Authors & Presenters

Stephanie Burdette has more than 24 years of experience as an educator. She has served in various roles as a classroom teacher and instructional coach. Stephanie is currently the elementary math specialist for Greenville County Schools in South Carolina.

Allyson J. Burnett is an author, a consultant, a facilitator, and a trainer specializing in developing a schoolwide interdisciplinary approach to meet the Common Core Standards for literacy at the secondary level.

Jennifer Burris, principal of Benton Intermediate School in Louisiana, has been working in education for over 20 years. She currently works with educators to implement proven practices to ensure high levels of student learning.

Debby Burton is a dedicated and passionate educator with 33 years of experience in mathematics education. She served on the district’s professional learning community (PLC) committee, playing a pivotal role in shaping educational practices at the district level.

Brian K. Butler is an educational presenter with over 30 years of experience who has worked with thousands of schools throughout the U.S.A., Australia, and Canada, presenting on the Professional Learning Communities at Work^® and Response to Intervention at Work^™ models. Brian is a retired principal who last served at Mason Crest Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia in 2017. Under Brian’s leadership, Mason Crest received Solution Tree’s first annual DuFour Award in 2016.

Jeff Byrnes is the current assistant superintendent for teaching and learning in the St. Helens School District in St. Helens, Oregon. With over 25 years of experience in education, Jeff specializes in the implementation of professional learning communities and multitiered systems of supports. He is certified to lead in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® and Response to Intervention (RTI) at Work™. He has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal in Arizona and Washington.

Bridget Cahill was a middle school teacher in Westminster Public Schools in Boulder, Colorado, before becoming a leader at the district level. There, she planned and implemented competency-based instruction in science, literacy, and English language development.

Dr. Margarita Espino Calderón, professor emerita at Johns Hopkins University, has worked on numerous research projects from 1990 to 2010 for JHU’s Center for Research on Education of Students Placed at Risk, Center for Data-Driven Reform, and Success for All Foundation.

David (Cal) Callaway, EdD, is the deputy head of school at the International Community School of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He has worked in international education since 1998 and has served as both a teacher and an administrator.

Gloria L. Canada, EdD, is the founder of Circles of Purpose, an educational consulting company whose work focuses primarily on school leadership, family engagement, and poverty awareness.