Authors & Presenters

Katie Upshaw is a preschool special education teacher in the Metuchen School District in New Jersey. Additionally, she also serves as a union representative, chairs the school leadership team, and engages in district committees.

Jorge Valenzuela is a highly regarded performance and education coach, author, and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. He specializes in core instruction and is known for delivering quality professional training in team building, project-based learning, STEM pathways, and SEL integration throughout the curriculum.

Jonathan Weinstein, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with the Northport VA Medical Center in New York. He has served in various mental health and education roles and has adapted elements of contextual behavioral science to help teachers empower students.

Kelsee G. Young has been a special education preschool teacher at Moss School in Metuchen, New Jersey since 2020. Her educational philosophy is to create a warm and nurturing environment for her students to play, grow, and thrive, upholding compassion over compliance.