The voices behind K-12 webinars.

Adam Amato

Assistant Principal · Fairless Local School District

Adam Amato is a longtime member of the Fairless Local School District in Ohio, where he has served as a classroom teacher, intervention specialist, literacy coach, and instructional coach. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year he serves as Assistant Principal at Fairless Elementary School, supporting consistent instructional routines and aligned practices across tiers.

Alex Hirshberg, Psy.D.

Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist · Hirshberg Behavioral Health Services

Alex Hirshberg, Psy.D., is the founder and executive director of Hirshberg Behavioral Health Services, LLC in Hadley, Massachusetts. Dr. Hirshberg is a clinical psychologist who provides behavioral consultation, professional development, and psychological assessment services to schools across Massachusetts. He also has a small outpatient therapy practice focused on using Cognitive Behavior Therapy for individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. His interest areas include Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) in schools, trauma informed practices, and developing in-district social-emotional programs.

Alex Hosmer supports faculty in using Canvas and other educational technologies to create effective, accessible learning experiences, after 25 years teaching ESL.

Allen MacDuffie teaches at The University of Texas at Austin and leads Humanities Texas programming on teaching Charles Dickens and nineteenth-century literature.

Amanda Chung, MPA

Education Policy Professional · Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy

Amanda Chung joined the Rennie Center shortly after receiving a Master's in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin. Her desire to engage with K-12 education policy is largely inspired by her time as an AmeriCorps tutor at a middle school.

Amanda Licastro teaches at Swarthmore College and leads Humanities Texas programming on the ethical implications of AI in the humanities classroom.

Amiya H

Student · Students for Innovation, Ridge High School

Amiya is a student leader with Students for Innovation at Ridge High School, bringing the learner perspective to conversations about engagement and technology in the classroom.

Amy Leonard specializes in ethical AI integration, humanizing online learning, UDL and OER/ZTC course development, and is a California Community Colleges AI Change Maker.

Engagement Manager on the School Safety Task Force at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education in Rhode Island since April 2019. Has led the state through COVID-19 recovery, advanced readiness-based graduation requirements, earned national recognition for reducing chronic absenteeism, and is overseeing the state intervention in the Providence Public School District.

Anne Marcus

Co-founder and CEO · Exceptional Lives

Anne Marcus is the co-founder and CEO of Exceptional Lives, with over ten years of experience working with organizations focused on brain disorders, education and health. She was previously a portfolio manager and research director at Fidelity Investments and was a Harvard Advanced Leadership Fellow.

April Mardock is the CISO for WSIPC, where she supports cybersecurity across more than 750,000 users and hundreds of K-12 organizations. She holds a Master’s in IT, a CISSP and a CCRE, and has more than 15 years of experience with Seattle Public Schools.

National Board Certified Teacher and instructional coach at Hinsdale Township District 86 in Illinois, and an Expert Mentor for the Modern Classroom Project. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Harvard Graduate School of Education and is nationally recognized for his writing and workshops on AI in schools.

Ashton Millet is a Performance Accountability Specialist with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, where he supports Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEPs) and shares best practices for helping students succeed.

Barbara Friedlander is a National Board-Certified Special Education Teacher, educational consultant, and professional learning specialist. Her work focuses on advancing inclusive practices by equipping teachers with the tools to create engaging, scaffolded learning environments where all students can thrive — not just be placed — in general education settings. She is the co-author of Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students and has presented at local, state, and national conferences on writing instruction, equity and leadership, school improvement, and co-teaching. She serves on the Maryland CEC Board and was honored in 2024 as the Learning Disabilities Association's Sam Kirk Educator of the Year.

Has served in roles from elementary teacher to Director of Innovation & Digital Learning, with the belief that "the kids need to drive their own learning."

Carrie James speaks on adolescents, technology and youth well-being in a digital world.

Cheryl Aschenbach is a Lassen Community College faculty leader and former president of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, now serving as Common Course Numbering Faculty Director.

Chris McNutt is with The Human Restoration Project, working on human-centered approaches to school improvement, student voice and progressive education practice.

Chrissy Beltran is an instructional coaching consultant who specializes in empowering instructional coaches to thrive in the role. Her work centers on making coaching practical, sustainable, and realistic.

Dr. Chris Stillwell is a tenured ESL professor at Saddleback College leading the ACE (AI, Communication, Education) project, with awards for excellence in online instruction and AI innovation.

Donna Gorman, M.Ed., holds a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education with a focus in Special Needs and has eight years' experience as an Early Intervention Specialist. She is Program Quality Specialist for Catholic Charities Child Care and OST programs of Greater Boston, and founder of The Inspirational Educator, offering educator trainings, family workshops and advocacy support to families.

For almost three decades a teacher, education consultant, and author focused on at-risk students, presenting keynotes, professional development and in-class modeling in schools nationwide.

Donnie Piercey

Classroom Teacher · Fayette County Public Schools (KY)

2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, teaching fifth grade in Lexington, Kentucky since 2007.

Dr. Alexa Sorden is the founding principal of the top-ranking Leaders of Excellence, Advocacy, and Discovery (LEAD) School in the Bronx. A teacher, reading specialist, and administrator, she received the 2017 Ryan Award for Transformative School Leader and the 2020 National Center for Urban Schools award for Best Urban School Transformation, and was selected for the 2018 Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Angela Kelly works with Stony Brook University's Quantum Information Science & Technology initiative, focusing on quantum education and preparing teachers and students for emerging quantum technologies.

Dr. Ashley Barkel is an educational consultant with over two decades of experience as an elementary general and special education teacher, GED instructor, researcher, and Associate Professor of Practice. She earned her Ph.D. in Learning, Literacies, and Technologies from Arizona State University, specializing in learning disabilities and English learners. Her work focuses on school-based interventions, writing instruction, and practice-based professional development, with a particular passion for Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). She serves on CEC's Professional Standards and Practice Committee.

With 33 years of education experience, Dr. Brad Hunter has served as a paraprofessional, teacher, principal, program director, and Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Operations and Curriculum in Lee County, Alabama. He holds degrees in psychology and human services, education and reading, an Education Specialist in Administration, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum Development.

Dr. Bridget Alex is an anthropologist, science communicator, and lecturer at Harvard and Tufts Universities. She studies human evolution and helps educators address common student misconceptions about evolution with effective pedagogical strategies.

Dr. Dani Molle

Research Director, CALL-ECL · ISTE+ASCD

Dr. Dani Molle is a qualitative researcher who conducts inquiries related to equitable education for historically underserved students. With a background in the teaching and learning of English as an additional language, she focuses on expanding educators' capacity to meet the needs of multilingual students through job-embedded professional learning. She is the research director of CALL-ECL, a large grant-funded project focused on equity-centered school leadership.

Ian Kelleher holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and is the Dreyfuss Family Chair of Research for the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, MD, and has been a high school science teacher for thirty years. The CTTL translates research from cognitive science, education, and neuroscience into practical frameworks designed by educators for educators. He is co-author of the landmark book Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education and has delivered professional learning programs for teachers and school leaders across the US and around the world.

Dr. Jennifer Bay-Williams is a mathematics educator and author focused on basic fact fluency, effective intervention, and equitable mathematics instruction.

Dr. John Mighton is an award-winning mathematician, playwright and author who had to overcome his own “massive math anxiety” before earning a PhD in Mathematics. As the founder of JUMP Math, he is recognized for ground-breaking work in advancing equity in math education to reveal the math prodigy within every child.

Indiana's first Secretary of Education and the state's top education official, leading a unified, student-centered vision from K-12 to college. Oversees eight state agencies/boards, including the Indiana Department of Education and Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and chairs the State Board of Education.

Mitchell L. Yell, Ph.D., is the Fred and Francis Lester Palmetto Chair in Teacher Education and a Professor in Special Education at the University of South Carolina. He earned his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Minnesota. His interests include special education law, IEP development, progress monitoring, and parent involvement in special education. He has published 132 journal articles, 6 textbooks, and 36 book chapters, and serves as a State-level due process review officer in South Carolina.

Dr. Patrick Tutwiler

President and CEO · Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs

Dr. Patrick Tutwiler is the President and CEO of Walker Therapeutic and Educational Programs. He previously served as Massachusetts Secretary of Education and has held leadership roles across K–12, philanthropy and higher education following an early career as a high school history teacher.

People, passion, performance and process drive Dr. Sarah Calveric's work as Superintendent of Caroline County Public Schools. This "4P" philosophy has undergirded her 29 years of educational experience as a teacher, administrator, human resources director, assistant superintendent, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond, President of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and division superintendent of Caroline County. A graduate of SUNY Geneseo and Virginia Commonwealth University, she was named Virginia's 2023 Region III Superintendent of the Year and the University of Richmond's 2025 Iskowitz Distinguished Adjunct Professor.

Dr. Sarah Thomas founded EduMatch in 2014 as a place for educators to find each other. EduMatch Publishing has since released more than 100 titles, most written by classroom practitioners publishing for the first time. She is a co-author of the ISTE digital equity series and an ISTE Making IT Happen honoree.

Steven G. Feifer, DEd, NCSP, ABSNP, is dually trained as a nationally certified school psychologist and board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist. He has more than 20 years of experience working directly in public education and is an award-winning author of numerous books and assessments on the neuropsychology of learning, including the Feifer Assessment of Reading and the Feifer Assessment of Mathematics.

Dyane Smokorowski is an award-winning educator and digital literacy leader who helps teachers apply emerging technologies with Universal Design for Learning in mind.

Elisabeth Bostwick

Content Marketing Manager · Brisk Teaching

Elisabeth Bostwick is the Content Marketing Manager at Brisk, where she leads partnerships and develops resources that help teachers use Brisk to simplify planning, personalize instruction and support authentic, empowered learning. A multi-award-winning educator, international speaker and author of Take the L.E.A.P.: Ignite a Culture of Innovation, she is passionate about designing innovative learning environments where both educators and students can thrive.

Enrique Hug is an educator with over 25 years of experience in large urban districts, including 17 years in Houston ISD. He has taught students from kindergarten to high school in Argentina, Turkey, and the U.S., and coached teachers on literacy and dual language programs. As a Professional Development Trainer at ViewSonic, he helps districts use Interactive Flat Panels to enhance learning.

Founder and Chief Architect at Levacloud, specializing in Microsoft 365 security and data protection for K-12 districts.

Geva Barash

Founder & CEO · Secure Our Cities

Geva Barash has worked in the physical security industry for 30 years. Before launching Secure Our City, he managed a security systems integrator and other companies that developed security products and solutions utilizing the latest digital technologies. Geva has worked with companies that introduced new technologies into the security market, including RFID technology. Having the manufacturers' and integrators' perspectives enables Geva to provide customers with the most balanced and comprehensive security solutions. Geva served nine years in the Israeli military, reaching the rank of Major in the Israeli Intelligence Services, and has been an active volunteer leader in several nonprofit efforts.

Inga McKay, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA, is Senior Program Director at the Anderson Center for Autism. Her work focuses on systems-level supports for autistic learners, including MTSS frameworks, universal classroom supports, and evidence-based instructional practice.

Jake Simpson

Head of Esports · Newcastle United Foundation

Heads up esports within the community and educational partnerships for Newcastle United Foundation.

Jan K. Hoegh has been an educator for over 35 years, serving as a classroom teacher, building leader, professional development specialist, high school assistant principal, curriculum coordinator, and assistant director of statewide assessment.

Jenna Pipchuk

CEO · Studient

Jenna Pipchuk is the AI-First CEO of Studient, where she leads a national movement to transform how public schools accelerate learning for students who have been left behind by traditional systems. With over two decades of experience scaling global edtech platforms, she brings both business acumen and deep respect for the complexity of K-12.

Jennie Magiera is Google for Education's Global Head of Education Impact and leads the Google AI Educator Series, a free training program helping K-12 educators build practical AI skills.

Jennifer Ehehalt designs and delivers professional development for educators and moderates conversations about digital teaching and learning, school culture, and family engagement.

Jennifer Kienzle, PhD, leads online education initiatives at City College of San Francisco and serves as Vice President of the Distance Education Coordinators Organization (DECO).

Jill Curry, Ed.D., CRC, has more than 20 years of experience in public education with a specialized focus on transition planning and career development. She is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor and former transition coordinator and special education administrator.

Jill Lemond

Vice President of Education · Evolv Technology

Jill Lemond is a proud leader on the Evolv Technology team. In the wake of a tragic school shooting in Michigan, Jill realized she wanted to impact change on a broader scale. Lemond joined Evolv because of their clear mission to keep weapons out of our schools. She now serves as Evolv Technology's Head of Education. She has more than 15 years of experience in education, having served over twelve years at Oxford Schools.

Joanna Haugland

Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Visitor Aware · Singlewire Software

Joanna Haugland is Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Visitor Aware. In this role she leads market research, marketing, and sales strategy for the visitor management and campus movement product. Her role centers on customer satisfaction, connecting with clients to make sure every decision reflects the needs of the schools and organizations Visitor Aware serves. Joanna works closely with clients, gathering the feedback that steers product development, as she provides direction to the product development team. Her career spans engineering, product management, and inside sales, giving her a well-rounded perspective that informs how she builds and positions the product today. Joanna attended Southwestern Community College in Iowa and earned her bachelor's degree in engineering from Iowa State University. She is grateful for the opportunity to help improve school safety and to work for Singlewire Software, an organization with critical communication, incident management, and campus movement solutions to help enhance safety, streamline communication, and manage critical incidents seamlessly.

Joe and Kristin Merrill

Elementary Teachers · The Merrills EDU

Kristin and Joe Merrill share a passion for infusing EdTech into their Fourth and First Grade classrooms. With a combined 20 years of teaching experience, they collaborate to create engaging lessons that turn into memories for their students, putting a new spin on traditional strategies and implementing technology to meet the needs of students.

Joe Ayala is an ed-tech leadership consultant who advises K–12 districts on technology strategy, vendor partnerships, and procurement practices.

John Bayes

ICT Director · Hull College

Oversaw the installation of one of the UK's first college esports arenas at Hull College.

John Crocker, M.Ed., has worked in public education for fifteen years, primarily as the administrator for the Methuen Public Schools Counseling Department, overseeing a comprehensive school mental health system in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health.

Professor of Education at James Madison University, co-editor of the Teacher Educator Journal and co-author of How Learning Works, Clarity for Learning and The Teacher Clarity Playbook.

John W. Moravec, Ph.D., is an education futurist, researcher, and founder of Education Futures LLC. His work focuses on the future of learning, emerging technologies, education policy, and the forces shaping how people learn and work. He is Editor-in-Chief of Learning Futures and Emerging Technologies and creator of the Global Education Futures Readiness Index.

Jordan D. Renken is a former K-12 math and physics teacher and the Executive Director of MACRO. He advocates for holistic career-readiness education combining technical skills with essential life and career skills, including digital literacy and well-being.

Judie Caroleo

Director of Product Development, Literacy · 95 Percent Group

Judie Caroleo is Director of Product Development, Literacy, where she applies her expertise in the science of reading and the science of learning to shape evidence-aligned instructional tools and resources. She previously served as Director of Professional Learning, supporting districts nationwide in launching and sustaining MTSS and RTI initiatives.

Judy Keller is a Technology Training Specialist at Penn Manor School District with nearly three decades of experience supporting educators with instructional technology.

Julie A. Evans, Ed.D.

Chief Executive Officer · Project Tomorrow

Dr. Evans is the CEO of Project Tomorrow and founder of the Speak Up Research Project, which annually captures the perspectives of over 400,000 students, parents, and educators. Over the past two decades, nearly 6 million stakeholders across more than 35,000 schools have contributed to this research, making it one of the most trusted sources of insight in K-12 education. With a background spanning education, technology, and research, Dr. Evans helps district and state leaders better understand how to use data to drive decision-making, improve learning outcomes, and plan for the future of education.

Co-author of "Socratic Seminars for Mathematics" from the Mathematics Teacher journal.

Katherine Prince leads KnowledgeWorks' exploration of the future of learning and stewards the organization's strategy around engaging people with education transformation, leading a team of professional futurists.

Kathleen Larche, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor and Program Supervisor · Framingham State University

Kathleen Larche holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science, a Master's in Speech Pathology and a doctorate in Child and Youth Studies. She has worked as a professor at Eastern Nazarene College, Newbury College and Salem State University, and is presently an assistant professor and program supervisor at Framingham State University, teaching Language Development and Communication, Assessment Procedures, and Learning and Human Development. Dr. Larche has led workshops for teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff on effective teaching strategies, differentiation, modifications and adaptations, and classroom management.

Katie Vis brings both a strategic literacy consulting perspective and practical international school experience to conversations about implementing Science of Reading curricula.

Kristie Bangali is Director of Curriculum and Learning at Britannica Education, where she supports educators and librarians in integrating trusted digital resources into classroom instruction.

President and lead consultant at Smekens Education Solutions, who has spent more than 20 years helping K-12 educators teach writing well by translating literacy research into practical classroom instruction.

Latrenda Knighten is a mathematics educator and leader who presents NCTM webinars on building meaningful mathematics teaching and learning.

Laura Stewart

Chief Academic Officer · 95 Percent Group

Laura Stewart is an educator and organizational leader who has served as a teacher, administrator, adjunct professor, and director of professional development initiatives nationwide. Before joining 95 Percent Group she served as Chief Innovation Officer at The Reading League and Chief Academic Officer for Professional Development at Highlights for Children. She presents nationally and internationally and is a published author focused on empowering educators to positively impact all students.

Leslie Grahn has twenty-seven years of language teaching experience at the middle and high school levels and twelve years at the central office level, most recently as Coordinator of World Languages for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. She curates and creates resources for language teaching at grahnforlang.com and on Pinterest, co-authored The Keys to Strategies for Language Instruction, and has served on the boards of NECTFL, NADSFL and ACTFL.

Lewis partners with school and district leaders to leverage educational technology purposefully and skillfully. A former middle school math and science teacher, he helps leaders make sure their teachers actually know what they need to know — and can do what they need to do — when it comes to technology in classrooms.

Lindsey Singleton, LMHC, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a passion for supporting individuals in improving conversations around positive, proactive steps towards healthy relationships, transitions and mental wellness. Currently a private practice clinician, she spent 15 years as Assistant Director of Counseling at Endicott College.

Lisa Gurdin is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst based in Massachusetts. She is the founder of LSGurdin Consulting, providing behavioral consultation, staff training, and continuing education for school-based BCBAs. Lisa has worked in classrooms, at the district level, and in homes, and mentors graduate students in the field.

Lisa Kingkade, LMHC, M.Ed.

Licensed Mental Health Counselor · Enlightened Interventions

Lisa Kingkade is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with Enlightened Interventions in Mashpee, Massachusetts, bringing more than two decades of experience supporting the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs of children, adolescents, families, and school communities. Her professional experience spans school counseling, educational leadership, trauma-informed practices, social-emotional learning, crisis intervention, family engagement, and systems-level support.

Lorena Gauthereau teaches at the University of Houston and leads Humanities Texas programming on digital timeline tools and digital storytelling in the humanities classroom.

Lorri Glover teaches at Saint Louis University and leads Humanities Texas programming on interdisciplinary approaches to teaching the Declaration of Independence and founding-era primary sources.

Louis McDonald

Project Director, K-12 Tech Environmental Sustainability Committee · CoSN

Louis McDonald is a retired CTO/CIO (VA) who joined CoSN in 2024 to lead the Environmental Sustainability work. He is a results-oriented leader with over 40 years of experience in information systems, strategic planning, software development, and project management.

Luba Falk Feigenberg speaks on supporting parental and family mental health.

Co-author of "Socratic Seminars for Mathematics" from the Mathematics Teacher journal.

School psychologist, past president of the National Association of School Psychologists and the International School Psychology Association, and co-author of Smart but Scattered and Executive Function Skills in the Classroom.

Maria Elena Fernandez leads strategic initiatives in online education and instructional design at College of the Siskiyous, with more than 30 years in the California Community College system.

Marisa Howard-Karp

Chief Operating Officer · Exceptional Lives

Marisa Howard-Karp has spent more than 15 years training educators, social workers and health care providers to better support children and families. As a parent and caregiver to four children with disabilities, she works to make special education and health care systems easier for families to navigate.

Mark Sanders

Technical Lead · University of Salford

Technical Lead responsible for overseeing the running of the University of Salford's esports facility.

Marlene Boyette is an educator and trauma-informed wellness practitioner.

Marlon Lynch

Principal Consultant · COSECURE

Marlon Lynch has over 30 years of public safety experience. Primary areas of focus have been policing, campus safety, security systems, emergency management, threat assessment, and organizational management. Throughout his career as a thought leader and change agent, in executive level positions as Vice President, Chief Safety Officer, Associate Vice President, and Chief of Police at both public and private institutions of higher education in urban and suburban communities. Marlon is widely known in the public safety profession. He served as president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), chair and commissioner of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and has held other leadership roles that have advanced collaboration across the campus safety community. He holds a master's degree in criminal justice administration from Boston University and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University, and he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command.

Editor and columnist for Chalkbeat Ideas, a section devoted to explaining and examining the ideas and debates shaping American schools. Previously covered K-12 education for the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Melanie Lewis Magee served in education for 26 years, starting as an elementary school teacher and moving through district administration, assistant and associate principal roles, and four years as a middle school principal. She led curriculum and instruction for a large district and served as deputy superintendent for a small rural district.

Melissa Pearrow, Ph.D., leads the Behavioral Health Integrated Resources for Children (BIRCh) Center, providing professional development and resources for schools and coordinating behavioral health supports across school and community agencies. She teaches graduate courses in legal, ethical, and professional practices and draws on a decade of experience as a special educator, school psychologist, and program coordinator. Her research on school-based mental health is informed by training in inpatient, outpatient, and community mental health, including her partnership with Boston Public Schools and Boston Children's Hospital in the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model.

Michelle Caffrey is assistant managing editor for EdWeek Market Brief, reporting on investment, M&A, and company leadership in the K-12 market.

Dr. Michelle Schladant is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and Associate Professor at the University of Miami Department of Pediatrics, Mailman Center for Child Development, with over 28 years of experience as a special educator, clinician and qualitative researcher specializing in assistive technology (AT) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She directs South Florida's state-funded AT program and the federally funded Step Up AT program.

Mike Anderson

Education Consultant & Author · Leading Great Learning

Mike Anderson is an independent education consultant and author with over 25 years in education. A former classroom teacher of 15 years, he received the Milken Educator Award in 2004 and the NHASCD Outstanding Educational Leader Award in 2020. He is the author of many books on great teaching, including Hugging Porcupines and the bestseller What We Say and How We Say It Matter.

Mike Ruyle, EdD, has served as a classroom teacher, athletic coach, school principal, program director, university professor, and professional development presenter over a 30-year career.

Molly Pistrang-Gomes, M.Ed., brings extensive experience working with nonprofits and school communities from the elementary to university level, including many years at REACH Beyond Domestic Violence. She now works as a public health research consultant supporting districts with the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, using a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, participatory approach.

Natalie Wexler is an education writer who has spoken before a wide range of audiences, focusing on literacy, cognitive science, and fairness. She is the author of Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and The Knowledge Gap, and co-author of The Writing Revolution. She blogs at her free Substack newsletter, Minding the Gap, and hosts the Knowledge Matters Podcast. She holds a BA from Harvard College, an MA in history from the University of Sussex, and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Principal Architect at Levacloud, specializing in Microsoft 365 security and data protection for K-12 districts.

Chair of the Esports Trade Association Education Committee and a core curriculum writer for the Pearson BTEC in esports.

Paul Timm, PSP

Director of Education Safety · Allegion

Paul Timm, Director of Education Safety at Allegion, is a board-certified Physical Security Professional (PSP). He is the author of “School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program” and the host of “The Changing Face of School Security” podcast. Paul was named one of the Most Influential People in Security in 2020 by Security Magazine. In addition to having conducted more than 2,000 vulnerability assessments and his frequent keynote addresses, Paul is an experienced School Crisis Assistance Team volunteer through the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA). He serves on the Campus Safety Conferences Advisory Board, the Advisory Council for the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools, the ASIS International School Safety and Security Community, and the Illinois Association of School Business Officials Risk Management Committee. Paul is certified in Vulnerability Assessment Methodology (VAM) through Sandia National Laboratories and the ALPHA vulnerability assessment methodology.

Penny Copplestone, M.Ed.

Elementary Educator & Counselor

Penny's career in elementary education was founded on the belief that building relationships with students and championing their individuality is fundamental to their capacity to engage with learning. Core to her efforts is the desire to close the achievement gap between students who excel and students who fall behind because of race, economics or ethnicity. She holds a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Framingham State University, a BA in Elementary Education from UMass Amherst, and is certified as a K-8 teacher in Massachusetts with additional training in teaching the whole child and teaching in an inclusion classroom.

Pete Just

Project Director, CoSN AI Initiative · CoSN / Indiana CTO Council

Project Director of the CoSN AI Initiative and Executive Director of the Indiana CTO Council.

Phil Hintz

Chief Technology Officer, Niles Township District 219 · Niles Township District 219

Host of the Zero Breach Zone podcast.

Dr. Rachel Tatro-Duarte is a Professor of English at Porterville College and an AI Fellow for the California Community College Chancellor's Office, focusing on assessment design that centers visible thinking over polished output.

Technical Director for the US at Lumu, a cybersecurity company focused on network detection and response.

Richard Weissbourd speaks on meaning, purpose and mental health among young adults.

Rick Dahlgren is the original developer of the Time To Teach classroom management program, a system trusted by more than 400,000 educators across all 50 states since 1993.

Educator, author, and consultant who has worked with alternative and traditional schools, from grades preK-12, building systems of support for students impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma. Co-author of Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences and author of The Other Teachers: A Guide to Psychological Safety Among Educators.

Rob Dickson is a K-12 technology leader who supports districts in adopting artificial intelligence tools for teaching, learning, and leadership.

Robert Dunlop

Educator & Author · MotivatEdu

Robert Dunlop has been an educator for 23 years. After 12 years teaching grades 7 and 8, he supported his district with technology, then served as assessment/evaluation and new-teacher consultant for a district of 32,000 students across 112 schools, and briefly as a vice principal before returning to the classroom in 2024. He co-created a free staff wellness program for educators and is author of STRIVE for Happiness in Education and co-author of You've Got This.

Robert McArdle, M.Ed., has over forty-five years of experience in public education as a mediator, special education administrator, and executive director. He is co-author of A Practical Approach to Special Education Administration and a past Massachusetts Special Education Administrator of the Year.

Originator of Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), as described in The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings. He served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over 20 years and is Founding Director of the non-profit Lives in the Balance.

Ryan Baker-Barrett (Knighton), M.S., BCBA, is the founder of Applied Behavioral Health Practice, launched in 2024 to provide science-backed, practical support for individuals with ADHD. Based in San Diego, he draws on over a decade of experience in school systems across Utah, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts, primarily supporting middle and high school students. He combines behavioral expertise with lived experience to help families, educators and professionals navigate the realities of ADHD.

Saša Stojić-Ito works across accessibility, instructional design, user experience, Universal Design for Learning and AI. She has served as an Accessibility Specialist, Instructional Designer, Distance Education Coordinator and Online Multimedia Specialist, and holds an MS in Instructional Design & Technology, an ATACP certificate and IAAP CPACC certification.

Sharon D. Stewart, M.Ed., earned her B.S. at Boston College in Special and Elementary Education and her Master's in Educational Leadership at Lesley College. She has been a leader in Massachusetts special education, overseeing programs at the Shore Educational Collaborative.

Shawn Neal is the IT Director and EdTech Strategist at Venture Academy in Eau Claire, WI, focused on responsible technology adoption in K-12 schools.

Special Education Consultant, certified Special Education Teacher, author, podcast host, Master IEP Coach and speaker with over 30 years of experience in special education.

Spencer Robins co-chairs the English Department at Saddleback College and leads AI response taskforces, with nearly two decades of teaching in community college, university and K-12 classrooms.

Stephen Chiger is the Senior Director of 5–12 Humanities at Uncommon Schools, where he supports literacy instruction across more than 30 high-performing schools working to close the opportunity gap. He is the co-author of Team Up with the Text (forthcoming winter 2026) and Love and Literacy, a guide to English pedagogy. Chiger was named Educator of the Year by the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English and currently serves on NCTE’s Assessment Committee.

Chief Revenue Officer at CyberNut, a cybersecurity awareness and training company serving K-12 school districts.

Co-author of "Socratic Seminars for Mathematics" from the Mathematics Teacher journal.

Sue Thotz works with schools and districts on digital well-being and media literacy, helping educators and families align healthy technology habits at school and at home.

Suzanne Dailey

Professional Developer & Podcast Host · Central Bucks School District

Suzanne Dailey is a professional developer for the Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania, where she works with more than 500 elementary teachers and 8,000 students across 15 buildings. National Board–certified with a master's in reading, she is host of the weekly podcast Teach Happier, author of Teach Happier This School Year, and co-author of You've Got This: Finding Happiness and Success in Your First Years of Teaching.

Tanya Young supports K-5 educators with research-based writing instruction, from foundational transcription skills through multi-paragraph composition.

Tarah Tesmer

Sr. Community Coach · SchoolAI

Tarah Tesmer is a Senior Community Coach at SchoolAI and former school district EdTech Coach and Coordinator. She has over a decade of experience in educational leadership, curriculum design, teacher training and instructional coaching, and has presented at the state, national and global level.

Tim Needles is an author, educator, and NYSCATE Long Island Director who speaks and writes widely on creativity and technology in K-12 classrooms.

Professor emeritus of literacy education at Kent State University and a former classroom and reading intervention teacher. He has served on the Board of Directors of IRA and as editor of The Reading Teacher and the Journal of Literacy Research; his interests include reading fluency, word study, and readers who struggle.

Tina H. Boogren, PhD, is an advocate for educators and their well-being. She is the author of numerous best-selling books on quality instruction, coaching, mentoring, and wellness, and is codirector of Solution Tree's Wellness Solutions for Educators. She hosts the weekly podcast Everyday Wellness with Dr. Tina H. Boogren and was ranked #5 among the Top 30 Global Gurus in Education.

NJASA Past President and retired Superintendent of Millville Public Schools; Executive Director of Great Schools of New Jersey.

Trina Reaves is an ed-tech leadership consultant focused on helping district leaders navigate market shifts and build effective partnerships with education technology vendors.

Vicki Davis

Teacher, Podcaster, Author

Classroom teacher, IT Director, blogger, podcaster and speaker transforming how educators approach teaching through technology, sharing stories from her BYOD classroom on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Founder of North Star AI Enablement, AI program manager at Google, member of Pearson's AI Strategic Council, and a contributor to UNESCO's AI competency frameworks.

Xochitl Tirado has over 25 years of experience across higher education and K–12, leading online course design, faculty training and distance education policy at Imperial Valley College and supporting colleges statewide as a POCR faculty mentor.

Zach Groshell

Education Consultant and Author · ER Education

Dr. Zach Groshell is a leading voice in explicit instruction and the science of learning. He began his career as an elementary teacher before completing his doctorate in instructional design. He is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and founder of ER Education, supporting school systems on curriculum design, instructional coaching, and pedagogical improvement. He is the author of Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching and hosts the podcast Progressively Incorrect.