National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality National Issue Forum
National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality National Issue Forum "From Planning to Action: Implementation of the Highly Qualified Teacher Plans"
Presenter Bios
Stephen Barr, Ed.D | Aimee R. Guidera | Leslie James | Sabrina Laine, Ph.D. | Gary Manford | Julie P. McCargar, Ed.D. | Jennifer Presley, Ph.D. | George Ann Rice, Ph.D. | Roberto Rodriguez | Marguerite Roza, Ph.D. | Melody Schopp | Lee Sherry, Ph.D. | Susan Villani, Ed.D. | Wesley Gene Williams, II | Elizabeth Witt, Ph.D.
Stephen Barr, Ed.D.
Stephen Barr, Ed.D., is the associate superintendent for the Center for School Improvement for the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). During his five years of service at ODE, Dr. Barr has implemented numerous programs and processes to assist the education community in meeting the many requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. In his oversight of the Offices of Educational Reform, Federal Programs, Field Relations, and Quality Assurance, he has streamlined the many government requirements to enable school personnel to spend less time on administrative functions and more time educating students. Dr. Barr joined ODE in 2001 as the executive director for federal programs and was promoted to associate superintendent in July 2005.
Dr. Barr has been instrumental in creating Web-based tools to assist the Ohio education community in effectively meeting NCLB requirements, including the Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP); Supplemental Educational Services; Federal Low Income Count System (FLICS); Nonpublic School Services System (NS3); Program Audit and Compliance Tracking System (PACTS); and Data Driven Decisions for Academic Achievement (D3A2).
Before joining ODE, Dr. Barr served 17 years at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education where he held the positions of coordinator of state and federal programs and assistant commissioner of special education. He also served at the school district level for 12 years as director of elementary education, director of special services, a principal, and a teacher.
Dr. Barr earned his bachelor's degree in music from the University of Findlay, a master's degree in music and a specialist degree in school administration from Southeast Missouri State University, and a doctorate in school administration from the University of Missouri–Columbia.
Aimee R. Guidera
Aimee R. Guidera is director of the Washington, D.C., office of the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) and director of the NCEA's Data Quality Campaign. She joined NCEA in 2003 to promote the vital role that Just for the Kids school reports can play in the current education reform efforts of national education, business, and government organizations. Through her role as director of NCEA's Washington office, Guidera builds and manages relations with leaders in the business and education organizations; she also manages the administration of the Just for the Kids school improvement model. As director of the Data Quality Campaign, she manages a growing partnership among national organizations collaborating to improve the quality, accessibility, and use of education data.
During her eight previous years in various roles at the National Alliance of Business, Guidera supported efforts of the corporate community to increase achievement at all levels of learning. As vice president of programs, she managed the Business Coalition Network, composed of more than 1,000 business-led coalitions focused on improving education in communities across the country. Guidera previously worked at the National Governors Association, where she analyzed and monitored state and national education policies, provided technical assistance to improve family-focused services, and worked with a task force of CEOs and governors on school readiness. Early in her career, she taught for the Japanese Ministry of Education in five Hiroshima high schools, where she interviewed educators and studied the Japanese education system.
Guidera holds a bachelor's degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. At Princeton, her thesis was titled The Evolution of the Role of Business in Public Education.
Leslie James
Leslie James has worked as a speech, language specialist, a resource specialist, and an adjunct faculty member for 23 years. She is the author of Empowering Students With and Without Special Needs: Communication and Active Learning Development through Learning Strategies, Instructional Strategies, and Collaboration. James has worked at the Nevada Department of Education for the past six years and currently serves as the consultant for the Title II-A Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund. She also has developed and facilitates an online professional learning community forum for administrators.
Sabrina Laine, Ph.D.
Sabrina Laine, Ph.D., director of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality at Learning Point Associates, has a diverse background in educational policy and teacher quality. Her work includes several published studies on teacher supply and demand, teacher professional development, alternative certification, teacher recruitment and retention, and teacher turnover. She is skilled in working effectively with local, state, regional, and federal education agencies and is sensitive to the challenges faced by educators in urban, rural, and low-performing schools. Dr. Laine earned her doctorate from Indiana University and has been with Learning Point Associates since 1996.
Gary Manford
Gary Manford is the technical assistance liaison for the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center (MC3) that is housed at the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) in Topeka, Kansas. Manford provides technical assistance to support initiatives identified collaboratively by both MC3 and KSDE to achieve the goals based on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
As the MC3 technical assistance liaison, Manford's responsibilities are to develop the capacity of KSDE to support districts and schools in the implementation of NCLB, including state and federal programs, student support services, school improvement, assessment, innovation, teacher education, and leadership.
Manford's 36-year career includes experience as a teacher; aprincipal; and director of special services, federal programs, and curriculum in Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri. Most recently, he was the assistant director of the Missouri Leadership Academy, having oversight of the administrative leadership development work from preparation to induction, professional development, and performance evaluation for the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. During that time, he was the primary author and director of the State Action for Educational Leadership Project of the Wallace Foundation.
Julie P. McCargar, Ed.D.
Dr. McCargar is the executive director of Federal Programs for the Tennessee Department of Education. In this capacity, she oversees the statewide implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), serves as the state's Title I director and manages an annual budget of more than $300 million that comes into Tennessee through NCLB. In her 14-year tenure at the Tennessee Department of Education, Dr. McCargar has provided leadership in many areas, including English as a second language, migrant education, comprehensive school reform, district improvement, and school and business partnerships. She has worked in schools in the United States and overseas and has been involved with education from kindergarten to university levels for more than 30 years. Currently, she is serving as president-elect for the National Association of State Title I Directors.
Dr. McCargar holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in humanities and a master's degree in education from the State University of New York–Buffalo. She earned her doctorate in education from Tennessee State University, where she studied teacher equity issues in high-poverty schools for her doctoral dissertation.
Jennifer Presley, Ph.D.
Jennifer Presley, Ph.D., became the founding director of the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) in March 2001—a state-supported organization established to provide objective and reliable evidence for PK–16 education policymaking and program development. Her work has focused on teacher quality, teacher recruitment and attrition, and student readiness for college and work. Dr. Presley also has led higher education policy research offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. Prior to joining IERC, she was associate provost for planning and senior research scholar at the University of Maryland as well as a consultant and evaluator in Washington, D.C. Dr. Presley earned her doctorate in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford University in 1981.
George Ann Rice, Ph.D.
George Ann Rice, Ph.D., is the recently retired associate superintendent, Human Resources Division, at the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. In this position, held since 1991,
Dr. Rice has districtwide responsibility for the recruitment, selection, placement, induction, and retention of more than 16,600 licensed teachers; 1,000 administrators; and 9,000 support staff employees. Dr. Rice is responsible for contract compliance, employee-management relations, and securing changes in Nevada law and Nevada administrative code related to employment and licensure issues. She is a former attorney as well as a high school teacher, assistant principal, and department chair. In just the last few years, Dr. Rice has served as chair of the Governor's Commission on Education Excellence; was one of three appointees by the governor on the Interim Legislative Committee on Higher Education; chaired the Nevada Task Force of the National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices, Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers; served as lead negotiator for Clark County School District negotiations with three unions, where she was able to have three four-year labor contracts ratified before school began in 2003 using interest-based negotiating; participated in the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future Summit on the First Three Years of Teaching at Johnson Foundation's Wingspread in September 2003; served as member of the Teachers' Council for Western Governors' University; served as member of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education's Board of Examiners, representing the National Association of Secondary School Principals; and served as a representative of K–12 education on National Association of Systems Head University Chancellors Work Group.
Roberto Rodriguez
Roberto Rodriguez is a senior education advisor to Senator Edward M. Kennedy
(D-Massachusetts) in his role as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions. Rodriguez's duties include legislative, policy, budget, and appropriations work on a variety of education issues, including early childhood education and elementary and secondary education.
Prior to his work in the Senate, Rodriguez worked at National Council of La Raza, where he assisted with the development and evaluation of the council's community based education programs and engaged in research and policy analysis of federal and state education reform issues.
Rodriguez is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and of Harvard University.
Marguerite Roza, Ph.D.
Marguerite Roza, Ph.D., serves as a research assistant professor at the Daniel J. Evans School
of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. Dr. Roza's research focuses on quantitative policy analysis, particularly in the area of education finance. Her recent research has documented inequities and inefficiencies in spending across schools within school districts caused by staffing patterns and other factors. This work has been published by the Center on Reinventing Public Education, the Brookings Institution, Phi Delta Kappan, and the Peabody Journal of Education. She has a bachelor's degree from Duke University and has studied at the London School of Economics and the University of Amsterdam. Dr. Roza earned a doctorate in education from the University of Washington. Prior to that, she served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy teaching thermodynamics at the Naval Nuclear Power School.
Melody Schopp
Melody Schopp is the director of Accreditation and Teacher Quality for the South Dakota Department of Education. Prior to her seven years with the department, she taught for 23 years
in a district where she currently serves as a school board member. In addition to her roles as
the director of K–20 accreditation, director of certification, and Title II coordinator, Schopp serves as a lobbyist for the U.S. Department of Education. She has helped to initiate numerous programs related to teacher quality, including mentoring, the Governors New Teacher Academy, and statewide support for National Board Certification. In addition, she has coordinated with the state's public and private universities to rewrite teacher preparation programs and rules and to align them with national standards under the new National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education partnership agreement. Some of Schopp's major projects have included managing a statewide teacher technology training program, the rollout of the state's student information system, the infusion of Praxis II testing for teachers, and the new online teacher certification system; and she currently is charged with the development and rollout of the new South Dakota Virtual High School.
Schopp has a master's degree in elementary education and is completing her doctorate through the University of Lincoln–Nebraska in educational administration.
Lee Sherry, Ph.D.
Lee Sherry, Ph.D., is an instructor at School of Education, National University, in La Jolla, California, and also teaches online graduate courses in special education.
At the University of South Florida–St. Petersburg, he directed Florida's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Project and Florida's State Improvement Grant (SIG). His role was to stimulate the development and continued improvement of personnel preparation programs statewide at the preservice, inservice and continuing education levels. The Florida CSPD Project instituted nine collaborative regional Professional Development Partnerships throughout the state. These partnerships are designed to do the following: (1) support the professional development of highly effective personnel serving infants, toddlers, children, and youth with special needs; (2) promote collaboratively developed preparation programs among local districts, colleges or universities, and general and special educators; and (3) prepare teachers to deliver high-quality, research-validated services to students with disabilities with diverse needs in least restrictive environments.
Dr. Sherry previously served on the special education faculty at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Later, he put to use his experience in personnel preparation to influence the delivery of services to children in the Pinellas County Schools in Florida. He returned to the public schools as director of the Multiagency Network for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Students. In this role, he worked to establish a collaborative network of education and mental health agencies to implement a full continuum of services for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances. Once again, to positively affect the lives of children with special needs, he became director of education at Tampa Bay Academy, a children's residential treatment center. There he was able to mold the individualized educational and therapeutic treatment opportunities for dozens of children. He began his career teaching children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders in Florida and in his native Pennsylvania.
He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in special education from Temple University and a Ph.D. in special education and education administration from the University of Florida.
Susan Villani, Ed.D.
Susan Villani, Ed.D., is a senior program and research associate for WestEd's Learning Innovations and specializes in designing and facilitating teacher and principal training.
She works with schools, districts, education collaboratives, and departments of education to tailor program design and offerings to their specific needs. A particular focus of the technical assistance and training she offers is in the area of mentoring and induction programs for new teachers and principals, through which she facilitates improved teacher quality and heightened student achievement. Dr. Villani helps groups design such programs and offers professional development for new and experienced teachers and administrators. She consults and teaches group facilitation skills and coaches prospective trainers. Before joining WestEd in 2001, Dr. Villani was a principal for three different districts for 21 years and a classroom teacher for seven years.
Dr. Villani is the author of Are You Sure You're the Principal: On Being an Authentic Leader. She researched and authored Mentoring Programs for New Teachers: Models of Induction and Support, and Mentoring and Induction Programs that Support New Principals. She coauthored Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching: Linking Student and Teacher Learning and the accompanying facilitator's guide with Kathy Dunne.
Dr. Villani earned a doctorate in educational administration from Northeastern University, a master's degree in elementary education from Tufts University, and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Harpur College at the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Wesley Gene Williams, II
Wesley Gene Williams, II, currently is director of the Office of Educator Equity at the Ohio Department of Education. He previously worked for the Mississippi Department of Education's Mississippi Teacher Center as director, director of teacher recruitment and enhancement, and professional recruiter. His work has focused on best practices in statewide initiatives in teacher recruitment, retention, enhancement, and beginning teacher induction and mentoring. He also was a selected reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education's state highly qualified equity plans.
Williams is a lifelong advocate of continued learning and advancement. He serves as a mentor and tutors students and adults in perfecting formal writing and speaking skills. He also is a community volunteer and serves on the United Way Board of Directors and various advisory boards in the Jackson, Mississippi, area.
He taught English at the middle school level for Jackson Public Schools and Canton Public Schools in Mississippi. He was inducted into Who's Who among America's Teachers in 1998.
Williams holds a bachelor's degree in English from Jackson State University and a master's degree in secondary education from the University of Mississippi.
Elizabeth Witt, Ph.D.Elizabeth Witt, Ph.D., has worked at the U.S. Department of Education since 2000 in both the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Planning and Evaluation Service. She currently serves as team leader for Teacher Quality Programs, working on Title II–Part A and the Teacher Incentive Fund program. Previously, Dr. Witt taught English literature and composition at DeSales University and the University of Rochester.
She holds a doctorate in English literature from the University of Rochester and a master's degree in public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas–Austin.
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