Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy at Georgia State University. She also serves as the director of the GSU Urban Literacy Clinic. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading educational journals and books. Some of her recognitions include the 2014 recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English, Promising New Researcher Award, the 2016 NCTE Janet Emig Award, the 2017 GSU Urban Education Research Award and the 2018 UIC College of Education Researcher of the Year. She is the author of the best selling book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy.

Patrick Allen is an elementary teacher. He has spent the past 35 years teaching grades 2-5. He currently teaches second graders. His classroom served as a lab classroom for the PEBC and he has invited many adult learners into this classroom to spend time learning together. He is the author of Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop and co-author of Put Thinking to the Test (Stenhouse).

Karen Biggs-Tucker is a teacher in St. Charles, IL where she has taught both second and fifth grade for 35 years. She has recently finished her second professional book with Maria Walther for Stenhouse Publishers titled The Literacy Workshop: Where Reading and Writing Converge. She is a believer in lifelong learning through reading, writing, researching, and then sharing that learning with others…just like her own students do every day when they come to school asking questions about the world around them.

Katherine Bomer, awarded the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) “Outstanding Educator of 2017” is the author of Writing Workshop Essentials: Time, Choice, Response, co-authored with Corinne Arens (2020). Her book The Journey is Everything: Teaching Essays that Students Want to Write for People Who Want to Read Them (2016) argues for teaching essay as literature, with shapes that arise organically from content, not from formulas that shut down thinking. Hidden Gems: Naming and Teaching from the Brilliance in Every Student's Writing (2010) and accompanying DVD, “Starting with what Students Do Best” offer a transformative new approach to assessing and responding to student writing, even the most spare or difficult to understand. She also authored Writing a Life: Teaching Memoir to Sharpen Insight, Shape Meaning, and Triumph Over Tests (2005), and For a Better World: Reading and Writing for Social Action, with Randy Bomer. Katherine taught the "Writing Process and Pedagogy" course in the Graduate program in the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught primary and intermediate grades, and her classrooms have been featured in Annenberg video productions. She currently consults nationally and internationally, presenting workshops in school districts as well as demonstrating and coaching inside K-12 classrooms about approaches to teaching reading and writing across the curriculum. As a frequent and popular keynote speaker, she combines a teacher's practical advice, a writer's love of language, and a powerful plea for social justice.

Nawal Qarooni Casiano has been a writer and educator for 15 years, and is forever passionate about growing readers, writers and thinkers. In Brooklyn and Chicago, she worked as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer and literacy coach before launching NQC Literacy in 2014, where she and her team have since supported the shift to balanced literacy in dozens of schools throughout Chicagoland. Nawal won a New Jersey Press Association Award for her international reporting and transitioned into education as a New York City Teaching Fellow. Nawal is also the proud mother of four multiethnic, multilingual little kids and you can find her on Twitter, sharing about reading, writing and centering kids.

David Casteal has been coaching and teaching children for 27 years. He attended the University of Alabama on a full football scholarship earning a BA in communication. After graduation, David continued his athletic career in Europe for two years before earning a masters degree in reading from Whitworth University. David also holds a PhD in cultural studies; spending extensive time in Africa studying West African drum and dance.

He was the director of the youth drumming group KuUmba; seven drummers he worked with from 5th to 12th grade. KuUmba performed throughout the northwest eventually spending a month in Ghana, Africa studying drum rhythms.

David co-wrote and performed the one man show “York” throughout the U.S. including a two-week run on 78th Street and Broadway in New York City. “York” is the story of the only black man on the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

As a classroom teacher, David has developed curriculum in the areas of ELA and social studies.

David lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife and daughter where he continues to teach 6th grade.

Dana Clark is a Staff Developer/Literacy Consultant for Gravity Goldberg, LLC. In her almost two decades as an educator, she has worked as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and educational consultant. Dana loves partnering with educators and continuously studying ways to create supportive communities where students engage in purposeful and joyful learning.

Lilla Clark has been teaching middle school students for the last 15 years. She currently teaches 6th and 8th grade students in Charlotte, NC. Lilla’s passion for reading middle grade and young adult literature helps her curate an equitable and diverse classroom library. She believes that her students have equal access to both window and mirror texts, and that independent reading time is a sacred part of every class. She holds a Masters degree in English from The Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College.

Travis Crowder is a 7th grade language arts teacher in North Carolina. He loves to watch students cultivate a love of reading and writing as they engage and wrestle with ideas. He is the author of Reflective Readers: The Power of Readers Notebooks.

Dr. Ashelin R. Currie is a literacy advocate, consultant, and leader who strives to make the world a better place by working with and motivating others to learn, grow, and be passionate about reading and writing. Ashelin impacts literacy and learning by supporting school district leaders, literacy coaches, and teachers. Ashelin’s area of expertise is utilizing African American children’s literature as an aesthetic and intellectual tool for growing students and improving their academic achievement.

Gayle Danley entered America's classrooms in 1994 after winning the National Poetry Slam, teaching thousands of children how to access their emotions through the force of words. She performed and taught her way from Maryland Young Audience's Artist of the Year, to National Young Audience's Artist of the Year. A former national and international poetry slam champion, she has been profiled on CBS 60 Minutes as well as in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and New York Times. Gayle's Grieffriend sessions have helped women who are living with AIDS, widows, incarcerated youth and those struggling with drug addiction and recovery use poetry to cope and bravely face life's challenges. Gayle was recently named Maryland Library Association Poet of the Year and her TedEd talk, Become a slam poet in five steps https://ed.ted.com/lessons/become-a-slam-poet-in-five-steps-gayle-danley has been viewed over a half million times guiding teachers and students.

Emily Dia has worked as a classroom teacher and instructional coach for the last 19 years. Her grounding purpose is to create equitable access to transformative teaching for all children. She is a dynamic educator with experience teaching diverse learners, leading departments, and coaching teachers as well as planning and promoting professional development across grade levels. She holds a Masters degree in Learning & Instruction from Northeastern University.

Steve Fiedeldey, Director of Special Services for Ringwood Public Schools and adjunct psychology professor at Montclair State University. He is a restorative practitioner who has a diverse background in education. Steve is a passionate and dedicated advocate for children, with over 12 years of experience in teaching, support services, and educational leadership. He focuses on the critical work of supporting staff to implement evidence-based curriculum and practices, while individualizing instruction.

Anne Goudvis has been an elementary teacher and a staff developer working in schools and districts for many years. With Stephanie Harvey, she is the author of Strategies That Work (3rd edition) and The Comprehension Toolkits—a comprehension resource for both primary and intermediate grades. Recent publications include Inquiry Illuminated: Researcher’s Workshop Across the Curriculum. Anne and Steph have also published the series Short Nonfiction for American History—texts and resources for a more inclusive and engaging approach to history and social studies.

Michael M. Guevara, recipient of a 2019 Book Love Foundation Grant, is an advocate for choice reading and authentic literacy instruction. An academic trainer in a large urban high school in San Antonio, TX where the majority are students of BIPOC, Michael works with teachers on improving their literacy instruction and uses choice reading to achieve academic success. A former K-12 ELAR coordinator, Michael has served as president of The Texas Council of Teachers of English and an NCTE committee chair. His workshops with teachers focus on mentor texts and authentic student writing responses to their choice reading.

Dr. Towanda Harris has been a teacher, staff developer, literacy content specialist, and instructional coach. Currently an Instructional Leadership Coordinator and an adjunct professor of reading and writing in Atlanta, Georgia, she brings almost twenty years of experience to the education world. Towanda is the author of The Right Tools: A Guide to Selecting, Evaluating, and Implementing Classroom Resources and Practices. Educators rely on her wisdom about how to find resources that meet their teaching goals and match their understanding of their students’ needs. Teachers turn to her to learn how to employ those resources, blend them with best practices, and help all students reach their full potential.

Her passion to elevate teachers’ voices through her podcast, “My Two Cents”, provides a space for a community of educators to share their personal stories with each other. In addition, Towanda is a Heinemann PD provider, a member of The Educator Collaborative, and an advisor for the #G2Great Twitter chat.

Stephanie Harvey has spent the past forty-five years teaching and learning about reading and writing as an elementary teacher, special ed teacher and staff developer. She currently serves as a literacy consultant to schools and districts around the world. Her books and resources include Nonfiction Matters, Strategies That Work, The Comprehension Toolkit Series, Comprehension and Collaboration, From Striving to Thriving, Inquiry Illuminated and the upcoming Intervention Reinvention. Insatiably curious about kids’ thinking, Steph spends as much time as possible in classrooms and savors every moment spent working with kids.

Dr. Kia Heise holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Minnesota and taught Sociology courses in Los Angeles and the Twin Cities for several years. Her approach is informed by thousands of hours learning how to navigate discussions of structural inequality with diverse groups of young people. She is also the author of the children’s books Little Sock and Little Sock Makes a Friend.

Sara Holbrook is an educator, author/poet and literary consultant with over 30 years’ experience as a writer in the fields of education, law, public housing, and drug prevention, she has been teaching in classrooms around the U.S. and over 50 other countries for more than 20 years. She is also the author of more than fifteen books for children, adults and teachers as well as an award-winning performance poet. A frequent keynote speaker, she is the author of five professional books, including her most recent publication from Scholastic, From Striving to Thriving Writers, Strategies to Jump-Start Writing, a collaboration with Michael Salinger and Stephanie Harvey. Her middle grade historical fiction novel, The Enemy, Detroit 1954 won the 2018 Jane Addams Peace Award. Sarah was recently awarded the 2021 Outstanding English Language Arts Educator award for Special Distinction from the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA).

Aeriale N. Johnson teaches third graders for liberation at Washington Elementary School, a place bursting with the energy of multiculturalism and multilingualism in downtown San Jose, CA. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, specializing in early-middle childhood literacy, and a recipient of many grants and fellowships. She is also an associate director for the San Jose Area Writing Project, facilitating professional development for teachers and writing workshops for children. Her blogs, articles, and essays have been published by NCTE, Heinemann, School Library Journal, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the International Literacy Association, and Scholastic.

Michelle Morris Jones has worked with PEBC since 2002, supporting teachers, coaches, and leaders, both locally and nationally, in the area of instructional practices that cultivate literacy and understanding across grade levels and content areas. She leads, designs, and co-facilitates a variety of literacy, workshop, and leadership institutes, including the Thinking Strategies Institute, the Foundations of Literacy Institute, the Investigating Thinking Strategies Institute, the Making the Workshop Work Institute, Going Deeper with Coaching, and Impact Facilitation. In addition, she teaches PEBC Online Courses, produces and hosts the PEBC Phenomenal Teaching Podcast, and leads her team as the Director of Professional Development Design.

Her experience as an educator includes teaching elementary and middle school, as well as serving as a Reading Interventionist, parent liaison, and staff developer. She taught for seven years as an adjunct professor with the Boettcher Teacher Residency, and also provided clinical supervision for Residents. She holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Colorado, Denver, and a Bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a contributing author to the PEBC publication, The Right to Literacy in Secondary Schools and has written a number of blogs for the PEBC.

Ocheze Joseph is a lecturer from Vanderbilt University and a visiting Associate Professor of Literacy at Howard University. Previous to her role as a professor, Ocheze was an early childhood teacher and elementary school principal. She teaches courses in leadership, theory and methods of reading, and recognizing and responding to diverse learners. She can be reached at ocheze.joseph@vanderbilt.edu.

Ellin Oliver Keene has been a classroom teacher, staff developer, non-profit director and adjunct professor of reading and writing. She serves as Director of the Heinemann Fellows initiative and is the editor of the Heinemann Catalogue/Journal. Ellin consults with schools and districts throughout the country and abroad. Her emphasis is long-term, school-based professional development and strategic planning for literacy learning.

Ellin is author of Engaging Children: Igniting the Drive for Deeper Learning (2018), is co-editor and co-author of The Teacher You Want to Be: Essays about Children, Learning, and Teaching (Heinemann, 2015); co-editor of the Not This, but That series (Heinemann, 2013 - 2017); author of Talk About Understanding: Rethinking Classroom Talk to Enhance Understanding (Heinemann, 2012), To Understand: New Horizons in Reading Comprehension (Heinemann, 2008), co-author of Comprehension Going Forward (Heinemann, 2011), Mosaic of Thought: The Power of Comprehension Strategy Instruction, 2nd edition (Heinemann, 2007, 1st edition, 1997), and author of Assessing Comprehension Thinking Strategies (Shell Educational Books, 2006).

Beth Kelley, MA, LPC, is a psychotherapist, who spent most of her 18 year career in schools working as a school-based therapist. She is the co-author of Teaching, Learning, and Trauma: Responsive practices for holding steady in turbulent times (Corwin 2021). Currently, Beth is a leadership coach and a consultant for schools and organizations interested in developing a more holistic human centered model. Beth is deeply committed to supporting mental wellness in school communities and businesses.

Deb Kelt is an Assistant Professor of Practice at The University of Texas at Austin. She works to prepare teachers with UT's Urban Teacher program, and serves as the Director of UT's Heart of Texas Writing Project. Deb teaches HTWP's Summer Writing Institute for graduate students/classroom teachers, and she does professional development in Austin-area schools. Prior to her work at UT, Deb taught reading and writing to secondary students for 20 years.

Brian Kissel is a Professor of Literacy and the director of the Elementary Education program within the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Previous to his role as a professor, Brian was a classroom teacher for grades PreK-5 and served as a literacy coach. He teaches courses in Language Arts and writing instruction. He is the author of several journal articles and books including his most recent book: When Writers Drive the Workshop published by Stenhouse. He can be reached at brian.kissel@vanderbilt.edu.

Clare Landrigan is a staff developer who is still a teacher at heart. She leads a private staff development business partnering with school systems to implement best practices in the field of literacy and is on the board of The Book Love Foundation. She is the co-author of, It's All About the Books published by Heinemann and Assessment in Perspective, published by Stenhouse. You can find Clare online at Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at her website, where she blogs about books and the art of teaching.

Noelle Mapes is a 3rd grade teacher at PS 142, a public elementary school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She learns daily alongside the funniest, most creative kids who like to ask big questions, think critically about power structures, and read Marisol McDonald books. She strives to center anti-racist pedagogy practices in her classroom. Before teaching, she studied literature with a concentration in peace and justice at Villanova University, then received her M.A. in Elementary Inclusive Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her interests include racial literacy, critical data analysis, and equity work among teachers.

Juan Martinez-Esqueda was born in Mexico. His family moved to the United States when he was eight years old. He was fascinated by language and its many complexities, especially its connection to one’s identity. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, he accepted a position as an 8th ELA teacher at Mendez Middle School where he has taught students ranging from those new to the country to those taking English 1 Pre-AP.

Juan strives to offer students a rigorous academic environment where their voices are heard, their perspectives challenged, and their sense of citizenship at the local, national, and global scale established. Juan is also a teacher consultant with the Heart of Texas Writing Project (HTWP).

Carrie Mattern is an award winning author and high school English teacher in Michigan at Flint Carman-Ainsworth high school. Her work focuses on centering student voice, amplifying BIPOC texts, and disrupting the canon. She occasionally blogs for education organizations such as NCTE, #TeachLivingPoets, and The Education Trust Midwest. She was named CHOOSE Champion in 2019 leading her to work collaboratively alongside the nations top racial literacy educators. She has written various books for children and YA, as well as poetry and a play about the Flint Water Crisis.

Debbie Miller taught and learned from children in the Denver Public Schools for thirty years. She is the author of What’s the Best That Could Happen? and Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades, 2nd Edition. Debbie now works in other teachers’ classrooms, and presents workshops across the country and internationally, working extensively with schools and districts on long-range planning and development of literacy initiatives.

Cornelius Minor is a Brooklyn-based educator. He works with teachers, school leaders, and leaders of community-based organizations to support equitable literacy reform in cities (and sometimes villages) across the globe. His latest book, We Got This, explores how the work of creating more equitable school spaces is embedded in our everyday choices—specifically in the choice to really listen to kids. He has been featured in Education Week, Brooklyn Magazine, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He has partnered with The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, The New York City Department of Education, The International Literacy Association, and Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Out of Print, a documentary featuring Cornelius made its way around the film festival circuit, and he has been a featured speaker at conferences all over the world. Most recently, along with his partner and wife, Kass Minor, he has established The Minor Collective, a community-based movement designed to foster sustainable change in schools. Whether working with educators and kids in Los Angeles, Seattle, or New York City, Cornelius uses his love for technology, hip-hop, and social media to bring communities together. As a teacher, Cornelius draws not only on his years teaching middle school in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but also on time spent skateboarding, shooting hoops, and working with young people.

Dr. Brandy Lovelady Mitchell is a lifelong children’s advocate who is passionate about education and helping students and educational staff maximize their potential.

Currently, she serves as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Kent Intermediate School District, in Kent County, Michigan.

Dr. Lovelady Mitchell completed a Doctorate of Education Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. Her doctoral studies focused on high-achieving Black males at the secondary level. Dr. Lovelady Mitchell says her intention is to help educators and key stakeholders shift the narrative from pathologies to the success stories of children of color. Her professional work and doctoral studies caused Eastern Michigan University to describe her as an “upcoming educator to watch” and the university has honored her as one of their 2015 Scholars of Excellence. She has also had the honor of being invited to participate in two White House Convenings related to our former First Lady, Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative. She gladly participated!

Keri Orange-Jones, Ed.D., is a fifth-grade social studies and science teacher in New Jersey and a non-teaching adjunct working on special projects at CUNY. She has been an educator for 23 years and received a doctoral degree from Rutgers University in May 2018. Keri is a Clinical Faculty member in the Montclair State University Network for Urban Renewal. She is also a Member Fellow with The Educator Collaborative and a Teacher -Consultant with The Drew Writing Project and National Writing Project. Keri’s research interests include, but are not limited to teacher education, assessment alternatives, social studies and ELA integration, equity issues, and the recruitment and retention of diverse educators.

Dr. Detra Price-Dennis is an Associate Professor of Education in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University, in the Communications, Media, Learning Technologies, and Design program. Detra serves as Co-Director of the Reimagining Education Online Advanced Certificate Program, and is the founding director of #JustLit - a media based project that seeks to provide multimodal resources about literature, media, and social change in education. Her scholarship draws on ethnographic and sociocultural lenses to examine the intersections of literacy education, technology, and curriculum development as a means to identify and amplify equity-oriented pedagogies in K-8 classrooms.

Michael Salinger is an educator, author/poet, playwright has been writing and performing poetry and fiction for over 30 years. He has written books for elementary to adult readers as well as having co-authored four professional books for teachers. His book, Well Defined, Vocabulary in Rhyme, won a VOYA top shelf award. As a literacy consultant, he has visited over 200 cities spread across more than 50 countries, developing an expertise in working with English language learners. His latest professional publication, From Striving to Thriving Writers, Strategies to Jump-start Writing from Scholastic, is coauthored with Sara Holbrook and Stephanie Harvey. Michael was recently awarded the 2021 Outstanding English Language Arts Educator award for Special Distinction from the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA).

Clare Donovan Scane brings over twenty years of experience as a teacher, school administrator, and instructional coach to her work with schools and learning communities. Clare’s research interests are focused on strengthening avenues for linguistic diversity in schools. Clare is currently supporting schools and organizations to navigate anti-racist, culturally sustaining literacy practices across learning platforms that work to empower students and forward joyful community.

Andy Schoenborn is an award-winning author and high school English teacher in Michigan at Mt. Pleasant Public Schools. He focuses his work on progressive literacy methods including student-centered critical thinking, digital collaboration, and professional development. He is a past-president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, teacher consultant for the Chippewa River Writing Project, and Region Rep for the Michigan Reading Association. His first book, co-authored with Dr. Troy Hicks, Creating Confident Writers was published in 2020.

Franki Sibberson is an educator whose work focuses on student agency, literacy workshops and digital literacy. She has co-authored numerous publications and books including Beyond Leveled Books (Stenhouse), Still Learning to Read (Stenhouse), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop (Scholastic), and Digital Reading: What’s Essential? (NCTE). Franki currently serves as Past President of the National Council of Teachers of English and is on the board of The Literacy Connection in Columbus, Ohio. Franki blogs with Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading.

Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, M.A., LPC is a psychotherapist and wellness consultant specializing in post-traumatic growth and resilience. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Resilience and Resistance, which features Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color who have overcome trauma and built success. Her dedication to Latinx communities and women’s issues is evident in her research and public-speaking engagements as well as her leadership with non-profits and public health departments.

Sorensen joined PEBC in 2010 and consults both locally and nationally, co-facilitates the Thinking Strategies Institute and supports data collection and evaluation of services. Sorensen has had the privilege of serving in many roles during her 30 years in education resulting in her steadfast belief in students, teachers, and administrators. Sorensen began her career in Houston Texas and spent fifteen years there working in third grade, Reading Recovery and as a literacy specialist. Beginning in 2004, she coached teachers and served as Director of Professional Development in a Denver area school district.

Islah Nawal Tauheed is a courageous advocate for teachers. She works toward change by creating spaces where young people can let their guard down, express their true selves, and experience freedom as learners. She is currently a 5th grade teacher in the Bronx, NY, where she integrates a variety of curricula and projects that reflect the diverse background of students in the school community. Islah is a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University and a former Heinemann Fellow.

Cris Tovani is an internationally known consultant who focuses on issues of disciplinary reading and writing instruction. She was awarded the 2017 Thought Leader award from the International Literacy Association. Cris has been an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver. She is the author of five books: Her newest book that was just published by Stenhouse is title, Why do I Have to Read This? She has also written: No More Telling as Teaching: Less Lecture, More Engaged Learning, I Read it but I Don’t Get It, Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? and So, What do They Really Know?

For 34 years, Cris has taught students from grades one to twelve. She continues to study the “knowing-doing gap” by investigating how best practice research can be practically applied to a variety of settings. Embracing a growth mindset, she loves sharing her successes and failures with colleagues as they work to serve students.

Kristin Ziemke is an educator and the co-author of Read the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action, Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom and Connecting Comprehension and Technology. Recognized as an international expert in literacy, inquiry and technology, Kristin works with schools and organizations around the world to develop learning experiences that are student-centered, personalized and authentic. Currently serving as a resident teacher and innovation specialist for the Big Shoulders Fund, Kristin is an Apple Distinguished Educator, National Board Certified Teacher and Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leader. Her work has been featured by Apple, EdWeek, Mindshift and Scholastic