Instruction

Jennifer Parker, EdD, is an instructional technology and school data advisor for Macomb Intermediate School District and adjunct faculty member for Central Michigan University. Co-creator of the 21things4 Project, she’s a leader in connecting standards and educational technology.

Closing student achievement gaps requires specific actions focused on acceleration and leveling up strategies to achieve grade-level proficiency or beyond. Acceleration is the pathway; we cannot continue to go backward if our goal is to move forward. Discover how to erase inequities in student learning while building hope and confidence in both teachers and students. This is equity in action.

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, EdD, is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat for learning.

Randy Ross has over 50 years of experience as a writer, teacher, administrator, coach, and facilitator of dialogue and professional learning. She has worked with community, school, district, and state education leaders for nearly 30 years.

Nathaniel Hansford has taught every grade from preK to 12 in many interesting and diverse locations—from South Korea to the subarctic of Quebec. He specializes in using meta-analysis research to help teachers implement proven methodologies.

Attendees will learn practical ways to involve multiple stakeholders in developing a productive and celebratory reading culture in schools and classrooms.

Erin is a high school and continuing education teacher, curriculum writer, video producer, co-founder of PBL Path, and national project-based learning consultant and coach. Erin finds great meaning in guiding leaders’ and teachers’ identity and equity journeys, building assessment tools side by side with educators and students, and connecting project ideas to community partners.

Micki Evans is a writer, education consultant, and co-founder of the learning organization and consultancy PBL Path. Her work focuses on transformative liberatory teaching practices.

Kelsee G. Young has been a special education preschool teacher at Moss School in Metuchen, New Jersey since 2020. Her educational philosophy is to create a warm and nurturing environment for her students to play, grow, and thrive, upholding compassion over compliance.

Building and sustaining a culture of collective responsibility requires a learning environment that fosters reflection, dialogue, and the courage to act. To create a culture of empowerment and a commitment to continuous improvement, educators need to engage in meaningful conversations about professional best practices.