Diversity & Equity

Kimberly Cullen is an education professional who has held a variety of teaching and leadership positions in an international school based in Madrid, Spain. She has also served international and independent K–12 schools as a coach.

Students do not put up walls to avoid relationships, but to see who cares enough to break the walls down. Research shows that building relationships with students increases engagement, motivation, test scores, and grade point averages while decreasing absenteeism, dropout rates, and discipline issues.

Shawn W. McCusker has 25 years of experience as a teacher and leader and is currently the director of professional learning at Digital Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the digital learning gap.

Yetunde Reeves, EdD, is principal of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Baltimore. She is committed to social justice education, and her passion is working with students of color and supporting first-generation college students.

Barbara K. Watterston, EdD, has held a number of school and executive leadership positions across Australia. Her national and international research, design of school and system leadership programs, coaching and speaking engagements emphasize the impact of high-quality leadership on student learning.

Daniel Russell Jr., EdD, is the coordinator of research and development and lead cultural and linguistic responsiveness (CLR) coach for the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning. There, he leads training and professional development and provides one-on-one coaching.

Barbara Boroson, LMSW, has been an autism educator for more than 25 years. As a clinical social worker, she specialized in working with students on the autism spectrum and went on to become a school administrator.

Amanda L. Yurick, PhD, is an associate professor in special education at Cleveland State University. She currently teaches graduate and undergraduate students pursuing licensure in special education and/or applied behavior analysis.

Michael Meechin is an award-winning educational leader, strategist, and thought partner. Currently, Michael supports schools and districts nationwide to move their work forward by breaking down systemic barriers to improvement.

Deborah Ricker is principal at Cedar Trails Exploration Center: Early Childhood in Kansas. She previously led Glenwood Ridge Elementary and has 19 years of experience as a school psychologist, serving early childhood through high school in both public and private school settings.