Member Biographies for the CAEP Commission on Standards and

Performance Reporting

May 21-22, 2012 The Fairfax at Embassy Row

2100 Massachusetts Avenue NW; Washington, DC 20036

Camilla Benbow, co-chair

Dr. Camilla Persson Benbow is Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, a position she has held since 1998. An educational psychologist, Dean Benbow has focused her scholarly work on gifted education and the development of mathematical talent. Dean Benbow began her academic career at Johns Hopkins University in 1981 as an associate research scientist. In 1986, Iowa State University appointed her associate professor of psychology. She was promoted to full professor in 1990, became department chair in 1992, and in 1995, was named distinguished professor. She was appointed interim dean of

education at Iowa State in 1996. While at Iowa State she also directed pre-collegiate programs for talented and gifted students. Dean Benbow is a member of the board of the American Psychological Foundation. She also serves on the executive committee of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI), and she co-founded and co-chairs the committee of AAU College of Education Deans. Dean Benbow received her Ed.D., with distinction, from Johns Hopkins University (1981), from which she also received her B.A., M.A. in psychology, and her M.S. in education.

Gene Harris, co-chair

Dr. Gene T. Harris is the 19th superintendent and chief executive officer of the Columbus City Schools (CCS), the largest Ohio school district. Dr. Harris served at Columbus City Schools after college to teach English and drama, and then moved from the classroom to deputy superintendent in 2000, and superintendent in 2001. In addition to her responsibilities as Superintendent, Harris serves on the Board of Trustees of Ohio University, and Action for Children. During the 2010-2011 school year, Harris implemented several new initiatives, including the opening of two gender-based middle schools (one for boys and one for girls), a new

international high school, and a new K-8 international studies program. In addition, Harris created the CCS Higher Education Partnership (HEP) which provides a single point of contact between the district and 11 central Ohio colleges/universities to develop programs that boost student achievement, and college readiness. Dr. Harris holds a doctorate from Ohio University, a master’s degree from The Ohio State University, a bachelor’s from Notre Dame; Harris also received an honorary doctorate from Franklin University in 2011.

Andrés Alonso

Dr. Andrés Alonso is chief executive officer of the Baltimore City Public Schools. In the first three years of his tenure, Baltimore students reached their highest outcomes in every measurable metric of performance, across all No Child Left Behind categories, and the district reversed a 40-year decline in student enrollment. In 2009, the district exited “corrective action” status, and it reached a historic settlement agreement in a special education lawsuit after 26 years of litigation. That same year, Alonso was appointed to the prestigious No Child Left Behind Commission for the Aspen Institute.

From 1987 to 1998, Dr. Alonso taught emotionally disturbed special education adolescents and English language learners in Newark, New Jersey. He then served as Chief of Staff for Teaching and Learning and as Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the New York City Department of Education during the launch of its Children First reform. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University, and earned a J.D. and a doctorate in education from Harvard University.

JoAnn D. Bartoletti JoAnn D. Bartoletti is executive director of NASSP, a 25,000-member professional organization for principals, assistant principals, and aspiring leaders in middle level and high schools. Prior to assuming leadership of NASSP in 2011, Bartoletti was the executive director of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA) for 20 years, during which time she revolutionized the product, service, and professional development offerings for the organization’s 7,400 member administrators and raised the profile of New Jersey administrators in public policy circles. During her tenure, Bartoletti partnered with the

state department of education on a nontraditional principal certification program that greatly expanded the pool of competent school leaders by enabling professionals with advanced degrees in areas other than education to become principals. Prior to her tenure at NJPSA, Bartoletti spent 15 years as assistant principal and principal at West Windsor-Plainsboro (NJ) High School, which was ranked as one of the top 10 schools in New Jersey in 1989. Bartoletti has served on many educational boards over the years, including the 21st Century Skills Advisory Committee and NASSP's Board of Directors. Bartoletti received a B.A. and M.Ed. from the College of New Jersey and holds a number of certifications in education administration.

Erik Bitterbaum

Dr. Erik J. Bitterbaum is the 10th president of State University of New York College at Cortland, after having served as president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WVUP) since 2000. He concurrently served as a regional vice president for West Virginia University at Morgantown with responsibilities for the educational and economic development of western West Virginia. As the WVUP president, Bitterbaum instituted a new admission program resulting in an applications increase, increased student retention, and improved distance learning; created a Council of Grants to bring external dollars to campus; and created a Center for Teaching

Innovation to assist faculty and K-12 educators improve the learning environment for elementary, secondary and university students. Bitterbaum graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Biology from Occidental College in Los Angeles, Calif. He earned a M.A. in Biology from Occidental and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Florida, where he was an instructor in the Department of Zoology.

Mary Brabeck

Dr. Mary M. Brabeck is Professor of Applied Psychology and the Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University. She is a fellow of APA and her research focuses on intellectual development, professional ethics, and inter-professional collaboration. She served on the APA Board of Educational Affairs, 2004-2007, was chair of the Task Force on Applications of Psychological Science to Teaching and Learning, and chair of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education 2004-05. In Fall 2011,

Dean Brabeck was appointed as a member of the Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences. Brabeck received a B.A. in English and Humanities from the University of Minnesota, a M.S. in English and Urban Education from Saint Cloud State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Peggy Brookins Ms. Peggy Brookins is a High school mathematics teacher, member of the AFT review team for CCSSM and was invited by Achieve to help design the high school Pathways. She has also been an AFT reviewer for the Gates secondary “formative assessment” materials and PARCC’s Math content frameworks. She teaches at Forest High School in Ocala, FL where she co-founded and directs the EMIT magnet program (the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology). Peggy has served both as a presenter at the National High Schools That Work Conference and as a member of an external evaluation team for High Schools That Work

(HSTW). She contributes expertise in curriculum integration and classroom management skills, and has traveled with the EMIT team to Clay County conducting faculty in-service on academy concepts. She is a lead national, state and local trainer for AFT’s Thinking Mathematics professional development courses (training of trainers model); she helped to develop the Journey to Algebra course for middle school. She is on the design team that will incorporate Common Core into a course for grades 6-8. Peggy recently finished a term on the NBPTS board of directors and chaired the Audit Committee. Peggy is also a member of the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences Ad Hoc Committee on Teachers as Professionals (C-TaP), Content Technical Working Group (CTWG) For Mathematics, and Mathematics Articulation Resource team for HSTW; she has been an external evaluation team member for HSTW. Peggy holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, has twenty-one hours of graduate work, and is working toward a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Cambridge College in Boston.

Gail Connelly Gail Connelly is Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and President of the NAESP Foundation. She has served the Association in senior leadership roles for more than two decades. Connelly led the development of NAESP’s National Distinguished Principals Program, the National Principals Resource Center, the NAESP Web site, the e-Knowledge Portal for Principals, and the Peer Assisted Leadership Services, a mentoring program for principals. She recently created a Strategic Framework to guide operational efforts aligned with Vision Goals established by the NAESP Board of Directors.

Grounded in her earliest years as an English teacher, Connelly’s career has encompassed all levels of organizational leadership, development, and management for educational nonprofits including a Presidential Advisory Council on Innovations in Education, the American Council on Education, and the Florida Mental Health Association. She has served as a strategic planning, management, and fundraising consultant for several national and state organizations, including the National PTA. Connelly received a B.A. from the University of South Florida, an MBA from American University, and attended an Executive Leadership Doctoral Program at The George Washington University.

Richard De Lisi

Dr. Richard De Lisi is Dean of The Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University, a position he has held since 2003. Dean De Lisi’s teaching and research interests are in the field of developmental psychology, especially cognitive development and sex-role development. De Lisi has over 100 scholarly publications and conference presentations. In recent years, De Lisi has served as a member of the Advisory Board at the Carnegie Project on Education Doctorate; secretary for the Council of Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI Executive Board); a member of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Institutional Affiliates at the American Educational Research

Association; and the chair of the Periodic Review Report Committee at Rutgers University. Dean De Lisi received a B.A. in Mathematics and Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an M.A. in Psychology and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from The Catholic University of America.

Melissa Erickson Melissa Erickson will complete her term as President of the Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSA in May 2012, a position she was elected to in May 2009. As the parent leader in Hillsborough County, Florida, the nation’s 8th largest school district, she has represented the families of over 195,000 students in all areas of district policy, serving on or chairing numerous committees. Melissa began her career in education as a Fellow for the National Science Foundation Research on Teaching and Learning Initiative developing curriculum and teacher training for high school science and mathematics classrooms. She has also taught middle

school health education and served as the Academic Intervention Specialist at the elementary level through a project at the University of South Florida. Additionally, she spent time designing an implementing student support programs for the University of Central Florida. Currently, she is the School Programs Specialist, supporting parent engagement programs nationwide for Family First, a non-profit in Tampa, Florida. As a parent leader, Melissa has been involved nationally in the Common Core State Standards Initiative educating parents, community members and state legislators on this topic. Locally, Hillsborough County Public Schools has begun a project, funded by a major grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation entitled Empowering Effective Teachers. Through the program the district is transforming the way it recruits, supports, evaluates and compensates teachers. As the district level parent leader, Melissa has been involved in this reform work since its inception. In April of 2011, Melissa was recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House for her work representing parents in education reform efforts. Ms. Erickson received her Ed.M in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston University (1994) and her B.A in psychology, also from Boston University (1992). Melissa is married to Commander David Erickson, USN and has one child, Daniel a freshman at Jefferson High School in Tampa.

Skip Fennell Dr. Skip Fennell is a mathematics educator and has experience as a classroom teacher, a principal, and a supervisor of instruction. He is currently Professor of Education at McDaniel College and recently completed a 2-year term as President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Fennell has played key leadership roles the Research Council for Mathematics Learning, the Mathematical Sciences Education Board, the National Science Foundation, the Maryland Mathematics Commission, the United States National Commission for Mathematics Instruction, and the Association for Mathematics Teacher Educators. Dr. Fennell recently served on the National

Mathematics Advisory Panel, chairing the Conceptual Knowledge and Skills Task Group. He earned his bachelor's degree from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and a master's from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania before receiving a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Deborah Ford

Dr. Deborah (Debbie) Ford is the sixth Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. As chancellor, Dr. Ford leads the most diverse campus in the prestigious University of Wisconsin System. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is one of 11 four-year comprehensive campuses in the UW System serving 5,000 students. Dr. Ford recently concluded a two-year term on the American Council on Education's Commission on Effective Leadership, and currently serves on a number of boards and councils in southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee 7 Advisory Council (2010-present), Kenosha County Workforce Development Board of Directors (2011-

present), Kenosha Area Business Alliance Board of Directors (2009-present), Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce Board of Directors (2009-present), and Racine County Workforce Development Board of Directors (2009-present). Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Dr. Ford served as vice president of student affairs at the University of West Florida. Earlier, she served as vice president and dean of students at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Ford received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisville and a Master of Science degree from Indiana University. She returned to the University of Louisville to earn her Doctorate in Education.

Susan Fuhrman

Dr. Susan Fuhrman is the President of Teachers College, Columbia University, founding Director and Chair of the Management Committee of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), and President-elect of the National Academy of Education. In January 2009, she was named co-chair of a new Roundtable on Education Systems and Accountability (RESA), established at the request of the U.S. Department of Education by the National Research Council’s Board on Testing and Assessment. Dr. Fuhrman previously served as Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, as well as the school’s George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education. Her professional involvements include membership on the

Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. In October 2008, she became President-elect of the National Academy of Education. She is also a former Vice President of the American Educational Research Association, and a non-executive Director of Pearson plc, the international education and publishing company. Her research interests include accountability in education, intergovernmental relationships, and standards-based reform. Dr. Fuhrman earned a B.A. in History, with highest honors, from Northwestern University; an M.A. in History from Northwestern University; and a Ph.D. in Political Economy from Teachers College, Columbia University. She wrote her dissertation at Teachers College on "The Classification of Roll Call Votes in New Jersey."

Kurt Geisinger

Dr. Kurt Geisinger is Director of Buros Center for Testing and W.C. Meierhenry Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Geisinger has also served as Professor of Psychology and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of St. Thomas; Professor of Psychology and Academic Vice President at Le Moyne College; Professor of Psychology and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Oswego State University; and Professor of Psychology and Director of the Psychometrics Doctoral Program at Fordham University.

He is a member (Divisions 2, 5, 14, 15, and 52) and fellow (Divisions 5, 15, and 52) of the American Psychological Association; and a member of the American Educational Research Association, the College Board, the Council of Graduate Schools, the Eastern Psychological Association, the National Council on Measurement in Education, the Northeastern Educational Research Association, and the Society of Psychologists in Management. Dr. Geisinger received an A.B. from Davidson College with honors, an M.S. from The University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Rick Ginsberg

Dr. Rick Ginsberg is Dean of the School of Education at the University of Kansas. He also currently serves as the Chair of the Kansas Professional Standards Board and Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). He served on the Design Team that developed the unified NCATE/TEAC accrediting body that became CAEP. Previously, Ginsberg was Director of the School of Education at Colorado State University, Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina (directing a Research Office), and an Assistant Professor at the University of New Orleans. He has worked for the Chicago Board of Education, Roosevelt

University, and the Chicago Community College system. His research focuses on individual/organizational success and educational politics/reform. His recent research examines the impact on leaders of working in a fiscal downturn. Ginsberg received his B.A. from SUNY at Albany in History (major) and Political Science (minor) and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Administrative, Institutional and Policy Studies in Education.

Marquita Grenot-Scheyer Dr. Marquita Grenot-Scheyer is Dean of the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach. Prior to joining the faculty at CSULB, Dr. Grenot-Scheyer was a special day class teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Dr. Grenot-Scheyer is a member of the advisory board for the National Institute for Urban School Improvement and serves on the editorial board for several special education journals. She currently serves as the Chancellor's Office representative on two state-wide committees: The State Superintendent of Public Instruction's Autism Advisory Committee and the California Department of Education, State Performance and Personnel Development Plan Stakeholder Group.

Dr. Grenot-Scheyer is also Project Director at the Math and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI), managing a project to increase math and science teachers in response to the national shortage of qualified teachers in these areas. In collaboration with administrators, faculty, and staff from the Colleges of Education and Natural Science and Mathematics, and Cerritos Community College, targeted actions are aimed at attracting and supporting interested students to earn the necessary credentials. Grenot-Scheyer received a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of California at Los Angeles and California State University at Los Angeles.

Terry Holliday

Dr. Terry Holliday is Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education and serves on the Council as an ex officio, nonvoting member. He came to Kentucky in August 2009 from Statesville, North Carolina, where he served as superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville school district since 2002. Dr. Holliday’s work as a school administrator led to the closing of achievement gaps and marked improvement in graduation rates and other student achievement measures. Dr. Holliday’s other previous experience includes superintendent of the Transylvania County school system in Brevard, North Carolina; associate superintendent and director of accountability for Rock Hill School District 3 in York County,

South Carolina; principal, assistant principal, and director of instrumental music for Fort Mill High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina; and band director at Northside Junior High, Parker High, and Gaffney High in South Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Furman University, a master’s degree and doctorate from Winthrop University, and a doctorate from the University of South Carolina.

William H. Isler William H. Isler serves as a Board Member at Pittsburgh Public Schools and is President of The Fred Rogers Company. He also serves as Chairman for the American Academy of Pediatrics Partnership for Children. Prior to this, Isler has served as Executive Director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, as well as Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Education, Commissioner of Basic Education, and Senior Program Advisor for Early Childhood Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Isler is an alumnus of Saint Vincent College.

Christopher Koch

Dr. Christopher A. Koch is the Illinois State Superintendent of Education, a position he has held since December 1, 2006. Dr. Koch has been with the Illinois State Board of Education since 1994, serving in a variety of administrative capacities, including Director of Special Education and the states’ Chief Education Officer. As State Superintendent, Dr. Koch has led efforts to bring coherence between state standards, curriculum, assessments and college entry requirements in Illinois through state membership in the American Diploma Project and the 21st Century Skills initiative. He has been a strong proponent of using data to inform policy

and is working to establish a P-20 longitudinal data system where pre-K to 12 student achievement data can be linked to postsecondary education and careers. He supports the establishment of nationally and internationally benchmarked standards that promote both rigor and relevance, as well as assessments common to all states so that fair and accurate comparisons about student performance between states and countries can be made. Dr. Koch is a member of the Council of Chief State School Officers and served as President of this organization of his peers in 2010-11. In addition, he was selected by the Council to serve on the Presidential transition team in 2008, to co-chair the Elementary and Secondary Reauthorization Committee and he has served as a member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Koch has experience as a special educator having taught in four states in various settings including an Outward Bound program, a college preparatory school, a youth detention center, and a psychiatric hospital. He served at the federal level, with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education where he administered programs in correctional education and School-to-Work transition. Dr. Koch graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees in Educational Policy and Leadership from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Jim Kohlmoos

Jim Kohlmoos is Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of State Boards of Education. Prior to joining NASBE in 2012, Kohlmoos served as the president and CEO of the Knowledge Alliance. He has also served as vice president at The Implementation Group, a Washington, D.C.-based government relations firm where he built a bipartisan government relations practice in elementary and secondary education. From 1993-2000, he served as both a deputy and special assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. Kohlmoos held multiple positions at the Close Up Foundation from 1977-93, leaving as a vice president. He

began his education career with the U.S. Teacher Corps in Salinas, CA, and then served as a teacher with the Peace Corps, which took him to Malaysia for three years. He has a bachelor’s in history from Stanford University and teacher credentials from the University of California. He has completed graduate courses at Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Jillian Lederhouse Dr. Jillian Lederhouse is Professor of Education and Department Chair at Wheaton College. Prior to this, Lederhouse taught regular and special education students in the Chicago Public Schools. She has served on the faculty of the Department of Education at Wheaton College for over thirty years, during which time she has participated in the continued development of the urban classroom through a college partnership with Cleveland School, a highly multicultural K-8 public elementary school in Chicago. Dr. Lederhouse received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Wheaton College, an M.Ed. in Reading and Learning

Disabilities from DePaul University, and a Ph.D. in Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Arthur Levine Dr. Arthur Levine is the sixth President of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (2006-present). Before his appointment at Woodrow Wilson, he was president and professor of education at the Teachers College at Columbia University (1994-2006). He also previously served as a faculty member and chair of the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (1989-1994), president of Bradford College (1982-89), and senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education (1975-82).

Dr. Levine is the author of scores of articles and reviews, including a series of reports for the Education Schools Project on the preparation of school leaders, teachers, and education researchers. He has also authored, co-authored, or edited 11 books. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Annie Lewis O’Donnell Annie Lewis O'Donnell is Vice President of Program Design and Teacher Preparation at Teach For America. She leads Teach For America's corps member design team, an 18-person team that creates much of the organization's national training and support for its pre-service, first, and second year teachers. After teaching second grade in Baltimore for three years, Annie joined Teach For America's design team and spent a year overhauling the organization's knowledge base and pre-service training approach for elementary literacy teachers. Annie's team has developed and continues to improve training and support across a broad range of

areas from content- and placement-specific pedagogy, to classroom management and culture, to effective lesson execution. Annie graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Sociology and Political Science and earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University.

Paul E. Lingenfelter

Dr. Paul Lingenfelter is the President of State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). As President of SHEEO, Lingenfelter has focused on increasing successful participation in higher education; accountability for improving learning; finance; and building more effective relationships between K-12 and postsecondary educators. Under his leadership, SHEEO organized the National Commission on Accountability in Higher Education, created the annual study State Higher Education Finance, published More Student Success A Systemic Solution, and substantially expanded SHEEO collaborations with the Council of Chief State School Officers.

From 1985 to 2000, he served at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where in 1996 he was appointed Vice President to establish and lead the MacArthur Foundation Program on Human and Community Development. Earlier, he was involved in the full range of the Foundation’s international and domestic programs as Associate Vice President for Planning and Evaluation and Director of Program Related Investments. Dr. Lingenfelter was Deputy Director for Fiscal Affairs for the Illinois Board of Higher Education from 1980 to 1985 and held other administrative positions with the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the University of Michigan from 1968-80. He is the author of numerous studies and articles related to his work in higher education and philanthropy, and he currently serves on the boards of the National Student Clearinghouse and the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability. His educational background includes an A.B. from Wheaton College in Literature, an M.A. from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in higher education with an emphasis in public policy.

Patricia Manzanares-Gonzales Dr. Patricia Manzanares-Gonzales is the Dean of Western New Mexico University’s School of Education. She worked at Highlands University for 12 years before accepting the position of SOE Dean at WNMU. Manzanares-Gonzales earned a B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education, an M.A. in Elementary Education with a reading emphasis, and an M.A. Educational Administration at New Mexico Highlands University, and a Doctorate in Education degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University specializing in the areas of curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, organizational behavior, and distributed/distance education.

Tina Marshall-Bradley Dr. Tina Marshall-Bradley is Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Education at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. She also directs the Undergraduate to Graduate Program and the Paine College Honor’s Program. She is the former Dean of the School of Education at Claflin University and has also worked in the Office of Teacher Education, with the Division of Teacher Quality at the South Carolina State Department of Education. She has held faculty and research posts at Benedict College, the Citadel, South Carolina State University, and Norfolk State University. Dr. Marshall-Bradley co-founded the South Carolina Institute for Research in Education (SCIRE), a research facility for the study of education-related issues in South Carolina.

She has been a Fulbright Binational Fellow in Cairo, Egypt and an American Society for Engineering and Education Fellow at NASA’s Langley Research Center. She served as the chair of the Unit Accreditation Board (UAB) and on the Executive Board of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). She also serves on several study boards that examine specific issues related to the production of educators. She is a graduate of the College of Charleston and completed her graduate studies at Iowa State University.

Susan B. Neuman Dr. Susan B. Neuman is a Professor in Educational Studies specializing in early literacy development. Previously, she has served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education. She has worked in establishing the Early Reading First program, the Early Childhood Professional Development Education Program, and enhancing accountability efforts to improve children's achievement. Prior to her time at the University of Michigan, she was a Professor at Temple University, the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and Eastern Connecticut State University. At Michigan, she has directed the Center for the

Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA), focusing early childhood policy, curriculum, and early reading instruction, pre-kindergarten - grade 3. Susan is Director of the Michigan Research Program on Ready to Learn, which includes projects all working to change the odds for children in poverty. She received her B.A. at American University, her M.A. at California State University at Hayward, and her doctorate at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Tom Payzant

Dr. Thomas Payzant is a Professor of Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to that, he served as superintendent of the Boston Public Schools from October of 1995 until his retirement in June of 2006. Before coming to Boston, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as assistant secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education with the United States Department of Education. Over the past decade he has led a number of significant systemic reform efforts that have helped narrow the achievement gap and increase student performance on both state and national assessment exams. In addition to his tenure in Boston, Payzant has served as

Superintendent of Schools in San Diego, Oklahoma City, Eugene, Oregon, and Springfield, Pennsylvania. Payzant received his master's in teaching and his doctorate in education from Harvard University.

Rebecca Pringle Rebecca “Becky” Pringle, a Teacher of Physical Science from Harrisburg, Pa., is secretary-treasurer of the National Education Association. As secretary-treasurer of the nation's largest professional organization, Pringle ranks third among NEA leadership. She previously served as a member of NEA’s nine-member Executive Committee from 2001 to 2007. Pringle has held Association positions at the local, state, and national levels, including the Pennsylvania State Education Association and NEA Board of Directors. Much of her work at the state level focused on increasing minority involvement and enhancing leadership development. Pringle’s long history of leadership includes a focus on diversity

issues, student achievement, and developing leaders within the Association. During her terms on the NEA Board and Executive Committee, Pringle chaired the NEA Reading Task Force and NEA ESEA Advisory Committee, which helped prepare the organization for the law’s reauthorization. Pringle was instrumental in the development of the report “Excellence and Equity: Closing the Student Achievement Gaps” as a member of the NEA Professional Standards and Practices Committee. Pringle served for two terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. During her tenure, she was elected as the Finance Chair, overseeing the organization’s revenues and expenses, investment portfolio, and budget. Pringle received her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s degree in education from Pennsylvania State University.

Sidney A. Ribeau

Dr. Sidney A. Ribeau is the 16th President of Howard University and the sixth African American to serve as its Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Ribeau has worked to improve services to students through his Students First Campaign, strengthen research with emphasis in the STEM disciplines, enhance the University’s international footprint and build upon a legacy of service. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ribeau was President of Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Bowling Green, Ohio. Under his leadership, BGSU was recognized for its residential learning communities, values-based education and innovative graduate programs.

President Ribeau began his career as a professor of communication studies at California State University, Los Angeles, where he became chair of the University's Pan African Studies Department. He was then named Dean of Undergraduate Studies at California State University, San Bernardino. He then served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus, and was later named Vice President for Academic Affairs at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. President Ribeau serves on the boards of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF); Worthington Industries; and the Committee on Underrepresented Groups and the Expansion of the Science and Engineering Workforce Pipeline, under the aegis of the Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. He has served on the boards of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the United Way, the Regional Growth Partnership, the Andersons Inc. (Maumee, OH), and Convergys Corp. President Ribeau received a B.S. degree from Wayne State University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in interpersonal and group communication from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Benjamin Riley

Benjamin Riley is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at NewSchools Venture Fund, and is responsible for leading NewSchools’ work in developing and advocating for a policy agenda that creates opportunities for education entrepreneurs. Prior to joining the NewSchools team, Ben worked as a Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice. In that role, he closely advised Attorney General Jerry Brown on California’s first Race to the Top application and other education policy issues, and he helped draft Race to the Top-related legislation. Ben also represented and

advocated on behalf of the California State Board of Education in a variety of capacities, including serving as the Board’s interim chief counsel. Ben’s previous work experience includes four years in private practice, a brief stint on Wall Street, and a summer clerking for the Land Claims Court of South Africa. Riley holds a BA from the University of Washington and a JD from Yale Law School.

David Ritchey

Dr. David A. Ritchey is Executive Director of the Association of Teacher Educators. He has more than 20 years experience with trade and professional associations, most recently with the Association of School Business Officials International before coming to ATE. While with ASBO he was Director of Communications and Marketing, Director of Government and Public Affairs, and Interim Executive Director. As ASBO’s Interim Executive Director he fulfilled all functions of the CEO. He had previously been Number Two Staff Executive with the Architectural Woodwork Institute, and had worked with the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries International and the

Institute of Industrial Launderers. He has given presentations before numerous groups, including a presentation on school construction decisions that was posted on the U.S. Department of Energy’s “EnergySmart Schools” website and replicated in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Ritchey has completed graduate work at George Mason University and the University of Virginia, and he holds two Masters degrees (in sociology and public administration) and a Ph.D. in public administration. He has been a Certified Association Executive for more than ten years.

Haydee Rodriguez

Haydee Rodriguez is a bilingual/bicultural National Board Certified Teacher in Social Studies at Central Union High School District in El Centro, CA. She has worked as a trainer and facilitator for programs created by Advocacy Press, and as Literacy Specialist for over 6 years where she trained tutors to teach adults to read with Literacy Volunteers of America. In addition, Rodriguez has served on various boards such at the AAUW-Imperial County, Orphanaid Africa, Literacy Volunteers of America, and ICAC. She has worked as a facilitator with youth and adults in various capacities for over 20 years. She has served on the National Board for Professional

Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Social Studies-History Standards Committee and is currently serving on the NBPTS Board of Directors. In June 2012, Haydee will represent the U.S. in the Department of State’s International Leaders in Education Program. Rodriguez was recognized by Girls Incorporated for a project she developed and coordinated titled “YOUTHink.” As a trained Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy® facilitator, she worked with girls ages 10-18 to help them acquire the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about their sexual health. Haydee Rodriguez received her bachelor’s (with distinction) in History from San Diego State University and earned a master’s in Education in 2002 from Stanford University. In 2008, Ms. Rodriguez completed master-level coursework in Spanish Language and Culture at Universidad de Salamanca in Spain.

Terry Ryan Terry Ryan is vice-president for Ohio Programs and Policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute/Foundation. He leads all Ohio operations, which include charter school sponsorship, grantmaking, and Fordham’s state research and policy efforts. Ryan is a 2008 New Schools Venture Fund/Aspen Institute fellow and a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Ryan has worked closely on a number of statewide charter school efforts in Ohio including the launch of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the creation of the Ohio Charter School Sponsorship Institute. Ryan is current board treasurer for the non-profit School

Choice Ohio, and served as board chair for the non-profit charter school support organization Keys to Improving Dayton Schools, Inc. Ryan has worked on education reform issues in both the US and the UK since 1995. Ryan is a Paterson International Fellow and has worked with educational policy makers in Warsaw, Poland. Ryan received his master’s in political economy from the University of Denver.

Philip Schmidt

Dr. Philip Schmidt is Associate Provost for Academic Programs at Western Governors University. Phil was previously Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Berea College; Chair of the Department of Secondary Education as well as Dean of the School of Education at SUNY New Paltz; and Associate Provost during a second stint at Berea College. He has been the project director for grant activities that target the mathematics, science, and technology education of high school students and teachers. Philip Schmidt has a B.S. degree from Brooklyn College of CUNY and M.A, and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics and

mathematics education from Syracuse University.

David Steiner

Dr. David Steiner is Dean of the School of Education at Hunter College. In this appointment, he has led the school to national recognition for work in the video analysis and clinically-rich preparation of teachers – and a break-the-mold partnership with top-performing charter school networks. Steiner has served as Chair of the Department of Education Policy at Boston University, where he authored research on the deficiencies of teacher preparation programs in America; Director of Education at the National Endowment of the Arts, where he introduced programs of support for experiences of immersion in the arts; and as Commissioner of Education for the State of New York,

where he lead the state’s successful Race to the Top Application. The Race to the Top grant money brought to New York State is implementing state-wide curricula in all major subjects, a radical reform of the state standards and assessments, a complete re-design of teacher certification from a system centered on course work to a performance-based, clinically focused approach, and a comprehensive program to address the state’s lowest performing schools for the first time. Dr. Steiner also has served on Federal, State and Foundation-funded education reform initiatives, and addressed education policy makers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Dr. Steiner received his BA and MA degrees at Balliol College, Oxford, and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University.

Jennifer Stern

Jennifer Stern is Executive Director of the Janus Education Alliance at Denver Public Schools. Ms. Stern is responsible for focusing on improving the teacher experience, from recruitment through to retirement. She has worked at the New York City Department of Education, the Charter School Growth Fund, and Denver Public Schools. At the NYC DOE, she redesigned the employee and applicant experience. As a Partner at the Charter School Growth Fund, she worked closely with leading charter operators across the country on the development and implementation of strategic growth plans. Prior to transitioning into the field of education reform, Stern

worked at Bain & Company, a top strategy-consulting firm, where she partnered with corporations to develop and implement both growth and turnaround plans. She spent several years at American Express, where she worked in Strategic Venture Capital before leading marketing teams in loyalty and acquisition marketing. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pomona College and is a graduate of Harvard Business School. She joined the KIPP Austin Public Schools Board of Directors in September 2007.

Julie Underwood

Dr. Julie Underwood is the eighth Dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She has returned to Madison after serving as Dean of Miami University’s School of Education and Allied Professions. Underwood has taught at UW-Madison on the faculty of the Department of Educational Administration (now Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis). At UW-Madison, Underwood has served as chair of the Department of Educational Administration, associate dean of the School of Education, and co-director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Policy at the Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs. Prior to this, Underwood served as associate executive

director and general counsel for the National School Boards Association in Washington, D.C. At the NSBA, she led a legal advocacy program on behalf of the nation’s public school boards, including producing friend-of-the-court briefs and legal strategies before the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts. She also was responsible for the 3,000-member Council of School Attorneys. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from DePauw University, a law degree from Indiana University, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

Randi Weingarten Randi Weingarten is President of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal employees; and early childhood educators. With her leadership as AFT president, the union has pursued an agenda that reforms education by holding everyone accountable, revamping how teachers are evaluated, and ensuring that children have access to broad and deep curriculum as well as wraparound services.

Weingarten launched major efforts to place education reform and innovation high on the nation’s agenda. In 2008, she led the development of the AFT Innovation Fund, a groundbreaking initiative to support sustainable, innovative and collaborative reform projects developed by members and their local unions to strengthen our public schools. She has served as an AFT vice president previously. She served for 12 years as president of the United Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2, representing nonsupervisory educators in the New York City public school system, as well as home child care providers and other workers in health, law and education. For ten years, Weingarten chaired New York City’s Municipal Labor Committee, coordinating labor negotiations and bargaining for benefits on behalf of the MLC unions’ members. Weingarten served as counsel to UFT president Sandra Feldman, taking a lead role in contract negotiations and enforcement, and in lawsuits in which the union fought for adequate school funding and building conditions. Weingarten later became UFT president after Feldman became president of the AFT. Formerly, Weingarten was a history teacher at Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights. She is an active member of the Democratic National Committee and numerous professional, civic and philanthropic organizations. Weingarten holds degrees from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the Cardozo School of Law. She worked as a lawyer for the Wall Street firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan from 1983 to 1986.

Bob Wise

Governor Bob Wise is President of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former Governor of West Virginia. He currently co-chairs the Digital Learning Council with Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida. Governor Wise also chairs the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Under Governor Wise’s leadership, the Alliance continues to build its reputation as a respected authority on high school policy by advocating for reform in America’s secondary education system and working to ensure that all students graduate from high school prepared for college, careers, and to be contributing members of society. As governor of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005, he fought for and signed legislation to fund the PROMISE

Scholarship program, which has helped thousands of West Virginia high school graduates continue their education. During his administration, West Virginia saw a significant increase in the number of students completing high school and entering college. In 2001, Governor Wise proposed salary bonuses for teachers who achieve National Board certification. The proposal was passed and, as a result, helped triple the rate of certified teachers in the state. Governor Wise serves on several boards, committees, and commissions including the Public Education Network’s board of directors, the Springboard Project Commission, the board of trustees of America’s Promise, and the steering committee for the Coalition for a College and Career Ready America. He is an advisory committee member for a number of organizations, including the Campaign for Educational Equity, Editorial Projects in Education, the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools, and the National High School Center, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Special Education Programs and housed at the American Institutes for Research. He also serves on the board of advisors for the Moffitt Cancer Center and the board of directors of C-Change, which works to eliminate cancer as a major public health risk at the earliest possible time. Governor Wise earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a JD from Tulane University School of Law.

Donna Wiseman

Dr. Donna L. Wiseman is Dean of the College of Education at the University of Maryland, and served as interim dean of the college during the academic year prior to her appointment. Before this, she held the position of Associate Dean for Academic Programs responsible for student services and advising, international activities, outreach, teacher education and accreditation. Wiseman is also a professor in the Teaching, Learning, Policy and Leadership Department. She teaches courses in literacy development, reading and language arts teaching methods, children's literature, and teacher research and leadership and is a former public school teacher.

Before joining the University of Maryland in 2001, she held various leadership positions at Northern Illinois University and Texas A&M University. At Maryland she served as a member of the University Committee on Diversity and was the College of Education's equity officer. She is a past chair of the President's Commission on Women's Issues, and served on the Vice President's Advisory Council for Curriculum and Courses and the University International Advisory Committee. Most recently she served on the President’s Commission on Athletics and served as the Chair for the Dean of the School of Public Health Search Committee. Wiseman is involved with a number of professional organizations and agencies at the state and national level. She serves on the board of directors of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI), the International Consortium on Teacher Education (ICTE), and APLU’s Science Mathematics Teacher Initiative. She was appointed as a member of the NCATE Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and is currently the chair of the board of directors for the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). Wiseman received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Oklahoma State University, her master's degree in reading from Arkansas State University, and her doctorate in reading from the University of Missouri-Columbia.