Authors & Presenters

Heather serves as the superintendent of schools in Fox Lake District 114 in the northern Illinois suburbs. Her work focuses on ensuring learning for ALL in schools.

Amy Gluck is assistant superintendent of teaching and learning in Grayslake CCSD 46 in Illinois. Her work focuses on ensuring all students achieve high levels of learning.

Tricia Graham is a passionate educator with more than 29 years of industry experience. She currently serves as director of student support services for Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona.

Suzanne Gruendling is an experienced principal in elementary and middle school education in Vermont. She has a passion for working with guiding coalitions and collaborative teams to find the best path forward.

Karen Johnson is the coordinator of Language Acquisition for the Pleasanton Unified School District Pleasanton, California. She is passionate about the topics of equity, inclusion, and ensuring high levels of learning for all students.

Brandon Jones, an author and consultant, works with educators to implement the Professional Learning Communities at Work® and RTI at Work™ processes. As a practitioner, he has served as a high school teacher and assistant principal, as well as a principal at the elementary, middle, and secondary level.

Education specialist Kristi S. Langley most recently served as a district-level director of professional learning communities and a director of data and assessment. She has repeatedly facilitated successful schoolwide implementation of the professional learning communities process for more than 25 years.

Dusti Larsen, MEd, currently serves as the alternative learning environment teacher focusing on behavior plans and social-emotional skills at Gravette Upper Elementary in northwest Arkansas. She is also the coordinator of math interventions.

Jill Lizier is a districtwide director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in Exeter, New Hampshire, and has previously served as an assistant principal and special education building coordinator, a curriculum coordinator for an elementary school, and first-grade teacher.

Paula Maeker is an educator, consultant, and advocate for learner-centered education. She has more than twenty-three years’ experience as an elementary teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, Title 1 program coordinator, campus administrator, director of elementary literacy, and director of instructional design.