, Anna has enjoyed a career in financial services strategy and transformation consulting, and she currently works as the Global Head of Business Transformation at DXC Technology. Anna holds a bachelor’s in urban studies and planning and a master’s in city planning from MIT.

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  Sam Purdy

  Deputy Director, Engagement, Connecticut RISE Network

  Sam Purdy

  Deputy Director, Engagement, Connecticut RISE Network

  Sam Purdy oversees cross-district collaboration and learning and consultative engagements for the Connecticut RISE Network. RISE represents a partnership among nine Connecticut public school districts focusing on supporting strong 9th grade transitions and college and career readiness and success for high school graduates. Key components of RISE’s work with its partners include data-informed reflection on practice and the intentional sharing of challenges and successes across schools. To this end, Sam leads a small team whose thoughtfully-planned meetings, convenings, and working groups engage hundreds of Connecticut high school educators every year.

  Before joining the RISE team in 2017, Sam was a middle school teacher, department leader, and grade team leader, and also worked as a teacher coach with Ensena por Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a graduate of Yale University and earned a Master’s of Education in School Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he was a recipient of the Urban Scholars fellowship.

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  Kiran Purohit

  Vice President of Curriculum & Instruction, New Visions for Public Schools

  Kiran Purohit

  Vice President of Curriculum & Instruction, New Visions for Public Schools

  Kiran Purohit has worked at New Visions for Public Schools since 2012. In her current role, she serves on the network hub team for INSI — the Instructional Network for School Improvement — which just completed its first year. Before coming to New Visions, Kiran worked as an instructional coach and as a math and science teacher in New York City. Kiran holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, in curriculum studies.

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  Daniel Ramirez

  Improvement Specialist, Community Design Partners

  Daniel Ramirez

  Improvement Specialist, Community Design Partners
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  Liz Ramirez

  Director of Implementation, Illustrative Mathematics

  Liz Ramirez

  Director of Implementation, Illustrative Mathematics

  Liz Ramirez began her career as a middle school math teacher in New York City. In the years that followed, she taught and coached in NYC Public Schools and abroad. At Illustrative Mathematics, Liz has worked with teams to develop quality resources and professional learning opportunities that empower teachers to meet the diverse needs of their students. In her current role as Director of Implementation, she is focused on the development of tools, resources, and professional learning that support districts and schools with successful implementation of the IM curriculum.

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  Joyce Randall

  Freshman Success Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Joyce Randall

  Freshman Success Coach, University of Chicago, Network for College Success

  Joyce Randall is a Freshman Success Coach at the Network of College Success. There she facilitates NCS’s network improvement community for Freshman Success, as well as supports the leads of Freshman Success at select Chicago Public Schools via coaching. Joyce has committed her career to education as the vehicle through which society is improved.

  Joyce has consistently worked within dynamic and courageous environments who seek to lovingly and responsibly take the risks necessary for learning and equity. She started her career as a founding teacher of one the nation’s first turnaround school’s, the Academy of Urban Leadership (AUSL) managed, Orr Academy High School. During her tenure, she began a leadership team for upperclassmen to mentor and orient 9th graders to the school community. The leadership team developed their own agency as they contributed to strengthening the school’s culture and climate. Prior to joining the NCS team, Joyce served as the National Program Director for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. As the National Program Director, she designed and implemented a training and induction program for adult mentors which allowed them to receive the coaching and support necessary to empower young people in the development of their sense of self and their connection to their communities.

  Joyce earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Africana Studies from the University of Notre Dame. Additionally, she holds her Masters of Arts in Teaching with a Middle School endorsement from National Louis University.

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  Max Ray-Riek

  Director of 6-12 Curriculum and Professional Learning, Illustrative Mathematics

  Max Ray-Riek

  Director of 6-12 Curriculum and Professional Learning, Illustrative Mathematics
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  Kate Ryan Reiling

  Vice President for Entrepreneurship, African Leadership University

  Kate Ryan Reiling

  Vice President for Entrepreneurship, African Leadership University
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  Jennifer Reimer

  Administrator Special Services, Mild to Moderate Programs, Tulare County Office of Education

  Jennifer Reimer

  Administrator Special Services, Mild to Moderate Programs, Tulare County Office of Education

  Jennifer Reimer is an administrator with the Special Services division of Tulare County Office of Education where she oversees special education services for 26 small school districts, two charter schools and the county’s court and community schools. She has worked in the special education field for more than 25 years. During her 13 years as a special education teacher for Tulare Joint Union High School District, she taught using various teaching models, and developed a passion for incorporating post-secondary preparation into the high school program. As an administrator, she has overseen programs and services at both district and county levels, and has expertise in the area of transition planning. Throughout her career, she has sought to improve post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities.

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  Chris Rodriguez

  Program Manager, California Education Partners

  Chris Rodriguez

  Program Manager, California Education Partners
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  Edgar Rodriguez

  Superintendent of Charter Schools, New Visions for Public Schools

  Edgar Rodriguez

  Superintendent of Charter Schools, New Visions for Public Schools

  Edgar joined New Visions as the Superintendent of Charter Schools in 2021, responsible for overseeing the New Visions Charter High Schools network. He has over two decades of successful experience working in New York City public schools, including as a co-founder and leader of one the city’s most successful public high schools as well as adviser to senior NYCDOE leadership on various policies and initiatives. He began his teaching career in New York City public schools at Vanguard High School, where he developed and implemented an innovative mathematics curriculum for eight years. During his final year there, he became a founding member of the planning team for the launch of a new CTE school, the Academy for Careers in Television and Film, a New Visions supported school. He later served as the school’s founding Assistant Principal from its opening in 2008 up until 2013, when he was appointed the school’s Principal. Edgar holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, where he studied biology and worked as a laboratory researcher after migrating from Caracas, Venezuela. He went on to earn an M.A. in Secondary Mathematics Education at Hunter College and is currently pursuing his Ed.D at Fordham University.

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  Jennifer Roederer

  Educational Recovery Leader, Kentucky Department of Education

  Jennifer Roederer

  Educational Recovery Leader, Kentucky Department of Education

  Having a career in education that spans coasts, Jennifer Roederer has worked as a math teacher, an instructional coach, school administrator, and most recently as an Education Recovery Leader with the Kentucky Department of Education. From Kentucky to Los Angeles, she has worked to support schools in building teacher and leader capacity as designers; curriculum and instruction designers, system designers, and culture designers. She is a skilled coach and holds equity above all else. A firm believer in the power of professional development, Jennifer intentionally designs sessions meant to create a culture of thinking by investing in educators to find their voice as designers, as transformational leaders, and as improvement scientists in order to build ever-better schools.

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  Rebecca Rosa

  Dean of Students, Multi-Classroom Lead (Social Studies), Compass Community Schools Midtown

  Rebecca Rosa

  Dean of Students, Multi-Classroom Lead (Social Studies), Compass Community Schools Midtown
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  Brian Rosenberg

  President in Residence, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Senior Advisor to the President, African Leadership University

  Brian Rosenberg

  President in Residence, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Senior Advisor to the President, African Leadership University
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  David Rott

  Director of HR, Missoula County Public Schools

  David Rott

  Director of HR, Missoula County Public Schools
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  Rachel Ruggirello

  Associate Director, Institute for School Partnership, Washington University in St. Louis

  Rachel Ruggirello

  Associate Director, Institute for School Partnership, Washington University in St. Louis

  Rachel Ruggirello, Ph.D., is the Associate Director at the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis. She provides strategic direction for the programs of the ISP and oversees the curriculum and professional development initiatives of the organization. Rachel uses the disciplined approach of improvement science to support teachers, leaders, and researchers in collaborating to solve specific problems of practice. She also teaches certification and graduate level courses in science education for pre-service and in-service teachers. Rachel has a M.S. in chemistry education from the University of Pennsylvania and Ph.D. in science and math education from Curtin University where she studied the influence of leadership on the implementation of ambitious science teaching.

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  Jennifer Lin Russell

  Professor and Chair, Educational Foundations, Organizations and Policy, University of Pittsburgh; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jennifer Lin Russell

  Professor and Chair, Educational Foundations, Organizations and Policy, University of Pittsburgh; Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Jennifer Russell is an associate professor and department chair of learning sciences and policy in the School of Education, a research scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh, and a senior fellow of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She received a Ph.D. in education policy and organizations from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research examines policy and other educational improvement initiatives through an organizational perspective. Her recent work examines two primary issues: (1) how schools create social and organizational structures that support reform; and (2) how inter-organizational collaborations and networks can be structured to support educational improvement. She is a former special education teacher in urban and rural settings and is committed to more equitable outcomes for all students.

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  McKenna Salazar

  College and Career Engagement Specialist, Tulare County Office of Education

  McKenna Salazar

  College and Career Engagement Specialist, Tulare County Office of Education

  McKenna Salazar has built her career around education and lifelong learning. She has served as the Director of Academic Affairs for a Private University, the Director of Early College Credit and CTE for a community College and now as a College and Career Engagement Specialist for a County Office of Education. Her passion for education and lifelong learning stemmed from her studies in adult education and training and while developing and teaching a Leadership and Lifelong Learning course for graduate students. McKenna has been a practitioner of improvement science for many years and is leading a networked improvement science collaborative for K-12 district directors.

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  Laila Sarah

  Director – Postsecondary Transition Programs, Be a Leader Foundation

  Laila Sarah

  Director – Postsecondary Transition Programs, Be a Leader Foundation
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  Laura Schwalm

  Chief of Staff, Califronia Education Partners

  Laura Schwalm

  Chief of Staff, Califronia Education Partners

  Laura Schwalm is Chief of Staff for California Education Partners. She began her career in the public school system as a student teacher in the Garden Grove Unified School District where she continued to work for 41 years, including the last 14 years as the superintendent. As a teacher and administrator at all levels of the system, she has learned from masterful teachers about the importance of building caring relationships with students, establishing high expectations, and the support necessary for students to meet those expectations. Skillful leaders taught her the importance of applying these same principles to leading schools, and later to leading a system of schools.

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  Hannah Scinta

  High School Teacher and Fellow for Virtual Engagement Group, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Hannah Scinta

  High School Teacher and Fellow for Virtual Engagement Group, Baltimore City Public Schools
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  Annie Sharp

  Director of Differentiated Assistance, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  Annie Sharp

  Director of Differentiated Assistance, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  As the Director of Differentiated Assistance for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Annie Sharp helps districts build capacity for solving complex problems within their system. She works alongside teams as they engage in continuous improvement to help move the needle towards more equitable student outcomes as measured by the CA Dashboard. She has coached over 13 improvement projects.

  Annie has K-12 experience as a high school math and AVID teacher, high school Learning Director, elementary Principal and district Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. She earned her Bachelors in Liberal Studies, Masters in Administrative Services and Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Her favorite job, however, is being a mom of two little ones and she loves watching them both follow their curiosities and engage with the world around them.

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  Daisy Sharrock

  Director, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Daisy Sharrock

  Director, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
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  David Sherer

  Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  David Sherer

  Associate, Evidence & Analytics, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  David is an associate in evidence and analytics. He joined the Foundation as a networked improvement fellow in 2017. He comes to the Foundation from Harvard University, where he worked as a researcher and educational consultant. Most recently, he worked for the National Center for Research in Policy and Practice (NCRPP), a project investigating how school and district leaders use research in their decision-making. David is particularly interested in helping educational leaders promote effective collaboration within their organizations and across broader improvement networks. He uses varied methods, including surveys, ethnography, and social network analysis, to understand the implementation and effects of such efforts. David’s work has been presented at national conferences and local district offices, and published in peer-reviewed journals and policy reports.

  Earlier in his career, David was an analyst and evaluator at SRI International’s Center for Education Policy, where he studied leadership development, comprehensive school reform, and the teacher workforce. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate (Ed.D.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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  Jennifer Sherer

  Research Associate, Partners for Network Improvement

  Jennifer Sherer

  Research Associate, Partners for Network Improvement

  Jennifer Zoltners Sherer is a Research Associate at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. She utilizes social science research methodologies to build capacity for improvement in education programs and organizations. As part of Partners for Network Improvement (PNI), she provides theory-grounded developmental evaluation support for networked improvement communities in education. PNI supports real-time design and implementation decisions, along with development and validation of powerful tools for NIC development, and contributes to growing the knowledge base of how NICs develop and mature. Sherer earned a B.A. in American Studies from Wesleyan University, an M.A.T. in Math Science Education from Lewis and Clark University, and a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University.

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  Barbara Shreve

  Associate, Managing Director, Networked Improvement Science

  Barbara Shreve

  Associate, Managing Director, Networked Improvement Science

  Barbara is an associate managing director of the networked improvement science group at the Carnegie Foundation. She joined Carnegie as a networked improvement fellow in 2017. She comes to the Foundation from Oakland Unified School District where, as a mathematics coordinator, she supported teacher professional learning and the development and implementation of middle and high school math curriculum and assessment in the transition to Common Core State Standards. Her work in Oakland also focused on building teacher leadership and collaborative communities focused on instructional practice. She is passionate about empowering teachers and improving students’ experiences and outcomes in math so that young people see themselves as powerful learners.

  Prior to her work in Oakland, Barbara was a high school math teacher for 12 years in Bay Area schools. As part of a highly collaborative math department whose work was studied for its equity-oriented approach, she used Complex Instruction pedagogy to support students to learn and thrive in heterogeneous classrooms. She was also a contributing author and editor for a series of middle and high school math textbooks.

  Barbara earned a bachelor’s degree from Williams College in mathematics and history. She also holds a master’s degree from Mills College, where she earned her teaching credential.

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  Marisa Silvestri

  Teacher, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

  Marisa Silvestri

  Teacher, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
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  Julie Smith

  Co-Founder, Community Design Partners

  Julie Smith

  Co-Founder, Community Design Partners

  Julie is a connector of educators, government leaders and community members, with the goal of shifting mindsets around improvement that are grounded in empathy and focused on systemic change. Julie works with organizations to build capacity for change from the inside out and believes that organizations can realize their goals when they build them with those they aim to serve. Julie has worked as a facilitator, advisor and coach to a diverse range of project including helping organizations implement equity frameworks, community-based school attendance solutions, educator effectiveness systems, and designing state educator networks around continuous improvement.

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  Sylvia Smonds

  Deputy Vice President, Educational Outreach and Student Services, Arizona State University

  Sylvia Smonds

  Deputy Vice President, Educational Outreach and Student Services, Arizona State University
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  Meghan Snyder

  Director of Research Strategy & Policy, Center for Public Research and Leadership

  Meghan Snyder

  Director of Research Strategy & Policy, Center for Public Research and Leadership

  Meghan Snyder is a Director of Research Strategy and Policy at the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University. Throughout her career, she has served youth and adult learners as a teacher, curriculum designer, and program evaluator. Since joining CPRL in 2017, Meghan’s research has focused on improvement networks and highly-mobile student populations. She holds a B.A. from American University and a M.A. in sociology and education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

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  Amy Spicer

  Senior Director, Implementation and Strategy, Colorado Education Initiative

  Amy Spicer

  Senior Director, Implementation and Strategy, Colorado Education Initiative

  Amy Spicer is CEI’s Senior Director of Implementation, Partnership, and Strategy. Amy leads the implementation of diverse projects in CEI’s portfolio, including work-based learning and social-emotional development initiatives. Amy brings expertise in program design, implementation, and evaluation and has extensive experience working with local and national partners to achieve programmatic goals and objectives. Amy started her career in the classroom, teaching special education for 11 years in both elementary and middle school settings. Amy has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, a special education endorsement from the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), and is currently enrolled in UCD’s Leadership for Educational Equity program with a Doctor of Education expected in Spring 2022.

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  Emily Supple

  Communications & Content Strategist, Communications and Public Engagement, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Emily Supple

  Communications & Content Strategist, Communications and Public Engagement, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Emily Supple is a Communications & Content Strategist with the Communications group. In this role, her work will focus on telling improvement stories in a variety of contexts and media. She will enact communications strategies and digital outreach efforts, as well as coordinate communication efforts to ensure DEI issues are a priority consideration in the Foundation’s public engagement activities. Supple joined the Foundation in 2019 as a Post-Baccalaureate Fellow during which time she managed the Foundation’s social media channels, supported the planning and design of major events, and worked on improvement project teams with external partners.

  Prior to her time at Carnegie, Supple held a variety of internships at educational non-profit organizations such as Girls on the Run NYC and Behind the Book, and she served as a health and education intern at the Office of the Mayor in Berkeley, CA. She received a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University (cum laude) in political science.

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  Veda Sunassee

  Executive Director, African Leadership University

  Veda Sunassee

  Executive Director, African Leadership University
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  Sola Takahashi

  Senior Research Associate, WestEd

  Sola Takahashi

  Senior Research Associate, WestEd

  Sola Takahashi is a Senior Research Associate at WestEd, where she leads the work of integrating continuous improvement methods in the coaching, technical assistance, and research conducted by the Innovation Studies and Regional Educational Laboratory West teams. Sola is experienced in the use of improvement science methods and specializes in measurement and analytics that support continuous improvement efforts. She also has expertise in traditional research methods, including quasi-experimental design. Her areas of content interest include the teaching profession and educational equity. Sola was previously at the Carnegie Foundation, where she led the development of measures and analytic systems that support improvement efforts in schools. She also served as a public school teacher for several years. She received her EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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  Sofia Tannenhaus

  Improvement Coach, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Sofia Tannenhaus

  Improvement Coach, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

  Dr. Sofía Tannenhaus is an Improvement Coach with the CARPE College Access Network at High Tech High’s Center for Research on Equity & Innovation. She grew up in south San Diego and attended public schools her entire life. Motivated by her background as a first generation Latina, Dr. Tannenhaus’ passion is to help improve educational outcomes for historically underrepresented students. Dr. Tannenhaus earned her Bachelor’s in Sociology from UC San Diego and went on to earn her Masters and Ph.D. in Education from UC Berkeley. She has immersed herself in work to provide better opportunities for students who grew up similar to her.

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  Brandy Thrasher O'Neill

  6-12 New Faculty Mentor Program Instructional Coach, Missoula County Public Schools

  Brandy Thrasher O'Neill

  6-12 New Faculty Mentor Program Instructional Coach, Missoula County Public Schools

  Brandy Thrasher O’Neill is a New Faculty Instructional Coach for Missoula County Public School District. Prior to working as a district level Instructional Coach, Brandy taught various subjects at the middle school level. Born and raised in Montana, Brandy began her career as a 7th grade Math and ELA teacher in Florence, MT and after two years transferred to Missoula teaching 8th grade Math and Science. She is passionate about culturally responsive teaching practices to help all students be successful lifelong learners. Brandy holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Montana, a M.S.E from Montana State University in Bozeman, and is currently pursuing her Library Media Certification. Beyond her role in education, Brandy enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband Brad and snuggling with their chihuahua Paisley.

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  Nhlanhla Thwala

  Provost, African Leadership University

  Nhlanhla Thwala

  Provost, African Leadership University
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  Theresa Todd

  Improvement Advisor, Shift

  Theresa Todd

  Improvement Advisor, Shift

  Theresa Todd is an Improvement Advisor at Shift. Theresa has more than ten years of experience working in improvement, mostly in healthcare quality. Since joining Shift in January 2020, Theresa has expanded her experience to the education space. Some of her projects with Shift include helping to increase student experience outcomes in higher education through the Student Experience Project, coaching educational institutions on how to increase equitable outcomes in and out of the classroom, and co-creating a coproduction toolkit. Her improvement interests include building capacity, using data for improvement and coproducing improvement in community – so that everyone can have a voice. A Chicago native, Theresa now resides near West Palm Beach, Florida. She completed Master’s degrees in Political Science and Public Health at Ohio State University after completing undergraduate work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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  Briana Trager

  K–12 Science Director, Mehlville School District

  Briana Trager

  K–12 Science Director, Mehlville School District

  Briana Trager is the K-12 Science Director, previously the STEM coordinator, in the Mehlville School District in St. Louis, Missouri. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum, as well as a Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership. She has experience working as an elementary STEM teacher as well as working with K-12 math and science teachers organizing and facilitating PD and curriculum development. She is passionate about high quality STEM instruction at the elementary level and loves sharing her passion of learning with teachers and students.

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  Emery Uwimana

  7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts Teacher, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Emery Uwimana

  7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts Teacher, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Emery is in his third year as a Baltimore City teacher. He previously taught 5th- and 6th-grade Literacy Intervention, and is currently the 7th- and 8thgrade English Language Arts teacher.

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  Joe Valero

  Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

  Joe Valero

  Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
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  Erica Van Steenis

  Postdoctoral Researcher, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education

  Erica Van Steenis

  Postdoctoral Researcher, Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) UCI School of Education
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  Karina Vanderbilt

  Director of Multilingual Services, Puget Sound Educational Service District

  Karina Vanderbilt

  Director of Multilingual Services, Puget Sound Educational Service District

  Karina Vanderbilt serves as the Multilingual Services Director for Puget Sound Educational Service District. In this role, she supports 35 districts and 7 charters in improving outcomes for multilingual/English learners in the most diverse region of Washington state. She began her career teaching social studies on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, and has taught English and history in grades 7-12 at dual language, public charter, and traditional public schools. Karina served as an assistant principal for three years and also worked in state education policy for the New Mexico Public Education Department where she led the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in New Mexico. She was named a 2016 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic in recognition of outstanding commitment to promoting geographic literacy. Karina holds endorsements in teaching English Learners, English language arts and Social Studies and a Master’s in School Administration from Columbia University.

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  Dan Vazquez

  Senior Educational Consultant, Teaching Matters

  Dan Vazquez

  Senior Educational Consultant, Teaching Matters

  Dan started his career as a parent support officer in East Harlem where he worked closely with the superintendent to boost family engagement across the district’s 34 schools. Then he worked as a middle school teacher in the East Village and worked at TEP Charter school, which 60 minutes dubbed the Olympics of Teaching. After graduating from Bank Street’s College with a Master’s in Education Leadership, Dan worked as the Dean of Instruction at Ascend Charter Network and now works as a Senior Educational Consultant for Teaching Matters.

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  Morgan Vien

  Deeper Learning Coach, Envision Learning Partners

  Morgan Vien

  Deeper Learning Coach, Envision Learning Partners
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  Chad Vignola

  Executive Director, Literacy Design Collaborative

  Chad Vignola

  Executive Director, Literacy Design Collaborative

  Chad has worked in public education and public service for over 30 years, spinning LDC off from the Gates Foundation’s primary common core implementation strategy into a national edtech improvement science network for innovation and school transformation to effectively deliver – and measure – rigorous instructional classroom practice. Prior to LDC, Chad served as Vice President at New Visions for Public Schools overseeing 75 New York City schools, Vice President at Princeton Review, and several senior roles in the NYC Department of Education. He most recently consummated a private sector licensing deal with math-renowned Carnegie Learning to take LDC’s literacy IP to market. Bachelor’s degree from Wharton, J.D. from UPenn, and coursework completed toward a doctorate at New York University, Chad remains passionate about user-centered technology and measurement as tools that inspire a teaching profession to continuously improve their skills for all students to access rigorous disciplinary content and lifelong success.

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  Andrew Volkert

  Principal, Strategic Learning & Continuous Improvement, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy

  Andrew Volkert

  Principal, Strategic Learning & Continuous Improvement, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
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  Kirk Walters

  Director, Mathematics, WestEd

  Kirk Walters

  Director, Mathematics, WestEd

  Kirk Walters is the Director of Mathematics at WestEd. A former high school mathematics teacher, his research broadly focuses on understanding ways to improve mathematics teaching and learning. Previously, Walters was a principal researcher at AIR whose research focused on understanding ways to improve K–12 mathematics teaching and learning. He holds a B.S.E. in Social Studies Education from John Brown University, an M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction from Chapman University, and a Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education from the University of Maryland.

   

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  Anne Wang

  Research Scientist, EDC

  Anne Wang

  Research Scientist, EDC

  Anne Wang leads the continuous improvement work for the EIR funded study on The Effectiveness of Work Based Learning in Computer Science Education, working closely with the RI Department of Education and CS4RI to test a new work-based learning course to improve equity in CS engagement. She also leads a team to support district-wide systems change through continuous improvement for equitable computer science pathways for the EIR funded MassCAN PACE CS in MA study in partnership with MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. In addition, she supports school districts in New England in using continuous improvement practices to identify focus areas, understand root causes, and test innovations to improve equity in student outcomes. In 2019, Wang co-authored Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement, a comprehensive guidebook and toolkit developed for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University.

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  Hannah Weissler

  Improvement Technology Analyst, Collaborative Technology, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Hannah Weissler

  Improvement Technology Analyst, Collaborative Technology, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Hannah Weissler is an Improvement Technology Analyst with the Collaborative Technology group. In her position, Weissler manages the development of technology products using agile methodology and assists with the design, implementation, and coordination of project-related improvement activities. She also provides support for the new strategic priorities as they intersect with public policy initiatives.

  Weissler joined the Foundation in 2019 as a Post-Baccalaureate Fellow during which time she managed technology development processes and worked on district-level improvement projects with other Carnegie staff. While in school prior to joining the Foundation, her research focused on the intersection of education policy, political power, and hegemony, ultimately completing her senior thesis on the rights of K-12 students to participate in political protest during school hours., Weissler interned at the American Association of University Women, the Office of U.S. Congressman Jamie Raskin, and the DC Public Schools’ Compliance and Policy Division. She also taught English to unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Denmark at a Danish Red Cross center. Weissler received her B.A. in political science from Scripps College in Claremont, CA.

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  Tinkhani White

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Tinkhani White

  Associate, Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

  Tinkhani Ushe White is an Associate in the Networked Improvement Science group. She has worked in the education field for more than 20 years, from a 7th-grade Mathematics teacher to an administrator and principal of Highland Springs High School in Henrico County, VA. Most recently, White was the Director of School Improvement in Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia where she led the school improvement efforts of the 5th largest school district in Virginia. She also served as Chesterfield’s district representative in the Carnegie Foundation’s Improvement Leadership Education and Development (iLEAD) network during which she worked in partnership with the University of Virginia. She focuses on how continuous improvement can support the work of equity, educational access, and opportunity.

  White earned a B.A. in mathematics from State University of New York at Geneseo, an M.Ed. in educational leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy from Virginia Tech.

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  Jessica Williams

  Vice Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, George Washington Carver/Bruce Street School

  Jessica Williams

  Vice Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, George Washington Carver/Bruce Street School

  Jessica Williams has served as a public educator in the greater Newark, NJ area for over 10 years . She has served in the capacity of an Early Childhood teacher, High School Social Justice teacher and now as a Vice Principal at George Washington Carver Elementary School for the past 4 years. Mrs.Williams has rooted her purpose and professional career to advocating and educating inner city children in the same district she graduated from years ago . A Rutgers University graduate, she received her Dual Masters Degree in Public Administration and Urban Educational Leadership. Her passion for working with the Newark Youth motivated her to start a Social Justice Club at the High School she worked at in order to empower students to advocate for themselves and raise awareness about issues that directly impacted them and their community. This experience gave her a deep appreciation for educating the whole child and allowed her to see first hand the dire need for SEL services in the Newark Community. As such, in her role as a Vice Principal in the heart of the South Ward she became committed to build partnerships with organizations and community programs that would assist with providing SEL interventions for students in grades K-8. With this mission in mind , she has partnered with Newark Trust for Education to provide a school-based multi- tiered system of support and has been doing the (heart)work ever since.

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  Dianne Willson

  Program Specialist, Elk Grove Unified School District

  Dianne Willson

  Program Specialist, Elk Grove Unified School District
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  Jennifer Wilson

  Lead Designer, 6-12 Professional Learning, Illustrative Mathematics

  Jennifer Wilson

  Lead Designer, 6-12 Professional Learning, Illustrative Mathematics

  Jennifer Wilson, Black Mountain NC, enjoys learning alongside the Illustrative Mathematics community as the 6–12 professional learning lead designer. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and she taught and learned mathematics with students and teachers in Mississippi for 25 years. She is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (2011) and has blogged at Easing the Hurry Syndrome and The Slow Math Movement. Jennifer holds B.S and M.S. degrees in mathematics from Mississippi College, along with an Ed.D. in secondary mathematics from the University of Mississippi. Jennifer thinks a lot about how we might slow down and savor learning math through questions, connections, and collaboration.

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  Kalimah Wilson

  Senior Program Officer, Early Learning, Newark Trust for Education

  Kalimah Wilson

  Senior Program Officer, Early Learning, Newark Trust for Education

  Kalimah Wilson joined the Newark Trust for Education as the Senior Program Officer for the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) in March 2018. Drawn to the vision of the program—that every child enters school ready to succeed—Kalimah was responsible for training Early Learning Specialists and recruiting families from Newark’s Central, South and West wards. As the Trust’s work in the early learning space has developed, Kalimah’s focus has shifted to managing the development and implementation of a ward-based Family Childcare Center (FCC) network focused on FCC sustainability, program quality and family partnerships.

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  Amiee Winchester

  Continuous Improvement Program Director, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Amiee Winchester

  Continuous Improvement Program Director, Baltimore City Public Schools

  As Baltimore City Public Schools’ Continuous Improvement Program Director, Amiee Winchester leads the strategy development and implementation of the continuous improvement efforts throughout the district, and co-leads the Baltimore Secondary Literacy Improvement Community (BSLIC) Network focused on improving literacy outcomes for students in grades 6-12. In this capacity, she supports the design and scale of a sustainable district wide improvement strategy, constructs systems and routines to successfully drive organizational change, and leads the creation of learning-by-doing professional learning opportunities to build improvement capacity of district leaders and practitioners. Winchester holds a B.A. in International Affairs from American University, an M.A. in Elementary Education and Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.A. in Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University.

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  Susie Wise

  Adjunct Professor and Former Director, K12 Lab Network, Stanford d.school

  Susie Wise

  Adjunct Professor and Former Director, K12 Lab Network, Stanford d.school
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  Nathania Woldu

  Program Manager-Intensive Learning Sites, Literacy, Baltimore City Public Schools

  Nathania Woldu

  Program Manager-Intensive Learning Sites, Literacy, Baltimore City Public Schools
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  Mitchell Wong

  Professor, General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

  Mitchell Wong

  Professor, General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

  Mitchell Wong, MD PhD is a Professor of Medicine at UCLA in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research and a board-certified internal medicine physician. He received his undergraduate degree from Williams College in 1989, medical degree from UC San Francisco in 1994, and PhD in health services research from UCLA in 2001. His research focuses on how education, school environments and social networks influence health over the life course. He is also the director of the UCLA/CTSI Healthy Neighborhood Schools Initiative, which develops, tests, and disseminates school-based interventions to improve the health of low-income adolescents. He has published in the top journals of his field including The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, JAMA Pediatrics and JAMA Internal Medicine. He is highly successful researcher and has obtained over $14M in NIH funding since 2009.

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  Karen Woods

  Director of Educator Development, Somerville Public Schools

  Karen Woods

  Director of Educator Development, Somerville Public Schools

  Karen Woods is the Director of Educator Development for the Somerville Public Schools in Somerville, Massachusetts. Building on her work as a secondary science teacher and school leader, Karen brings a data-oriented lens to her district role supporting the growth and development of educators at all levels of the organization. Karen focuses her work on building sustainable systems to improve the overall functioning of the district. She also leads the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development Consortium Council of Boston University. Karen holds bachelor degrees in biology and education from Boston University, a Master of Education from Northeastern University, and a CAGS in Educational Leadership from Simmons College.

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  Karen Zeribi

  Founder and Chief Visionary, Shift

  Karen Zeribi

  Founder and Chief Visionary, Shift

  Karen Zeribi is the Founder and CEO of Shift. Her work is focused on bringing together multiple stakeholders to learn from each other and mobilize their communities toward big, ambitious aims. Over the last 20 years, she has designed and implemented enduring improvement networks on a wide array of important topics that impact our society. She also has devoted time to teaching and coaching continuous improvement methods, designing and facilitating numerous courses ranging from basic to advanced skills, and virtual to in-person. Zeribi built Shift to scale the power of improvement methods—to catalyze and sustain impact. She earned a B.S. in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University and an M.H.S. from Johns Hopkins University.

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