Authors & Presenters

Jane Ardell is a full-time Solution Tree associate with over 30 years of experience in education. She was most recently a director at Cartwright School District in Phoenix, Arizona, where she worked with teachers and administrators on instructional planning, assessment and intervention.

Kim Bailey is former director of professional development and instructional support for the Capistrano Unified School District in California. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University in California.

Dr. Anisa Baker-Busby was appointed principal of Shirley Hills Elementary in July 2022. She has over 20 years of educational experience serving as a teacher and administrator, and her passion is to help schools build systems of support that ensure high levels of learning for all students.

Taylor Barton, EdD, is a K–12 school leader in Atlanta, Georgia. He led his high-poverty school to achieve Model PLC at Work® status, and he currently leads a digital school, grades 3–12.

Dixon Brooks, PhD, has spent more than 30 years as an educator working to maximize learning opportunities for students, as well as district and school staff members, by leading cultural and systemic change processes that result in exceptional student achievement.

Tim Brown is an internationally recognized presenter and practitioner who specializes in helping school leaders and teachers align their school improvement efforts across an entire campus and/or district.

Dr. Molly Capps is a principal for Moore County Schools in Southern Pines, North Carolina. As an administrator, Dr. Capps has proven highly successful in school improvement, winning multiple state and national recognitions for exceeding growth.

As an author and a leader in the field, Sharon V. Kramer, PhD, emphasizes the importance of creating and using quality assessments as a continual part of the learning process. Dr. Kramer served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction of Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in Illinois.

Amanda Meadows, EdD, is a middle school resource specialist for Madison County School System in Huntsville, Alabama. She has supported the work of professional learning communities as a middle school instructional coach, assistant principal, and K–12 assessment specialist.

Maria Nielsen, educational speaker and author, specializes in supporting teachers and administrators in the areas of PLCs, RTI, school culture, curriculum design, the highly engaged classroom, and assessment systems. Her life’s work is to help schools build successful systems to ensure high levels of student learning.