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Kimberly Radostits
2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year and 2023 National Teacher Finalist at Oregon Community Unit District 220Kimberly Radostits, a National Board Certified Teacher (world languages), is a Spanish teacher for eighth through 12th grade and teacher mentor at Oregon Community Unit District 220 in Oregon, Illinois. Her goal is to provide all students with a sense of community in a space where they feel safe and confident that they can excel.
In addition to teaching Spanish, Radostits leads a freshman mentoring program known as Hawks Take Flight, with the goal of keeping students on track for graduation in four years. The program utilizes an early warning system to identify students who are struggling in order to provide them with assistance upon their entrance to high school. This work extends beyond the classroom and is firmly rooted in building strong relationships with students and their families in order to give them access to the skills and support they need to be successful learners and community members. Additionally, Radostits co-directs a New Teacher Academy that provides support and consistent professional development to all new hires in her district to promote teacher retention and district connectedness.
Radostits was named an Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Emerging Leader in 2015. Since being named Illinois Teacher of the Year, Radostits has used her platform to connect with districts around the state, the Illinois State Board of Education and a variety of legislative stakeholders to advocate and raise awareness about the importance of on-track indicators statewide.
Radostits earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish language and literature from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Arts in educational leadership from Aurora University.
Chad Aldeman
Founder and Principal of Aldeman Education, LLC- Opening Keynote: Reframing the Narrative on the Teaching Profession
- Q and A with Chad Aldeman (keynote speaker)
Chad Aldeman is the Founder and Principal of Aldeman Education, LLC. He supports leading organizations working for dramatic improvements in K-12 education. He is a recognized national expert on education policy, including school finance; teacher compensation; and standards, assessment, and accountability. Chad has worked at the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, Bellwether Education, and the U.S. Department of Education. He has published reports on K-12 and higher education accountability systems; school choice; and teacher preparation, teacher evaluations, and teacher compensation. He served as the founding editor for TeacherPensions.org and ReadNotGuess.com. His work has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. Chad holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and a master’s of public policy degree from the College of William and Mary.
Dr. Lindsey Jensen
Executive Director for Educators Rising Illinois & Early Career Development Director of Illinois Education AssociationDr. Lindsey Jensen is the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, the 2020 NEA Foundation for Teaching Excellence Illinois Awardee, and Vice-President of the Illinois State Teachers of the Year. She has delivered over 100 keynotes across the country, and her work has been featured in IL-ASCD, Teach Plus, NEA Today, Education Post, and Flip the System US: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy. Her career in education spans 18 years, and she currently serves as the Executive Director for Educators Rising Illinois & the Early Career Development Director for the Illinois Education Association.
Street Jackson Band
Street Jackson Band
Dr. Wendy Adams
Director, Teach@Mines of Colorado School of Mines- Studies of STEM Teacher Recruitment – What works and what doesn’t
- University STEM Teacher Recruitment Efforts
Adams is the Director of Teach@Mines at the Colorado School of Mines, an APS Fellow, and co-recipient of the 2018 American Physical Society Excellence in Physics Education Award. A Physics Education Researcher by training, she earned her PhD. from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2007 under the guidance of Dr. Carl Wieman. Adams’ research focuses on formative assessment, curriculum design, and perceptions of the teaching profession. She is the author of the CLASS, which measures students’ perceptions of physics and how to learn physics; has done extensive work on problem solving evaluation; developed the interface design guidelines for the PhET Interactive Simulations; designed and developed several curricula including the Explore Sound project - K-14 materials for acoustics; and has recently developed the PTaP and PTaP.HE instruments (Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession) for students and for faculty in Higher Education, respectively. Currently Adams is the Principal Investigator on a 5-year NSF funded project, Get the Facts Out: Changing the conversation around STEM teacher recruitment.
Jimmy Adams
Executive Director of NASDTEC (National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification)Jimmy Adams worked in public education for 27 years serving as the Chief of Human Resources for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) in Louisville, Kentucky, the Executive Director for the Education Professional Standards Board for Kentucky and experience in Fayette, Woodford, and Jessamine counties included classroom teacher, technology resource teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of technology, director of secondary schools and assistant superintendent. He also served as an adjunct professor in two educator preparation programs in Kentucky. Jimmy received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky and did additional postgraduate work at Eastern Kentucky University. Most recently, Jimmy served as NASDTEC's Director of Member Engagement.
In addition to his work in the classroom and school leadership, Jimmy previously served on NASDTEC's Executive Board, the KY Center for Education and Workforce Statistics (KCEWS) Board, and the Committee for Mathematics Achievement in Kentucky. He is currently a member of the U.S. Department of Education’s Effective Educator Development (EED) Advisory Council.
Jimmy is a recipient of the University of Kentucky Department of Mathematics Sally E. Pence for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, the University of Kentucky Teacher Who Made a Difference Award, the Golden Apple Achiever Award from Ashland Oil, a two time recipient of the Joseph B. Whitehead Educator of Distinction Award for Exemplary Dedication to the Field of Education, recognized as a Friend of the Kentucky Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, and recipient of the Murray State University Dean’s Award for contributions to the teaching profession.
Dr. Jennifer Alexander
Director of Talent Development at Colonial School DistrictJennifer D. Alexander Ed.D is the Director of Talent Development for Colonial School District. Jennifer graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Elementary Education. She obtained her master's degree from Cheyney University and Doctorate in Education with a District Leadership concentration from Wilmington University. After teaching for the School District of Philadelphia for seven years, Jennifer joined the Colonial School District as a 6th grade teacher. Within two years, she was promoted to assistant principal and then moved on to become the principal of Colwyck Elementary School. After four years, she was moved to Pleasantville Elementary where she served as the building principal for nine years. During her time as an administrator at Pleasantville, Jennifer spent countless hours coaching teachers through the observation and feedback model and improving school climate through the use of Responsive Classroom practices. As the Director of Talent Development, Jennifer is a member of the District Leadership Council and focuses on the active recruitment and retention of educators. Outside of Colonial, Jennifer serves as an adjunct instructor at Wilmington University in the Doctoral Program. She tweets @JennAlexPLV.
Jana Anderson
Recruitment and Retention Coach at MSD Decatur TownshipJana is an E3+ Recruitment and Retention Project Coach for MSD of Decatur Township. Through the E3+ grant, she is providing support to 8 districts and 7 states around the country working with Human Resource Directors and Project Coaches. Prior to Jana’s current role, she was the principal for 10 years at the Gold Academy in MSD of Decatur Township in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In her 30 plus years in education, she has served as a sixth grade teacher and an instructional coach. Jana focuses on building relationships with students, staff, and families which creates a community-based approach to education.
Sherri Anderson
Director of Educator Preparation at Western Colorado UniversitySherri Anderson has been the Director of Educator Preparation at Western Colorado University since 2020. She oversees all aspects of licensure for the program and led the effort to launch the Adult Degree Completion + Teacher Licensure at Western. Sherri is a licensed secondary English teacher and holds a Master’s in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. She taught in rural schools for 15 years, where she served as an Language Arts Teacher and created the EL program at Gunnison High School.
Milan Aranda
National Student President at PDK International/Educators Rising
Jeannie Aversa
Executive Director of Recruitment, Selection and Retention at Syracuse City School District- Supporting and Retaining Educators of Color - Lessons from a Networked Improvement Community (NIC)
- Recruitment and Retention with Intention: Cultivating Talent From Multiple Generations
Jeannie has been serving as an educator for 34 years, working for NYS in the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, the Enlarged School District of Troy, and since 1996, in the Syracuse City School District. Previously as a teacher, building administrator, Director of Staff Effectiveness, and now Executive Director of Recruitment, Selection and Retention. Jeannie currently is responsible for all work around intentional recruiting and retaining staff, particularly those of Color to reflect the diversity of the student population. She has helped to create partnerships with various colleges and universities to build pipelines for career and promotional opportunities for staff. She has also managed several NYS and US Department of Education grants with Educational Partners through Insight Education Grant, Public Impact, and Education First to provide diversifying teacher leader positions and building leadership capacity from within. Jeannie has been a recent past board member for the SCSD Educational Foundation, SCSD Together We Can (initiative for faith-based communities to provide support within the schools) and is currently a member/mentor of the Fellowship of Women Christian Athletes and Links, Inc. Jeannie serves as an Adjunct Professor at LeMoyne College in the Educational Leadership Program. She is active in the Syracuse community at large and enjoys spending time with her family (Mom and 6 siblings) and Blessings, (Nicholas, Paul, Sam) attending Syracuse University sporting events, watching sunrises/sunsets, traveling and enjoying nature. Jeannie loves to laugh and have fun with the special people she has in her life.
Allie Bogus
Senior Product Portfolio Manager for Education at Emerson CollectiveAs the senior product portfolio manager for education at Emerson Collective, Allie works closely with technologists, experts, and practitioners to identify tech and data opportunities to move the field forward. In particular, she is focused on using technology as a lever to drive a robust and resilient teacher workforce.
A product manager by trade, Allie has over a decade of experience in educational product development. Prior to joining Emerson, Allie was the Group Product Manager at Understood.org, a resource for individuals with learning disabilities, where she built and executed their web-based product strategy. She also spent five years at K-12 ed-tech builder Amplify Education and is particularly proud of leading their early work towards accessibility. Allie holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University and a Master of Education in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Jose Carrillo
Membership Development Associate at PDK International/Educators RisingWith a passion for uplifting student voices, Jose Carrillo oversees the development of the Educators Rising national student leaders at PDK International. Jose has been involved with Educators Rising as a prior national student officer and now as a staff member. He holds a bachelor's degree from Texas State University and hopes to continue inspiring students to lead through teaching.
Jillian DiBonaventura
Director of Teacher Preparation at Worcester Polytechnic InstituteJillian DiBonaventura, Director of Teacher Preparation at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a former music teacher turned middle school science teacher. After teaching science for 10 years, she redirected her focus on teacher preparation.
Dr. Sarah Dyess
Associate Professor, College of Education at The University of Alabama in HuntsvilleDr. Sarah Dyess is an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Her research interests are in teacher preparation and mentoring practices, and research-based instructional strategies for teaching mathematics and STEM education. She is a Get the Facts Out (GFO) champion, and uses GFO materials to recruit high school students to her university’s teacher preparation programs.
Dr. Kelvin Edwards
Division Superintendent at Greensville County Public Schools
Nicola Fleischer
Executive Director & Co-Founder of edwellAn educator and a life-long learner, Nicola is driven by her passion for diversity and equity in schools, workplace wellbeing, and unlocking potential in the people around her. Nicola believes healthier, happier school communities are possible when we support the whole educator and the whole child. She deeply believes that emotions matter and drive our behaviors at work and as learners. Nicola began her career as an elementary educator and spent 8 years teaching and coaching teachers before launching edwell.
JF
Jorge Fuller
Recruitment and Retention Coordinator at Teachers Like Me
Chris Gearlds
E3+ Project Director of MSD Decatur TownshipChris Gearlds is the E3+ Project Director for MSD of Decatur Township that oversees the implementation of the Teacher School Leader Grant from the US Department of Education. The grant supports teachers and students across 8 districts and 7 states around the country. Prior to his current role, he was the Director of Human Resources for MSD of Decatur Township in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In his 19 plus years in education, Mr. Gearlds served as a middle school teacher, an assistant principal, and a principal for three schools. He is an outside-the-box leader that encourages staff members to bring their energy daily as they make a positive impact on the leaders of tomorrow.
Mr. Gearlds holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, a master’s degree in education administration from Butler University, and an Education Specialist degree from Indiana State University.
He is married to his beautiful wife, Wendy and has two children, Oliver (17) and Estelle (14). He resides in Fountaintown, Indiana.
Dr. Dan Goldhaber
Director, CALDER of American Institutes for ResearchDr. Dan Goldhaber is the Director of the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) at the American Institutes for Research and the Director of the Center for Education Data & Research (CEDR) at the University of Washington. Both CALDER and CEDR are focused on using state administrative data to do research that informs decisions about policy and practice.
Dan’s work focuses on issues of educational productivity and reform at the K-12 level, the broad array of human capital policies that influence the composition, distribution, and quality of teachers in the workforce, and connections between students' K-12 experiences and postsecondary outcomes. Topics of published work in this area include studies of the stability of value-added measures of teachers, the effects of teacher qualifications and quality on student achievement, and the impact of teacher pay structure and licensure on the teacher labor market.
Dan’s research has been regularly published in leading peer-reviewed economic and education journals such as: American Economic Review, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Policy and Management, Economics of Education Review, Education Finance and Policy, and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. The findings from these articles have been covered in more widely accessible media outlets such as National Public Radio, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, and Education Week. Dan previously served as president of the Association for Education Finance and Policy (2006-2017), an elected member of the Alexandria City School Board from 1997-2002, and as co-editor of Education Finance and Policy.
Lucia "Lucy" Grande
Research Associate at Colorado School of Mines- STEM Teacher Recruitment Resources – Customizable and Proven
- Studies of STEM Teacher Recruitment – What works and what doesn’t
Lucia is a Research Associate at the Colorado School of Mines working with both the Get the Facts Out Project and Teach@Mines. Lucy earned her degree in Computer Science at Mines where she also took teacher preparation courses and spent time teaching coding to elementary students - 4th grade is her favorite age group. Lucy conducts research on student perceptions of teaching as a profession and specializes in helping faculty build effective recruitment strategies for their institution's STEM teacher preparation programs.
Susan Hester
Director of University of West Alabama
Ann Hlabangana-Clay
Education Associate, Educator Equity & Recruitment at Delaware Department of EducationAnn Hlabangana-Clay is Delaware Department of Education's Education Associate for Educator Equity & Recruitment. She serves in the Office of Educator Excellence where she is leading the work to develop sustainable and equitable frameworks, opportunities, and partnerships through Delaware’s first Grow Your Own Grant, Delaware’s first Registered Apprenticeship for Teaching, Delaware’s First Educator Recruitment Plan Self-Study and is continuing the work around Residency Hubs and Strategic Staffing.
Ann has 28 years of elementary, secondary and college-prep teaching, coaching and leadership experience in Pennsylvania and Delaware where she enjoyed being a teacher, an instructional coach, a lead mentor, and an administrator.
Ann leads to leave a legacy of providing equitable opportunities for every learner by building relationships, capacity and resilience - one educator at a time. She relishes sharing her work as a panelist, presenter and author while empowering others to lead.
Ann is a contributing author to the January/February and March/April 2023 issues, of Principal Magazine, the spring 2021 release of No-Nonsense Things that All Teachers Should STOP Doing (Rick Jetter, Ph.D.), and to Mathematical Reasoning for Elementary Teachers, edition No. 7 (Pearson Publishing, DeTemple, Millman 2014). She recently endorsed the August 2022 release of The Labyrinth of Leadership: Navigating Your Way Through the Maze compiled by Frederick D. White Ed.D. and Jami Fowler-White. In addition, Ann is host of Coaching You Through All Things Education podcast where she aspires to make an even greater impact through leadership to increase the success of Delaware students and the educators who teach them.
Dr. Amy Holcombe
Dean at High Point UniversityDr. Amy Holcombe is Dean of the Stout School of Education at High Point University. Prior to her role at HPU, she served in K-12 public education for 25 years as a teacher, principal, and in multiple executive leadership roles. Dr. Holcombe has been a featured keynote, speaker and panelist for National Public Radio, Capitol Hill senate briefings, the Carnegie Foundation, the National Press Club, the Large District Superintendents’ Consortium, the Governor Jim Holshouser Legislators Retreat, the Legislative Task Force on Teacher and School Administrator Effectiveness and Compensation, and The Education Trust. In 2006, she hosted President Bush and Secretary Spellings at her school to launch the renewal of No Child Left Behind. Holcombe has published and presented nationally on the topics of teacher effectiveness, performance-based compensation, human capital management, alternative certification, and education leadership.
Dr. Holcombe holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from UNCG, a Masters in School Administration from NC A&T, an M.Ed. in English from UNCG, and a B.A. in English from Sonoma State University.
Dr. April Holton
Clinical Assistant Professor at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State UniversityDr. Holton has a diverse background in education. She began teaching middle school in 1994. During her nearly 30 years in public education, she taught all middle school core contents, fourth grade, and gifted. She has served as an instructional coach, new teacher mentor, science curriculum specialists, and technology integration specialist. In 2017, she returned to higher education to pursue a PhD and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University leading the ASU Teaching Fellows development, roll out, and implementation. Dr. Holton is passionate about bridging the gap between research and practice. She enjoys working alongside teachers and preservice teachers to support student-centered teaching and learning.
Michelle Kemp
Founder + Consultant of MK Consulting Group LLCMichelle is the Founder & Consultant for MK Consulting Group LLC with 14+ years of experience leading human capital initiatives for organizations with a primary focus on diversity recruitment and retention. Her goal is to support schools and organizations in creating equitable workspaces that see all leaders, especially BIPOC, for their unique talents and life experiences as a culture add to propel their mission. Before launching her firm in 2019, Michelle led recruitment, human resources, and community engagement for ReGeneration Schools, Academy for Urban School Leadership, Comer Science & Education Foundation, and Kendall College. Michelle received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication at Northern Illinois University, a Master’s in Business Administration in Project Management at Walden University, a Certificate in Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Northwestern University, and a Certified MBTI Practitioner. She’s a 2023 Chicago Urban League IMPACT Leadership Fellow, Surge Institute Fellow, Associate Board Member for Golden Apple Foundation, Secretary for South Oakwood Brookhaven Community Block Club, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Michelle resides in Chicago, IL, with her son. Learn more about MK Consulting Group at https://www.mkconsultinggroup.com/.
Jennifer Kral
Director of Alternative Licensure at Fort Morgan School DistrictJennifer Kral, educator for more than 20 years, has worn several hats in the education field. She started her career teaching in the middle school classroom, eventually moved into the principal role for several years before accepting a position at the Colorado Department of Education where she oversaw all the educator preparation programs across the state. Most recently her passion has led her back to the district level where she is the Director for the alternative licensure program in a rural school district. As a parent of three elementary kids, it’s important to her that with the teacher shortage crisis, districts are allowed to grow their own teachers using a variety of pathways to licensure. In her spare time she developed Educator Pathway Consulting where she supports individuals, schools and districts, and universities, both in state and out of state, in building teacher pipelines and pathways into the classroom.
Katie Kremer
Lead Teacher for Recruiting and Mentoring at Colonial School DistrictKatie Kremer is the Lead Teacher for Recruitment and Mentoring in the Colonial School District. Katie graduated from the University of Delaware in 2011 and immediately started teaching as a Spanish teacher at William Penn High School in the Colonial School District. During her time as a teacher, Katie served on a number of committees and in different roles such as Student Council advisor and a leader on the Delaware Council of World Language Educators. Katie later obtained her Master’s in Teacher Leadership from University of Delaware.
After 7 years in the classroom, Katie transitioned to her current role. She works closely with candidates, building and district leaders and IHEs to build and sustain a year long recruitment system. Katie leads the school level Onboarding Teams, serves as mentoring site coordinator and is a co-chair on the district equity committee as well as many other roles. Katie loves the partnerships Colonial has formed with local IHEs to solve the teacher shortage in innovative and collaborative ways.
Dawson Lang
Research Associate at Colorado School of Mines- STEM Teacher Recruitment Resources – Customizable and Proven
- Studies of STEM Teacher Recruitment – What works and what doesn’t
Dawson Lang is a high school math teacher and a Research Associate at the Colorado School of Mines with the Get the Facts Out Project and Teach@Mines. Dawson is a Colorado native growing up in farm country. He earned his BS in Physics from Colorado School of Mines. As an undergraduate he was a Teach@Mines Fellow for four years helping both T@M and GFO with recruiting efforts. Dawson is now a math teacher, physics teacher, softball coach, and volleyball coach in the Denver area and remains very active with Get the Facts Out traveling to various venues in the U.S. to share GFO resources with others.
Dr. Brian Lawler
Director and Associate Professor, Center for STEM Education Research and Math Education of Kennesaw State UniversityDr. Lawler's scholarship focuses on equity issues in mathematics education; in particular, the ways in which power and knowledge intertwine to govern the learner's mathematical identity. His core research examines the personal epistemologies of adolescent mathematicians: Do high school maths students see themselves as mathematical authors? This interest leads him to seek to understand the ways that students make sense of the school, classroom, and teacher contexts, and how these knowings interact with their mathematical identities.
During his 25+ year career as a mathematics educator, he has supported teachers, schools, and districts to de-track mathematics programs and transform teaching practices. He is a contributing author to the internationally acclaimed high school mathematics curriculum Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP).
His current research projects (district change and community organizing) focus upon how schools and districts transform their mathematics instruction to foreground student ways of thinking (inventions) against the backdrop of high-stakes education.
"One [can] teach without reinforcing existing systems of domination." (bell hooks, 1994)
Dr. Jean Lee
Professor at University of IndianapolisDr. Jean Lee is a professor at University of Indianapolis and has been teaching in academia for 13 years. She teaches students who want to be future elementary and secondary mathematics teachers. Her work also involves recruiting and retaining STEM teachers using Get the Facts Out (GFO) materials and is the Chair of the AMTE GFO Task Force.
Pete Leida
Partnership Manager at Insight Education Group- Supporting and Retaining Educators of Color - Lessons from a Networked Improvement Community (NIC)
- Reaching The Educator Workforce - Branding and Marketing Your District
- Recruitment and Retention with Intention: Cultivating Talent From Multiple Generations
Pete Leida is a Partnership Manager with Insight Education Group where he works with districts across the country to solve some of their biggest challenges in the area of Recruitment and Retention. He graduated from the University of Delaware and immediately launched into his elementary and special education teaching career in Colonial. He later earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Wilmington University and began his administrative career working as an elementary assistant and principal in 3 different schools over 11 years. Dr. Leida began in the role of Director of Elementary Schools in Summer 2012, where he focused on leadership development, support, and evaluation of school leaders. He held a variety of responsibilities and chaired or co-chaired several district committees and workgroups. He was responsible for the successful implementation of the Empowering Educators to Excel (E3) grant and the various projects associated with the grant. Dr. Leida was promoted to Deputy Superintendent, while still coordinating the E3 grant, he was also responsible for supporting the work of the Curriculum and Instruction and Schools Divisions. Additionally, he facilitated the development of the Colonial Strategic Plan and the district equity team. Outside of Colonial, Dr. Leida serves as an adjunct instructor at Wilmington University in the Master’s and Doctoral Programs.
Dr. Carlyn Ludlow
Associate Division Director of Undergraduate Programs at AaeeMary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State UniversityCarlyn Ludlow received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Pepperdine University, her Master's Degree from Chapman University, and her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Arizona. During her tenure in education, she has been a classroom teacher, an associate professor and program chair, an assistant dean, and a research/curriculum consultant for schools, businesses, and government agencies. She has been recognized by districts, state agencies, and private corporations for her research, publications, and presentations in these areas, including twice being honored as a university faculty member of the year and once being honored with the university distinguished contribution award. Since joining the faculty team at Arizona State University, Dr. Ludlow successfully led the Teachers College implementation of the LEAD (Learn, Explore, Advance, Design) project, the redesign of the lower division curriculum, the conception and implementation of learning community cohorts for first and second-year teacher education students, and is currently spearheading the curricular and structural redesign of the undergraduate teacher preparation programs. Dr. Ludlow's teaching interests include multiculturalism and social justice for teacher candidates, and the impacts of our nation’s historical, political, and ideological underpinnings on today’s education systems. Her leadership and research interests include first-year student success, preservice teacher support and retention, and teacher preparation and certification. Her service interests include mentoring students and novice faculty, and designing and implementing co-curricular program supports.
Michael McCarthy
Chief of Schools at Distinctive Schools NetworkMike McCarthy builds, improves, and scales support systems for students, families, and staff through innovative models of public education. Initially trained as a mental health professional and school counselor, Mike brings therapeutic expertise and a strength-based approach to his relationship-centered work. He has served in roles that touch all aspects of program management in organizations from Baltimore, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and most recently, Detroit. His work transcends student services to strategy development to local resourcing to day-to-day performance, with a special focus on SEL and school culture. As the former Executive Director of Student Support Services and Director of School Culture for Distinctive Schools, Mike continually championed the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work to support diverse talent across leadership, staff, and partners. Mike is passionate about cultivating and reflecting optimal representation and - as importantly - bringing diverse perspectives together to support school missions, programs, and communities.
Micaela McDade
Senior Design Principal at Education ElementsMicaela McDade is currently a Senior Design Principal with Education Elements. A career educator, Micaela taught high school English, was a campus administrator/coach, and later became a District Instructional Coach with Dallas Independent School District in Texas. As a district coach, she supported over 14 campus principals and assistant principals with hiring practices, instructional leadership, and capacity building. Micaela has a Master's Degree in Instructional Leadership and believes that the way that talent is retained is equally as important as recruitment. Micaela believes that schools grow when people grow and has spent the last eight years supporting campus and district leaders with program redesign and improvement.
Maya Moneze
PDK International/Educators RisingMaya Moneze is a senior at West Aurora High School in West Aurora, Illinois. Maya is currently serving as the Educators Rising Illinois State President. Maya plans to take her Educators Rising experience and apply her skills and knowledge in the area of special education and eventually transition into an administrative role in the future.
Erin Mote
Executive Director of InnovateEDUErin Mote is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of InnovateEDU. In this role, Erin leads the organization and its major projects including technology product development, work on data interoperability and data systems, and an urban education Fellowship for new educators. She leads the organization’s work on creating uncommon alliances to create systems change - in special education, talent development, and data modernization. An enterprise architect, she created, alongside her team, two of InnovateEDU’s signature technology products - Cortex, a next-generation personalized learning platform, and Landing Zone - a cutting-edge infrastructure as a service data product.
Dr. Tommy Nalls
Director of Recruitment at Jackson Public School DistrictDr. Tommy Nalls, Jr. is originally from Greenville, Mississippi. He attended Tougaloo College where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. After graduation, Dr. Nalls joined the Jackson Public School District as an alternate route Biology teacher where he served for several years. While there, he obtained his Master’s and his Specialist’s Degrees from Mississippi College. Soon after, Dr. Nalls served as an administrator in JPS. During that time, Dr. Nalls obtained his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction. Currently he serves as the Director of Recruitment in JPS.
Karyn O'Neill
Supervisor of Recruitment at Loudoun County Public SchoolsKaryn is currently in her second year as the Supervisor of Recruitment for Loudoun County Public Schools. Prior to her time as a Supervisor, Karyn served as a science teacher, dean, and assistant principal. She has worked in LCPS for a total of 15 years, supporting bringing top, diverse talent, in her varying roles. Karyn earned her B.S. in Biology and Master’s in the Art of Teaching from James Madison University, as well as a Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision from Shenandoah University.
Robert "Bob" Phillips
HRTD Director of Recruiting at Loudoun County Public SchoolsBob is currently in his fifth year as the Director of Recruiting, School-based Staffing and Substitutes for Loudoun County Public Schools. Before that he was a special education teacher and coach, assistant principal and principal in both New Jersey and Virginia, with nearly all experiences in the middle school. He worked in LCPS since 2010, and has overseen the substantial growth of the number of licensed educators since that time. He has a B.A. in Economics from Penn State, a Master's in Special Education from George Washington and an Education Specialist Degree in Leadership from Virginia Tech.
Sara Reynolds
Coordinator of Clinical Experiences at University of West Alabama
Dr. Lisa Rollins
National Director of Outreach and Engagement at PDK International/Educators RisingWith a Doctorate in Education from Grand Canyon University, Lisa spent almost 10 years as a CTE teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences Department Chair, teaching ECE and Education Professions, and worked to create the curriculum and implementation of the Teacher Academy of Maryland. Dr. Rollins was faculty and served as a teacher recruiter at Ball State University and then worked at the Arizona Department of Education as the Education and Training Program Specialist as well as the State Adviser for Educators Rising Arizona for five years. She is currently the National Director of Outreach and Engagement for PDK/Educators Rising. She is an advocate of the recruitment and retention of highly effective teachers.
In her spare time, Lisa enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and attending sporting events, concerts, and comedy shows.
Whitney Rosetti
Executive Director of Talent at Distinctive SchoolsWhitney is celebrating her 10th year with Distinctive Schools leading the Talent/ Human Resources Department. As the Executive Director of Talent at Distinctive Schools, Whitney has the privilege of leading and shaping the human resources strategy of a dynamic and innovative educational organization. With over 20 years of HR experience, ranging from high volume recruitment to corporate training, Whitney's philosophy is rooted in the belief that investing in human capital is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Whitney is instrumental in developing and executing a comprehensive talent strategy designed to attract and retain top-tier educational professionals.
Dr. Robin Smith
Associate Director FSU-TEACH of Florida State UniversityRobin Smith is the Associate Director of FSU-TEACH at Florida State University. In this role for the past 15 years, Robin is responsible for recruitment and retention as well as program and course development. She earned her PhD in Educational Policy and Evaluation.
Rohit Tandon
Principal at edBridge PartnersRohit Tandon is a Principal with edBridge Partners, LLC, a mission-driven education management consultancy founded in 2013 that helps education leaders achieve their goals, tackle big challenges and realize their visions for the organizations they lead. A proven leader in developing and implementing innovative strategic initiatives, Rohit has over 25 years experience working within the education, financial, digital and non-profit fields. He has led major operational and strategic initiatives for systems of public higher education, membership associations, education institutions, as well as philanthropies and foundations. Rohit received an MBA in International Management, with honors, from Fordham University and a B.S. in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is an active, licensed member of the Project Management Institute and is professionally certified in program and project management.
Karen Taylor-Riddick
Executive Director of Human Resources at Greensville County Public SchoolsKaren Taylor-Riddick, an educator for 25 years in various capacities from classroom teacher to Central office administrator in Virginia and North Carolina. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Human Resources for Greensville County Public Schools in Emporia, VA, where she was instrumental for the creation of a Coordinator of New Teacher Support position and the development of a Comprehensive New Teacher Support Program for GCPS. Mrs. Riddick is has been a member of AAEE since 2018 and served on the Board of Directors for K-12 Membership for 2 years.
Andrea Thomas-Reynolds
Senior Vice President at Insight Education GroupAndrea Thomas-Reynolds is senior vice president for Insight Education Group, a diverse team of experienced practitioners who have served at all levels as state, district, school and classroom leaders. With over 250,000 educators impacted, Insight Education Group brings large-scale change by reflecting and applying lessons learned alongside our partners to shape educational systems that are truly equitable for all learners.
Andrea serves as the project director of two Teacher School Leader grants awarded from the United States Department of Education (USDOE) Educator Effectiveness Division. She is also a certified executive coach who specializes in support to district school leaders and executives of non-profit and start-up organizations.
As a former chief executive officer of two charter management organizations and leader of several non-profit and national educational organizations, Andrea developed a consultative approach to working with school leaders and staff that contributed to growth in student achievement and staff effectiveness. Today, several of these staff members are now in various leadership roles as principals, district leaders, charter school executives, and superintendents.
Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola University of New Orleans, and a master’s degree in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire University. She earned her Ed.D. in the Mid-Career Doctorate Program at the University of Pennsylvania in educational leadership and organizational management.
Bonnie Toffoli
Director Talent Acquisition and HR Programs of Orange County Public SchoolsBonnie Toffoli holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida and Master's in Educational Leadership from Stetson University. As the Director for Talent Acquisition and Human Resources Compliance for Orange County Public Schools, Bonnie focuses on on-boarding processes, recruiting initiatives and building relationships with instructional candidates at universities and colleges. Bonnie has served the Florida school districts for over 25 years as a teacher, learning resource specialist, district resource teacher, administrator and she has led mentoring programs at both school and district levels. Bonnie was the administrator of the Professional Development Certification Program where she successfully supported 600+ teachers transitioning from other careers into education. In 2019 Bonnie was a member of the AAEE Conference Planning Committee, additionally she served as the AAEE State Representative for Florida through December of 2020 when she proudly accepted a her new role as the Southeast Regional Coordinator. Bonnie lives in Central Florida with her husband; she has two daughters and two grandchildren. Bonnie enjoys spending time with her family, supporting the community and traveling to new destinations.
Maureen Tracey-Mooney
Senior Advisor at U.S. Department of EducationMaureen Tracey-Mooney worked on the domestic policy team on the Biden-Harris Transition and supported the development of President Biden’s PK-12 agenda. Previously, she worked on President Obama’s campaign and transition. She served as then-Vice President Biden’s Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor in the first term of the Obama-Biden Administration, working on education, labor and other issues. In that role she supported the development of the Obama-Biden Administration’s successful Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge and President Obama’s Preschool for All plan. She left the Vice President’s office to earn her MPA from Princeton University and transition to local education work. Immediately before joining the transition she worked for the Newark Board of Education in New Jersey, where her work focused on the development of new teachers.
Theresa West
Leadership Coach at Upbeat- National Working Group on Teacher Retention Pre-Conference Gathering
- Cutting Through the Noise: Data on Teacher Retention & the Decisions that Keep Them
Dr. Theresa West brings extensive experience to the table including teaching elementary, middle, and high school, and serving leadership roles at each level, including her work as principal in turning around two elementary schools and working as a director in Fairfax County Public Schools where she worked with her Assistant Superintendent in supporting and evaluating 27 schools. She is passionate about coaching school leaders. She completed her leadership coaching program at Georgetown University and has earned a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. By building on the positive and listening to school leaders, she provides support as leaders focus on strategic planning, building creative and welcoming cultures with a focus on student learning.
Dr. Boyce Williams
Dean at Frostburg State UniversityDr. Boyce C. Williams has served as the Dean or of the College of Education at Frostburg State University since 2020, and previously served as the interim dean since 2017. Williams has a broad background in higher education and related fields. In addition to her last two and a half years as interim dean for Frostburg, she worked in teacher education programs at Elizabeth City State University, part of the University of North Carolina system, and at a university in the United Arab Emirates. She was a vice president for the teacher education accrediting body NCATE (now CAEP), and has experience on both sides of the accrediting process. She worked in education policy matters on Capitol Hill and in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, was senior vice president and chief of staff at the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and president and CEO of the National Alliance for Learning, Inc., a higher education consulting agency. She also worked in public school administration in East Lansing, Mich. A recipient of eight honorary doctorate degrees, Williams earned her bachelor’s in English education from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, a master’s in urban counseling from Michigan State University and her doctorate in counseling psychology from Michigan State University.
Dr. Jeff Williams
Professor of Physics at Bridgewater State UniversityDr. Williams, along with Teacher in Residence, Allison Daubert, are fellows with the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) working on improving the quality and quantity of physics teachers graduated by BSU in order to address the nationwide shortage of high school physics teachers. Dr. Williams and Prof. Daubert have grant funding from PhysTEC in order to recruit and train future physics teachers. Dr. Williams’ research focus is on increasing the recruitment of future physics teachers from various avenues including from community colleges and on improving the pedagogical content knowledge of future physics teachers.
Angela Wimberly
Director of Recruitment and Retention at Roanoke City Public SchoolsAngela Wimberly is the Director of Recruitment and Retention for Roanoke City Public Schools. A highly accomplished education professional with more than 25 years of experience, Angela has served in a variety of roles, including 13 years as a reading specialist, 6 years as an elementary teacher, and 3 years as a District Literacy Specialist.
In addition to her extensive experience in the classroom, Angela has also held several leadership positions in the field of human resources, including her current position and Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention. She has demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of attracting and retaining top talent in education.
Angela holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from West Virginia State University, as well as a certificate from Lamar University in Educational Leadership and Administration/Principalship. She is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society and Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators.
Her commitment to education is further demonstrated through her involvement in the community. She served for 3 years on the Youth Services Citizen Board for the City of Roanoke, VA, 27 years in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, 4 years in Jack and Jill of America Incorporated, and has worked as an Assessment Consultant for the Virginia Department of Education.
Kimberly Wood
Senior Manager, Instructional Recruiting and HR Programs at Orange County Public SchoolsKimberly Wood holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and two Master’s degrees in Instructional Media and Design and Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. Kimberly is the Senior Manager of Instructional Recruitment and HR Programs for Orange County Public Schools. In this role, Kimberly works with recruiting initiatives and grow your own programs, internships and partnerships with universities, and building relationships with instructional candidates. Kimberly has worked for OCPS for over 24 years with roles including teacher, media specialist, school based and district coach/mentor, and administrator. Kimberly lives in Central Florida with her husband; she has two daughters and two sons. Kimberly enjoys time with her family, vacations, reading, and volunteering.
