Authors & Presenters

Sarah Ballew is the district mathematics coordinator for grades K-12 at Willis ISD in Texas. She specializes in helping instructional leaders at the elementary and secondary levels implement PLC processes that impact teaching and learning.

Dr. Karen Johannesen Brock has been an educator and educational presenter for more than three decades. She has assisted more than 100 schools (K–12) and districts with implementing school improvement plans. Her work with schools and districts focuses on instructional coaching and design as well as professional learning plans, school-improvement plans, English learners and multilingual students, and literacy.

Tim Brown is an internationally recognized presenter and practitioner who specializes in helping school leaders and teachers align their school improvement efforts across an entire campus and/or district.

Eric Burns is the principal at Lynn Lucas Middle School for Willis ISD in Willis, Texas. His focus is coaching collaborative teams through the PLC process and designing effective RTI systems to monitor student performance. He has received accolades including being named Hardy Elementary’s Teacher of the Year in 2012 and Willis Independent School District's Principal of the Year in 2020.

A skilled district and school administrator with more than 29 years of experience in public education, Amy Clark is passionate about school improvement, believing this is accomplished through a strong collaborative team and an unwavering commitment to learning for all.

Anne E. Conzemius, a trainer and coach, has served as director of employee development and training for Wisconsin’s Department of Employment Relations, and as assistant state superintendent at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Shawn Creswell, author and presenter, has over 25 years of experience in education and has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal of two campuses, and district director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. She is currently a school board member in her community.

Jerrod Dastrup is the principal at Arrowhead Elementary School in Santa Clara, Utah. He is passionate about the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process and specializes in motivating and supporting teachers and administrators in the areas of PLC, response to intervention (RTI), school culture, and data analysis.

Chad M. V. Dumas, EdD, focuses primarily on collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. An international educational presenter and award-winning researcher, he has led nationally recognized improvements for both students and staff.

Robert Eaker, EdD, is a professor emeritus at Middle Tennessee State University, where he also served as dean of the College of Education and interim vice president and provost.