Professional Learning Communities

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.

Whitney K. Freije is an elementary school principal at A.F. Palmer Elementary, a Model PLC at Work® school in the Windsor Central School District, located in upstate New York. She specializes in empowering teachers with effective instructional practices to promote high levels of literacy and mathematics.

Barbara Phillips is an educational presenter and researcher from upstate New York with over 20 years of experience in public education. She specializes in effective instruction and leveraging teacher strengths to maximize student achievement and learning.

Katherine Gillies is the lead architect of districtwide literacy improvement at Niles North High School, D219, in Illinois. Her work includes building a comprehensive system of intervention and support for struggling readers and developing a research-based curriculum to ensure continued literacy growth for all students.

Maureen M. Rubenstein is a literacy coach and special education instructor in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She works with other literacy coaches to coordinate and implement book clubs, PD sessions, and coaching sessions.

Lisa May is an award-winning literacy coach at Kildeer Countryside School District 96, a Model PLC School District. With more than twenty years in the field of education, she has classroom experience ranging from kindergarten through fourth grade.

Kate Stavish is a middle school English teacher at Loudoun Country Day School in Leesburg, Virginia. A former assistant principal, she works with instructors from all divisions to build school and classroom culture and to implement disciplinary literacy for all students.

Renee Tristan is an English language arts content specialist for Tomball Independent School District in Northwest Houston, TX. As an instructional leader and literacy coach, her work focuses on the implementation of standards-aligned teaching and higher levels of literacy for all students.

Allison Zamarripa is an educator, consultant, and advocate for building capacity and collective efficacy with teachers. She has over fifteen years of experience as a middle school teacher, instructional coach, and district literacy specialist in a recognized Model Professional Learning Community at Work® district. She focuses on building capacity and efficacy through hands-on coaching.

With more than 30 years of experience in education, Tracy Nelson specializes in supporting districts, buildings, and teams in developing and implementing practices that bring clarity and focus to professional learning communities