Diversity & Equity

Gwendolyn Cartledge, PhD, is professor emerita at the Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology. Her professional research and writings have centered on the development of students with and without disabilities, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

Madeleine Rogin is a change leader for Ashoka’s Start Empathy Initiative and Changemaker Schools Network. An educator for more than 20 years, she is a kindergarten and dance teacher at Prospect Sierra School in California.

Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, PhD, is an educator, author, school leader, and international lecturer. She began her teaching career in a public K–8 school in Oakland, California, and currently serves as the executive director of Mizzou Academy.

Debra Lane, EdD, has been a teacher and administrator for more than 30 years in the United States and abroad. She has led several schools as principal, including Shanghai American School, one of the world's leading international schools.

Barbara Boroson, LMSW, has been an autism educator for more than 25 years. As a clinical social worker, she specialized in working with students on the autism spectrum and went on to become a school administrator.

Often schools overlook the greatest vehicle to positively transform school culture: student voice.

Amanda L. Yurick, PhD, is an associate professor in special education at Cleveland State University. She currently teaches graduate and undergraduate students pursuing licensure in special education and/or applied behavior analysis.

Kimberly Cullen is an education professional who has held a variety of teaching and leadership positions in an international school based in Madrid, Spain. She has also served international and independent K–12 schools as a coach.

Students do not put up walls to avoid relationships, but to see who cares enough to break the walls down. Research shows that building relationships with students increases engagement, motivation, test scores, and grade point averages while decreasing absenteeism, dropout rates, and discipline issues.

Liza A. Talusan, PhD, is a strategic partner in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. She is currently a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she teaches courses on anti-racist leadership and identity-conscious leadership skills.