Authors & Presenters

Paul C. Farmer is a practitioner who has worked at the classroom, building, and central office levels. As principal of Joyce Kilmer Middle School, Paul was one of the first principals in Fairfax County, Virginia, to build a PLC.

Paul Goldberg, EdD, is superintendent at East Prairie School District in Skokie, IL. He has led diverse, low-income schools to high levels of success.

Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan, EdD, works with US schools and districts to design and implement effective social-emotional and behavioral systems. Her expertise includes RTI, PLCs, MTSS, PBIS, restorative practices, social-emotional learning, and more.

Sascha Heckmann is the director of the American International School of Mozambique. Previously, he served as the high school principal at Shanghai American School, as well as a principal and vice-principal at several districts in California.

Karin K. Hess, EdD, the creator of the Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrices, is an internationally recognized speaker and leader in developing practical approaches for using cognitive rigor and learning progressions in assessments. Since 1998, Karin has been working in schools as an elementary and middle school principal, district curriculum director, and classroom teacher.

Sara Johnson is associate principal at Chisago Lakes High School in Lindstrom, Minnesota. She is also an adjunct professor teaching graduate classes on implementing response to intervention at St. Cloud State University.

Brandon Jones, an author and consultant, works with educators to implement the Professional Learning Communities at Work® and RTI at Work™ processes. As a practitioner, he has served as a high school teacher and assistant principal, as well as a principal at the elementary, middle, and secondary level.

Dennis King, EdD, has focused on school improvement throughout his career, first as a practicing school administrator and now as an educational presenter. His 28 years in education include teaching in an alternative school, an urban high school, and two suburban school districts where he also served as a district administrator.

Greg Kushnir is an educational leader and presenter with over three decades of dedicated service in public education, specializing in oral language, reading, and writing disabilities. He is committed to enhancing educational outcomes for all students.

David LaRose is an education coach and presenter specializing in PLCs, RTI, leadership, and organizational culture. He is former superintendent for Culver City Unified School District in California.