What Works Conference: "Building Capacity for a Systems Approach to Improving Educator Quality"
Presenter and Panelist Biographies
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David E. Axner, Ed.D.
David E. Axner, Ed.D., is superintendent of Dublin City Schools in Ohio. Previously, Dr. Axner served as superintendent and assistant superintendent with the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District. He also has prior experience as a high school principal and middle school principal with that district. Previously, he served as an assistant principal, athletic director, special education teacher, and coach with the Sandusky City Schools. Professional involvement for Dr. Axner includes the Ohio Educators Standards Board; Franklin County Superintendents Association; Ohio Schools Council; Buckeye Association of School Administrators; Ohio School Boards Association; American Association of School Administrators; and the Ohio Association of Local School Superintendents. In addition, he serves on a number of committees for the Ohio Department of Education and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Dr. Axner is an Ohio School Leadership Institute participant and a member of the following organizations: Alliance for Adequate School Funding; Dublin Counseling Center Board; Dublin Chamber of Commerce Board; Dublin Rotarian; and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Dr. Axner earned his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Akron.
Carolyn Brown, Ph.D.
Carolyn Brown, Ph.D., is a senior research associate for The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement at Learning Point Associates. Dr. Brown has provided technical assistance for schools in New York and South Carolina and consultation to the ACLU on education issues. With more than 20 years of experience in education, she brings a breadth of knowledge of the field along with her qualitative and quantitative research skills. Prior to joining Learning Point Associates, she was a university professor, conducting research and teaching in graduate education programs. She has expertise in school management and policy implementation. Her background includes a study of school management decentralization in six urban districts and a quantitative analysis of Title I funds distribution in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Dr. Brown taught English and social studies in Grades 6–12 and special education in Grades 1–12. She has been a school administrator in both public and private schools and has consulted on curriculum and instruction in the United States and abroad. Dr. Brown earned her Ph.D. from the University of California–Los Angeles.
Kim Burke
Kim Burke is a teacher at Nalle Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Burke's teaching career began as a science resource teacher at Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Columbia Heights where she taught Grades K–6 for five years. She was a key member on the Co-Nect Design team, a model that served to reform elementary education. Burke also served as a mentor teacher at Carnegie Academy for Science Education to improve the science and mathematics instruction in the District of Columbia public schools. Burke along with colleague John Mahoney coauthored a national winning epidemiology curriculum, which linked the disciplines of AP statistics and AP biology. She was one of the first recipients in the District of Columbia to receive the distinguished Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. Burke also was featured on JC Hayward and Friends, was a recipient of the Abe Pollin Award for Outstanding Community Service, and was a U.S. Department of Agriculture fellow to Ghana.
Lewis Chappelear
Lewis Chappelear is an engineering and design high school teacher, who cofounded the School of Engineering and Design at James Monroe High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He also cofounded the San Fernando Valley Aviation Aerospace Collaborative, which includes more than 40 local companies and community organizations that provide internships, guest speakers, and company tours for his students. He was named 2008 California Teacher of the Year and 2008 National Teacher of the Year Finalist. Chappelear earned his M.S. in mechanical engineering from Columbia University.
David Cleary
David Cleary is the staff director for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) on the Subcommittee on Children and Families of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Cleary is the principal education advisor to Senator Alexander and was primarily responsible for advising the senator on the recently reauthorized Higher Education Act. Cleary also advises Senator Alexander on elementary and secondary education issues, including the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and special education issues. Previously, Cleary served for a short time with the Aspen Institute's Commission on No Child Left Behind as the director of policy and research. Prior to accepting that position, Cleary worked for the House Education and Workforce Committee for Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) on disability policy. Cleary was the lead Republican staffer during the recent reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Cleary also worked at the U.S. Department of Education for several years.
Celine Coggins, Ph.D.
Celine Coggins, Ph.D., directs the teaching policy fellows program at the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, which trains exceptional early-career teachers to become advocates for their generation in the profession. Her background includes policy, research, and K–12 teaching. She also has led several consulting projects with large urban districts seeking to differentiate roles and pay for teachers. Formerly research director of the Rennie Center, Dr. Coggins led the research and publication process for reports, briefs, journal articles, and books. In addition, she worked in the Office of the Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Education on an array of teacher quality initiatives. Dr. Coggins began her career as a middle school teacher in Worcester, Massachusetts. She earned her M.Ed. in educational research, measurement, and evaluation from Boston College and her Ph.D. in education policy analysis from Stanford University, where she studied teacher quality and education leadership.
Pamela Coleman
Pamela Coleman is the director of the Teacher Education and Licensure division at the Kansas Department of Education in Topeka, Kansas. Teacher Education and Licensure is responsible for the issuance of all levels of educator/leadership licenses for both traditional and restrictive pathways, accrediting teacher education units, and program review for all teacher preparation units across the state. She is currently cochairing the Teaching in Kansas Commission. Coleman has a comprehensive background in leadership at the school-based level as well as the higher education arena. She has lectured both nationally and internationally and published several articles on teacher preparation and instructional strategies. Her experiences include grant writing at the national and state level on program design, state curriculum, and assessment writing.
Tricia Coulter, Ph.D.
Tricia Coulter, Ph.D., is the deputy director of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) at Learning Point Associates. In this role, she is responsible for coordinating the TQ Center's work to build the capacity of regional comprehensive centers and states in implementing the highly qualified teacher requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Prior to assuming this position, she was the director of the Teaching Quality and Leadership Institute at the Education Commission of the States, where she created and managed the scope of work related to the preparation, support, and compensation of quality teachers and leaders. Dr. Coulter also has worked as a senior research analyst at the State Higher Education Executive Officers organization where she developed experience and expertise in issues of teacher preparation and professional development. Dr. Coulter has extensive experience analyzing policy and research and using this information to help states in their efforts to create quality policy and innovative practice in response to their own teacher quality and leadership related needs and challenges. She also has worked directly with states and districts in their work with federal reporting requirements and their efforts to ensure that all students are served by highly qualified teachers. Dr. Coulter earned her Ph.D. in counseling and educational psychology, specializing in consultation from the University of Nevada–Reno.
Charlotte Danielson
Charlotte Danielson is a former economist and an educational consultant based in Princeton, New Jersey. She has taught at all levels, from kindergarten through college, and has worked as administrator, curriculum director, and staff developer. In her consulting work, Danielson has specialized in aspects of teacher quality and evaluation, curriculum planning, performance assessment, and professional development. Danielson has worked as a teacher and administrator in school districts in several regions of the United States. In addition, she has served as a consultant to hundreds of districts, universities, intermediate agencies, and state departments of education in virtually every state and in many other countries. This work has ranged from the training of practitioners in aspects of instruction and assessment and the design of instruments and procedures for teacher evaluation to keynote presentations at major conferences. Clients for the development of materials and training programs include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the College Board, Educational Testing Service, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Danielson is the author of a number of books supporting teachers and administrators. These include Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (1996, 2007), Teacher Evaluation to Enhance Professional Practice (in collaboration with Tom McGreal) (2000), Enhancing Student Achievement: A Framework for School Improvement (2002), and Strengthening the Profession Through Teacher Leadership (2006), published by ASCD. In addition, she has written several Collections of Performance Tasks and Rubrics, published by Eye on Education. Danielson holds advanced degrees in philosophy, economics, and educational administration from Oxford University and Rutgers University.
Terry Dozier, Ed.D.
Terry Dozier, Ed.D., is the director of the Center for Teacher Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Education where she serves as National Teacher in Residence and associate professor in the School of Education. Dr. Dozier also chairs the Metropolitan Educational Training Alliance (META) and conducts the META National Board Certification Candidate Support Program. She serves as principal investigator for the META Teacher Development and Retention Project and coprincipal investigator for Project ALL: Authentic Learning for Leaders, a federally funded effort to prepare teacher leaders to become assistant principals and principals in high-needs schools, using case study and simulation methodology. Prior to joining VCU, Dr. Dozier served as senior advisor on teaching to former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. In this capacity, she served as the Clinton administration's top policy advisor on all teaching issues. Dr. Dozier also led the U.S. Department of Education teaching initiative with primary responsibility for the development and implementation of a strategic plan to improve teacher recruitment, preparation, and ongoing professional development, including overall leadership in research, evaluation, and data collection on teacher quality. While teaching world history at Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. Dozier was named the 1985 National Teacher of the Year and has 19 years of classroom teaching experience in settings as diverse as inner-city Miami, suburban South Carolina, and the Singapore American School. Dr. Dozier earned her M.Ed. in social studies education from the University of Florida and her Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Carolina.
Francis "Skip" Fennell, Ph.D.
Francis "Skip" Fennell, Ph.D., is a professor of education at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, and past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Dr. Fennell is a mathematics educator and has experience as a classroom teacher, principal, and supervisor of instruction. Widely published in professional journals and textbooks related to elementary and middle-grade mathematics education, Dr. Fennell also has authored chapters in NCTM yearbooks and resource books. In addition, he has played key leadership roles with the Research Council for Mathematics Learning, the National Science Foundation, the United States National Commission for Mathematics Instruction, and the Association for Mathematics Teacher Educators. He was on the writing teams for the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) and the Curriculum Focal Points (NCTM, 2006). Dr. Fennell has served as a member of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel and has received numerous honors and awards. In addition, he has been the principal investigator for grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and the ExxonMobil Foundation. He earned his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.
Maria Fenwick
Maria Fenwick is a fourth grade teacher at the Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School in Boston Public Schools. In addition to working with students, Fenwick enjoys leadership activities outside the classroom. She is the head of her school's data team, a member of the instructional leadership team, and an active participant in school policy and management decisions. Fenwick is currently working with the Boston Plan for Excellence to develop a teacher network for Boston teachers. Fenwick holds master's degrees in education policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and elementary education from the Boston Teacher Residency.
Patricia Fleming
Patricia Fleming joined the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center in July 2006. Previously, Fleming worked at WestEd as a research associate in the Arizona office of the Southwest Comprehensive Center. Her responsibilities included providing consultation and technical assistance services to the state department of education, districts, and schools in the areas of school improvement, literacy, data analysis, and leadership capacity. Prior to joining WestEd, Fleming worked at the Arizona Department of Education assisting Title I schools in program implementation and school improvement, coordinating a federal grant titled Comprehensive School Reform (Title I Part F), and also assisting in the development of a process for Title I schools identified for school improvement. She also worked as an elementary classroom teacher for nine years prior to working at the state level. Fleming earned her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Janet Gless
Janet Gless is associate director of The New Teacher Center at the University of California–Santa Cruz, where she assists policymakers, educational organizations, administrators, and teacher leaders with the design and implementation of teacher induction programs. Gless has more than 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, mentor to new teachers, induction program coordinator, and staff developer. As a visiting educator with the California Department of Education, Gless worked with mentor teachers and consulted to induction programs throughout the state. She collaborated in the design and dissemination of a number of statewide trainings for mentors and program coordinators. Gless helped found The New Teacher Center in 1998. She serves as a consultant to policymakers and preservice and induction program leaders throughout the country in the area of beginning teacher support and assessment. Gless also presents regularly at national and statewide conferences on teacher development, induction, formative assessment, professional standards, and mentoring. She has authored book chapters, articles, and trainings on various topics related to new teacher induction, mentoring, and teacher leadership.
Lawrence Gloeckler
Lawrence Gloeckler is the executive director of the Special Education Institute at the International Center for Leadership in Education. He works with state education agencies, universities, and local school districts throughout the country on strategies to improve performance for students with disabilities. He also speaks about these issues at national and regional meetings of school district personnel and educational organizations. In addition, he works with schools and districts on strategic initiatives and the analysis of special education data to assist districts in improving performance for these students. Prior to joining the Special Education Institute, Gloeckler served as deputy commissioner for the New York State Education Department. Gloeckler began his career in education as a teacher of students with developmental disabilities. He also was a special education coordinator at the local level. He serves as a member of the Technical Advisory Board of the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities and on the Professional Advisory Board to the National Center for Learning Disabilities in New York City. In addition, he has served as a policy consultant to the National Center on Special Education Accountability and Monitoring at Louisiana State University and is on the Board of the National Center on Post-Secondary Outcomes at the University of Oregon. In addition, he served on the Critical Issues Committee for the state departments of education in Maryland and California.
Laura Goe, Ph.D.
Laura Goe, Ph.D., is research scientist in the Teaching and Learning Research Center at ETS and is the principal investigator for research and dissemination for the TQ Center. Previously, Dr. Goe was the research director for the Bay Area Consortium for Urban Education at the University of California–Berkeley, where she worked with representatives from school districts as well as colleges and universities in an effort to improve teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention in the Bay Area. She also worked extensively on issues of school finance, accountability, and teacher credentialing and distribution in California. Dr. Goe earned her master's degree from the University of Memphis Education Leadership and Policy Program and her doctorate from the University of California–Berkeley Policy, Organizations, Measurement, and Evaluation Program.
Gabriella Gomez
Gabriella Gomez is a senior education policy advisor with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor. She works for the Office of Congressman George Miller (D-CA). Her portfolio includes higher education and innovation. Most recently she was an assistant director with the American Federation of Teachers, covering higher education and competitive/innovation issues. Gomez's other experience includes working for Representative Ciro Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas, as well as fellowships with the Senate Education Committee and the House of Commons in England. Gomez earned her master's degree in education policy from Harvard University.
Socorro Herrera
Socorro Herrera serves as a professor of elementary education at Kansas State University and directs the Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy in the College of Education. Her K–12 teaching experience includes an emphasis on literacy development. Her research focuses on literacy opportunities with culturally and linguistically diverse children, reading strategies, and teacher preparation for diversity in the classroom. Dr. Herrera has recently published two books with Allyn and Bacon, Mastering ESL and Bilingual Methods: Differentiated Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (2005) and Assessment Accommodations for Classroom Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (2007). A third book titled Differentiated Literacies: Contextualizing Reading and Writing for the Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Student, written with Dr. Kathy Escamilla and Dr. Della Pérez, will be released in 2008.
Paul Kimmelman, Ed.D.
Paul Kimmelman, Ed.D, is senior advisor in the office of the CEO at Learning Point Associates He has served as consultant to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England and senior consultant to Project 2061 Professional Development Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He worked in K–12 education for more than 30 years as a teacher, assistant high school principal, middle school principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, and adjunct professor at several colleges and universities. In addition to his position at Learning Point Associates, he works at Argosy University as program coordinator for Organizational Leadership in the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences. As superintendent in Lima, Ohio, he worked to help the district successfully comply with a federal desegregation order. He served as president of the First in the World Consortium when he was a superintendent in Illinois. Dr. Kimmelman has authored numerous articles and publications on education and presented at national and state education meetings. He was appointed by former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley to the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century chaired by former Senator and astronaut John Glenn and served on the TIMSS Technical Review Panel. He also was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige to serve on the Teacher Assistance Corps and participated in the Teacher to Teacher project offering sessions on Building Teacher Leaders. Dr. Kimmelman earned his Ed.D. from the University of Toledo.
Sabrina Laine, Ph.D.
Sabrina Laine, Ph.D., is a chief program officer at Learning Point Associates and the director of the TQ Center funded by the U.S. Department of Education and a principal investigator for the Center for Educator Compensation Reform. Dr. Laine has a diverse background in educational policy research and teacher quality and has spearheaded efforts to contribute to policy research and resource development related to issues of teacher quality and quantity. Her work includes several published studies on teacher supply and demand, teacher professional development, alternative certification, teacher recruitment and retention, and teacher turnover. Dr. Laine is former chief officer for research and development at Learning Point Associates and former acting director of the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory ® (NCREL®)—the regional educational laboratory (REL) serving the Midwest. Dr. Laine is skilled in working closely and effectively with local, state, regional, and federal education agencies; sensitive to the challenges faced by educators in urban, rural, and low-performing schools; agile in establishing and sustaining collaborative relationships with other organizations; and efficient in managing both financial and human resources. She earned her doctorate in education leadership and policy studies from Indiana University.
Amy McIntosh
Amy McIntosh is the chief talent officer of the New York City Department of Education. In this role, she designs and implements strategies to recruit, develop, and retain effective teachers and principals across the system. McIntosh planned the pilot of what is now the Empowerment Schools organization and launched the Partnership for Teacher Excellence, a grant-funded initiative bringing together key stakeholders to develop improved models for preparing shortage area teachers to work in high-needs NYC schools. Prior to her work in education, McIntosh had a distinguished career in the private sector. Her prior leadership roles have included senior vice president, Dun and Bradstreet; CEO, Zagat Survey LLC; and a variety of senior management roles at Verizon and American Express. In addition, McIntosh served on the Board of Teach for America, New York City, from 1997 to 2004, including five years as chair. She earned her master's degree from Harvard University.
Susan Moore Johnson, Ed.D.
Susan Moore Johnson, Ed.D., studies and teaches about teacher policy, organizational change, and administrative practice. A former high-school teacher and administrator, she has a continuing research interest in the work of teachers and the reform of schools. She has studied the leadership of superintendents, the effects of collective bargaining on schools, the use of incentive pay plans for teachers, and the school as a context for adult work. Currently, Dr. Moore Johnson and a group of advanced doctoral students are engaged in a multiyear research study, The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers, which examines how best to recruit, support, and retain a strong teaching force in the next decade. The project, which is funded by several foundations, includes studies of hiring practices, alternative certification programs, new teachers' attitudes toward careers, and new teachers' experiences with colleagues. Dr. Moore Johnson served as academic dean of the Ed School from 1993 to 1999. She has taught in the school's summer institute programs for administrators and teachers since 1989. Dr. Moore Johnson earned her Ed.D. from Harvard University.
George "Pinky" Nelson, Ph.D.
George "Pinky" Nelson, Ph.D., is the director of science, mathematics, and technology education and professor of physics and astronomy at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. From 1996 to 2001, he was director of Project 2061 and a member of the senior staff of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. From 1989 to 1996, Dr. Nelson was associate vice provost for research and associate professor of astronomy and education at the University of Washington. From 1978 to 1989, he served as a NASA astronaut and flew as a mission specialist aboard three space shuttle flights. Dr. Nelson was the pilot of the first operational flight of the manned maneuvering unit. He also served on the crew of the Discovery flight in September 1989 immediately following the loss of the Challenger. He has advised NASA through service on a number of committees, most recently as chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Missions 3A and 3B External Independent Readiness Review Team. Dr. Nelson earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Washington.
Angela Penfold
Angela Penfold, a senior research associate at RMC Research Corporation, directs the Center on Instruction, one of five content centers within the Comprehensive Center program. The Center on Instruction supports the 16 regional comprehensive centers by providing research-based resources, professional development, and technical assistance in the areas of reading, mathematics, science, special education, and English language learning. Prior to joining the Center on Instruction, Penfold provided technical assistance to states in the implementation of Reading First and has worked on a variety of evaluation and other technical assistance projects. In addition, she completed a teacher education program in Japanese language instruction at The Japan Foundation's headquarters in Urawa, Japan. Penfold earned her M.Ed. from Harvard University.
Nancy Protheroe
Nancy Protheroe, a consultant working with projects for the Center on Innovation & Improvement (CII), is director of special research projects at Educational Research Service. She has managed the development and production of a variety of products intended to analyze and summarize research and practice on critical issues for use by school personnel and has authored more than 100 books, articles, and overviews of research. Her special interests include school-level and district-level efforts to improve student achievement, and she codirected one of the first studies of school district improvement efforts with Gordon Cawelti. Her work at CII has included writing for a CII-produced publication, Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement, which received a first place award in the publications competition of Division H of the American Educational Research Association. Currently, she is involved in an ongoing project in which CII is collaborating with the Virginia Department of Education, the Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center, and the Virginia Foundation for Educational Leadership to build capacity of school districts and schools using research-based information about effective practices. The model being developed, along with supporting resources, will be available for use by other comprehensive centers and the states with which they are working.
Dan Reschly, Ph.D.
Dan Reschly, Ph.D., is professor of education and psychology in Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, where he chaired the Department of Special Education from 1998 to 2006. From 1975 to 1998, Dr. Reschly directed the Iowa State University School Psychology Program. He has published on the topics of response to intervention, reduction of special education disproportionality, identification of disabilities (high incidence, minority issues), and policy issues in special education. He currently is the principal investigator for special needs for the TQ Center. Dr. Reschly has trained teachers, principals, and related services personnel in 27 states regarding implementation of the response to intervention process. He has been active in state and national leadership roles including president of the National Association of School Psychologists, editor of the School Psychology Review, chair of NASP Graduate Program Approval, president of the Society for the Study of School Psychology, and chair of the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs. Dr. Reschly served on the National Academy of Sciences Panels on Standards-Based Reform and the Education of Students With Disabilities and Minority Overrepresentation in Special Education. Dr. Reschly earned his doctoral degree from the University of Oregon.
Marguerite Roza, Ph.D.
Marguerite Roza, Ph.D., serves as a research associate professor with the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington. Dr. Roza's research focuses on education spending and productivity. Recent research has documented the real dollar implications of education policies once realized across schools within districts. Her calculations of dollar implications and cost-equivalent tradeoffs have prompted changes in education finance policy at all levels in the education system. Her work has been published by Education Sector, the Brookings Institution, Education Next, and the Peabody Journal of Education. She served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy teaching thermodynamics at the Naval Nuclear Power School. She has studied at the London School of Economics and the University of Amsterdam. Dr. Roza earned her Ph.D. in education from the University of Washington.
Ted Stilwill
Ted Stilwill is chief operating officer and chief program officer for state services at Learning Point Associates. As Iowa's director of education for nearly 10 years, Stilwill oversaw the development, passage, and implementation of landmark teacher quality and student achievement legislation that improved the salary and professional development support systems for Iowa teachers while maintaining strong accountability for increased student learning. Prior to becoming the state's chief state school officer, Stilwill served as the administrator of the Iowa Department of Education's Elementary and Secondary Education Division. His career also includes 18 years in various classroom and administrative positions at the school and district levels. Stilwill is a past president and former board member of several organizations including the Council of Chief State School Officers and Education Commission of the States. He is skilled in project management, staff supervision, problem solving, general management, public speaking, and consensus building. Stilwill earned his M.S. in teaching from Drake University.
Steven Sun
Steven Sun is a legislative aide to Representative Susan A. Davis (CA-53). He is the congresswoman's primary advisor on issues relating to education, labor, economy, taxes, poverty, welfare, children, mentoring, federal employees, and arts. Previously, Sun worked as a field organizer on Jill Derby's campaign for the second congressional district of Nevada for which he served as lead organizer in nine northern counties.
Susan Tave Zelman, Ph.D.
Susan Tave Zelman, Ph.D., works for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is former superintendent of public instruction with the Ohio Department of Education. During Tave Zelman's time as superintendent, national and state results showed that Ohio increased average student scores on state tests and empowered high school students to outperform national SAT and ACT averages. Previously, Dr. Tave Zelman served as deputy commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, worked for the Massachusetts Department of Education, and chaired the Department of Education at Emmanuel College in Boston. She holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Michigan.
John Tyler, Ed.D.
John Tyler, Ed.D., is on the faculty of Brown University where he brings the training and perspective of an applied microeconomist to a wide range of education policy questions. Much of his past work addressed the extent to which various education credentials and programs assist low-skilled individuals, such as dropouts, to navigate the information age economy, and he is considered one of the nation's experts on the economic benefits of the GED credential. More recently, Dr. Tyler has turned to teacher quality issues focusing on ways in which student test data can be combined with peer-based classroom observations to identify effective classroom teachers. Recently, he was named by the Council of Great City Schools as one of three Senior Urban Education Research Fellows in 2008 for his work examining the extent to which and how teachers use student performance data to inform their classroom practice. He earned his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1998.
Kirk Walters
Kirk Walters is a research analyst at the American Institutes for Research. In addition to serving as senior math specialist for the National High School Center, Walters is the task leader of professional development for the Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study, a large-scale randomized field trial supported by the Institute of Education Sciences. He also serves as the deputy evaluation director of the Pathways to Math Achievement Study and codirector of the evaluation of the Accelerated Algebra Project. Walters, a Ph.D. candidate in education policy studies, formerly taught middle and high school mathematics, was a department chair, and developed and delivered mathematics professional development. His dissertation focuses on the extent to which teachers utilize professional knowledge in the classroom.
Gretchen Weber
Gretchen Weber is a senior program associate who specializes in teacher quality and leadership at Learning Point Associates, provides expertise for teacher quality policy, publications, products, and technical assistance. Weber coordinates the technical assistance for the regional comprehensive centers, including the capacity-building events, such as issue forums and the annual conference. A skilled project manager, she has led the technical assistance and professional services efforts with school districts to assist them with meeting the highly qualified teacher provision of NCLB and improving their instructional leadership capacity-building abilities. Weber also leads the consultation and technical assistance services on induction and mentoring to multiple Illinois school districts and serves as a member of an Illinois policy team focused on induction and mentoring and has contributed to the writing of induction program standards for the state. She has worked with a wide range of student populations in both suburban and urban settings. Having served in a leadership capacity during her years teaching, Weber acted as a technology facilitator, mentor, and lead teacher to provide technical assistance and professional development to assist teachers in improving the implementation of technology and differentiated instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and other content areas. She has presented nationally and locally to deliver professional development to many audiences and is a National Board Certified teacher. Weber earned her master's of education in curriculum and instruction from National-Louis University.
Jane West, Ph.D.
Jane West, Ph.D., is senior vice president at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), where she directs the department of policy, programs, and professional issues. Dr. West brings more than 30 years of education and public policy experience to the organization as a former teacher, education administrator, PTA officer, researcher, and university faculty member. Dr. West served as senior policy analyst for the Presidential Commission on the HIV Epidemic under President Ronald Reagan and was staff director of the Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy under the leadership of Senator Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. of Connecticut. She has published several articles on education policy issues and edited two books. She served on the faculties of the University of San Francisco and Johns Hopkins University. Since joining AACTE, Dr. West has led the organization's effort to build a unified voice for educator preparation during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and NCLB policy deliberations. She orchestrates AACTE's annual "Day on the Hill," has initiated numerous advocacy activities with AACTE state chapters, and leads the effort to increase federal funding for educator preparation. Dr. West earned her master's degree from Columbia University and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.
Judy Wurtzel
Judy Wurtzel is codirector of the Education and Society program at The Aspen Institute. The program helps local, state, and national education leaders share knowledge about how school systems can improve the education and life chances of poor and minority students and works with them to create programs and policies to accomplish these goals. Current initiatives include the Aspen Senior Congressional Staff Network, the Aspen Urban Superintendents' Network and complementary Urban Literacy and Mathematics Leadership Networks, and a project on rethinking human capital in urban school districts. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Wurtzel served as executive director of the Learning First Alliance, a permanent partnership of 12 national education associations with more than 10 million members. In addition, Wurtzel served as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, working on a wide range of elementary and secondary education issues. Prior to her work in Washington, Wurtzel practiced law in New York City and taught English as a second language in a Moroccan high school. She currently serves on the boards of College Summit-National Capital Region and TeachFirst, Inc.
