Leadership

Dr. Daman Harris is an award-winning education leader focused on equity, instructional leadership, student advancement, and educator development.

As educators and leaders across the nation grapple with the challenge of changing policies, practices, and procedures to ensure high levels of learning for all students, the inability to effectively change the mindsets of colleagues, faculty, and staff is proving to be the biggest hurdle of all. Hence, in order for systems to change, outlooks will also need to change.

Hiawatha Smith, PhD, is an associate professor of literacy education. Prior to his work preparing educators to teach literacy, Hiawatha worked as a classroom teacher and an instructional coach.

Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought-after speaker and professional learning provider working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. He’s presented at national and international conferences and his writings have been featured in a variety of educational publications.

Sheline Miller is a high school vice principal and was the former learning coach for the Washington County School District in Utah, where she successfully worked with teachers and teams to help establish professional learning community practices.

Chris Weber is the principal of Oak Creek Elementary School in Irvine Unified School District, California. He earned his EdD from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has written books on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), Response to Intervention (RTI), behavior, and mathematics that have supported well over half a million educators.

Todd Whitaker, PhD, is a professor at Indiana State University. Recognized as a leading presenter in the fields of education and leadership, his message has resonated with over a million professionals around the world.

Dr. Tonya Balch is a professor in the Department of Applied Clinical and Educational Sciences in the Bayh College of Education at Indiana State University and has been the program coordinator for the School Counseling M.Ed. program for 15 years. She is passionate about ensuring excellence in graduate programming and providing authentic experiences in practice.

Melissa Dickson, EdM, is an outstanding presenter and educator. She is passionate about providing teachers with research-based ideas and strategies that they implement immediately. In her decades as an educator, Melissa has been a literacy coach, staff developer, site-based team leader, mentor teacher, inclusion teacher, classroom teacher, and early childhood teacher.

Rusty Taylor has been a professional educator since 1997, serving as a science teacher, middle school assistant principal, and principal at both the middle and high school levels.