Becky Allen

Data D.O.A.? Not at North!

Grade Level: 6 to 12

Becky Allen is the Site Instructional Leader at North Junior High where she leased the implementation of professional growth. Additionally, she is the Secondary Teacher Mentor for the district.

Dr. Wendy Amosa

The Power of Pedagogy

Grade Level: All

Wendy is a Lecturer at The University of Newcastle, Australia. Her interests include multicultural education, English education, teaching for social justice and pedagogy. As a researcher on the SIPA project, Wendy is examining the equity implication of Quality Teaching for closing the achievement gap in NSW public schools.

Dennis Andersen

Curtain Up on Readers/Writers Theater! Engaging Strategies for Promoting High-Level Thinking

Grade levels: All

Dennis Andersen is an NUA consultant whose plays for children and adults have been published and produced around the country. He has taught reading, writing, and theater to learners of all ages.

Dr. Jane Flynn Anderson

Preparing Non-Urban Preservice Teachers and Local Volunteers to Work with Urban Middle School Students with Reading Disabilities

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Jane Flynn has worked in the field of reading for forty years as an elementary and secondary teacher, English as a Foreign Language teacher, LD diagnostician, researchers, consultant and preservice/inservice trainer. Her research includes early identification and intervention for children at risk of reading failure, neuropsychological correlates of dyslexia, and remediation of reading disabilities. As director of the K-12 Reading Teacher Program at Saint Mary’s University she is working with Saint Paul Public Schools to train middle school and high school reading specialists.

Ahmes Askia

Promoting High Intellectual Performance

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Ahmes Askia began her educational career in 1976 with Prescription Learning Corporation as an education consultant in Houston Independent School District. She is currently part of an education foundation whose focus is research and training of educators.

Jennifer Beaumont

Origami, International Language, as a Tool to Increase Literacy

Grade Level: All

Laura Benson

Saying “Yes!” to Learning: Reaching the Distract Reader and Arrest Writer

Grade Level: K to 8

Laura brings over twenty-six years of teaching to her work as a teacher educator and NUA consultant. Her work in professional development began during the first years of her teaching career when she was asked to develop a writers’ workshop lab classroom for colleagues. Laura’s demonstrations of writing instruction and evaluation grew into staff development efforts devoted to reading instruction and integrating literacy instruction and content area learning.

From those early years, her career expanded to include diverse roles. Laura has served as a long-time elementary classroom teacher; middle school language arts teacher; elementary and middle school reading specialist; private tutor for children and adult learners; literacy curriculum coordinator; social studies curriculum coordinator; on-staff literacy coach; K – 12 staff developer; and independent consultant. Additionally, she led several district level literacy and staff development efforts in the positions of K – 12 reading coordinator and literacy coach and has also worked as a trainer, writer, and lab classroom teacher for the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC). She was a literacy consultant for Rigby Education and is currently on contract with Staff Development for Educators. She is an adjunct instructor for the University of Colorado at Denver’s Language, Literacy and Culture graduate school program and Regis University’s Master of Arts and often supervises student teachers as well as leading teacher inductee programs. Today, Laura continues to anchor her work in classrooms with students and teachers demonstrating lessons, modeling assessment practices and data analysis, co-teaching, and coaching colleagues throughout the country.

Mary Ann Bradley

Creating Schools Where All Kids and Families Experience Belonging

Grade Level: Pre K to 8

Mary Ann Bradley is a licensed K-6 teacher and K-12 library media educator and is currently the executive director of aMaze. She worked as a mental health family therapist for over 20 years and has conducted training on racism/white privilege, sexual minority issues, trans-racial adoption and selecting multicultural children’s literature.

Julie Bucknam

High Intellectual Performance in ALL Students

Grade Level: All

Julie Bucknam, 8th grade Language Arts, teaches at Wayzata Central Middle School. She has been involved with the NUA program for the past three years.

Casey Budesilich

Reclaiming The Hearts And Minds Of African American Learners

Grade Level: 4 to 12

Casey Budesilich brings a strong background in non-profit management and program development to his position as Breakthrough Strategic Growth Manager, supporting communities starting Breakthrough programs across the country.

Stacy Calvery

High Intellectual Performance in ALL Students

Grade Level: All

Stacy Calvery, 7th & 8th grade Science, teaches at Wayzata Central Middle School. She has been involved with the NUA program for the past three years.

Tresa Chambers

Grounding Math, Language, and Art in Social Justice: One Center’s Commitment to Liberation through Education

Grade Level: All

Tresa works with the Center for Urban Education & Innovation in Miami, FL. She is a communications professional and is the Director of the Family Literacy Arts Program.

Dr. Tania Chance

Educational Issues for African Americans

Grade Level: All

Tania is a district administrator and educational consultant who works with teachers and administrators nationally in the field of academic achievement, with a special focus on understanding diverse student populations.

Dr. Monique Chism

Closing the Achievement Gap: A Growing Need for Cultural Responsiveness

Grade Level: All

Monique M. Chism is a Senior Program Associate at Learning Point Associates. Dr. Chism joined Learning Point Associates in 2005 with more than 10 years of educational consulting experience and eight years of teaching experience. As the Achievement Gap Team Lead, Dr. Chism has the opportunity to work in a number of capacities at the organization to provide clients with systems of targeted support on issues related to closing the achievement gaps and the importance of implementing data-driven decision-making.

Dr. Rose Chu

Empowering Out-of-School Time Adults: Supporting Academic Achievement Beyond the Classroom

Grade Level: All

Rose W. Chu, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of the Urban Teacher Program at Metropolitan State University. Her specialty is preparing prospective math teachers to educate diverse, urban learners. Her research interests include math education reform from a social justice perspective, and engaging community stakeholders in educational equity and access.

David Clark

Circles and Trees: Teaching English Language Learners Science with NUA Strategies

Grade level: 9 to 12

David Clark, B.S., Life Science and Ecology, Minnesota State University, Mankato, has taught science for four years, the last two at Richfield High School.

Sarah Clyne

Pre-Reading: How To Catch’em, How To Keep’em

Grade Level: 4 to 8

Sarah has teaching experience in urban public schools and is the ESL Coordinator of Richfield Public Schools.

Br. Pat Conway

Boys Learning from Men

Grade Level: All

Br. Pat Conway is the architect of the Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program and has devoted his life to service for the poor.

Martha Cosgrove

NUA Thinking Maps and Strategies in Advanced Placement Courses

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Student Showcase: Culture, Language and Cognition in the Classroom

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Martha Cosgrove holds a Master of Arts Degree, is National Board Certified and has a MCTE Teacher in Excellence Award. She has more than thirty years teaching experience. She has taught AP American and World Literature. She is a member of the NUA Cohort Program.

John Dahl

Intervention Education Review

Grade Level: 9 to 12

John Dahl is a fifth grade teacher and school Staff Development co-chair at Cornelia Elementary School in Edina Minnesota. John’s goal is teaching all students to excel in literacy in content areas.

Bobby DeWitt

High Intellectual Performance in ALL Students

Grade Level: All

Bobby DeWitt, 7th grade Social Studies, teaches at Wayzata Central Middle School. He has been involved with the NUA program for the past three.

Anne Diskin

Passion, Persuasion, Post-Its, and Partnerships

Grade Level: 4 to 12

Anne Diskin, an NUA Consultant, is an experienced classroom teacher; writer, lecturer, and staff developer who has delights thousands of appreciative teacher throughout the United States since 1979 with her lively, practical workshops. Besides providing personalized professional development for schools, Anne is on the faculty at California State University, East Bay, where she supervises credential candidates preparing to teach in urban schools.

Dr. M. Brandon Doubek

C3: Building Confidence and Competence through Communication

Grade level: All

Michael Brandon Doubek is the Director of Evaluation for the National Urban Alliance, in addition to his role as a literacy and thinking skills consultant in the Seattle and Newark projects. A former professor of Instruction and Educational Leadership in the New York City area, he taught courses in Educational Research, Foundations of Education, Evaluation and Assessment, Models of Teaching, Language Arts and Reading Education K-12, as well as Gifted and Talented Education.

Dr. John Edwards

Magnificent Classrooms-Magnificent Schools

Grade Level: All

John is an internationally recognized for his research on thinking, and professional growth and learning. He has turned this research into an award-winning practice in education, business and industry

Mario Eraso

Grounding Math, Language, and Art in Social Justice: One Center’s Commitment to Liberation through Education

Grade Level: All

Mario works with the Center for Urban Education & Innovation in Miami, FL. He is a Program Assistant for Algebra Project-Miami and a doctoral candidate in Math Education.

Linda Farruggia

Ideas For Leaders: Supporting Balanced Literacy In The Classroom

Grade Level: All

Linda Farruggia is a consultant with over thirty years of experience in the education field. She has been a teacher, Director of Curriculum, Director of Professional Development for an Educational Service Center, Director of Title I and Federal Programs, Elementary School Principal, Adjunct University Faculty Member, and Director of Training. While serving as President of the Illinois Reading Council, she worked with the Illinois State Board to train teachers in literacy and gifted education. During her work in the educational consulting, she has run trainer of trainers sessions, managed the acclaimed “Teaching for Intelligence” conference, trained teachers in literacy and science, and supported the implementation of Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment in schools across the United States.

Linda has trained teachers across the United States and Canada in balanced literacy, gifted education strategies, effective use of assessment tools, and positive discipline techniques. Linda’s focus is to support teachers as they learn current research, new skills and strategies to improve academic achievement and their craft.

Shelia Fridovich

IPS and NUA: Believing, Achieving, And Succeeding

Grade level: All

Sheila has worked as a speech pathologist, language consultant, and educational specialist. Mrs. Fridovich has a particular interest in the interrelationship between language development, intelligence, and achievement.

Salome Gebre-Egziabher

Family Math/Family Science: “Hands-on” Approaches To Promote Math/Science Student Achievement

Grade Level: All

Salome Gebre-Egziabher, Program manager, University of Michigan Programs For Educational Opportunity, has a MA Degree in Sociology and African Development. She has extensive experience in designing, implementing and evaluating multicultural educational programs. She has taught at U.S. and Ethiopian Universities. She is multilingual, speaking Tigrinya, Amharic and English fluently and understanding French.

Ruth Mary Gens

Student Showcase: Culture, Language and Cognition in the Classroom

Grade Level: 9 to 12

A member of a panel that has completed two years of NUA training and implemented a school-wide staff development plan to imbed the NUA strategies across the school, Ruth Mary Gens teaches ESL U.S. History and U.S. History.

Denise Gesme

Intervention Education Review

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Denise Gesme is a veteran educator, current fourth grade teacher, and Staff Development co-chair at Cornelia Elementary School in Edina Minnesota. Denise is committed to differentiating instruction and creatively engaging struggling learners.

Shirley Gooden Graham

Culture and Learning

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Shirley is a native Alabamian and the proud mother of three beautiful children; Daphne, David and Dana. I also have two grandchildren; Caleb and Carrington. Currently I am the Principal of Woodlawn Magnet High School located in Birmingham, Alabama. Woodlawn High School was one of the schools selected to participate in the NUA Initiative this year.

I have served as an educator for thirty-one years and have had the opportunity to work in both rural and urban school settings. Working in various educational settings has allowed me to network with diverse groups of individuals as well as build lasting relationships with both students and their families. One of my proudest moments was successfully merging two schools. Of the tow schools, one served low-income students where as the other school served upper middle class students. Although this project did not come easy, it allowed me to hone my leadership and communication skills. In addition, this experience was a lesson well taught in cultural diversity.

Cecilia Green

Finding Success and Tearing Down Barriers

Cecilia J. Green is the Principal of Hartford Magnet Middle School.
She holds a degree in Elementary Education from Oklahoma State University and a Master degree in Curriculum Supervision and Education Administration from the University of Oklahoma. In 2000, Mrs. Green began her administrative career in the Hartford Public Schools at the SAND school before successfully leading the district Math Department (k-6). During this tenure she designed and implemented curriculum in accordance with the state standards. She returned to SAND in 2003 and served as Principal where she was cited for elevating CMT scores in writing and math and also for her role in the Special Education with a district wide Inclusion initiative. In 2005, Mrs. Green was selected as the Principal of HMMS, the Hartford flagship school.

Dr. Nadine Haley

Tender Tough Times: The interconnectedness of Culture, Teaching and Responsive Practice

Grade level: All

Nadine Haley received a doctorate in curriculum and instruction/urban education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has presented at local, national, and international conferences on research, theory, and practice related to issues in urban education, English Education, and literacy. Currently, she is an assistant professor in urban teachers development. Areas of research and interest include teacher education, retention of African American students, and literacy instruction.

Lorraine Hanson

Circles and Trees: Teaching English Language Learners Science with NUA Strategies

Grade level: 9 to 12

Lorraine Hanson, B.A., French, University of Colorado at Boulder, M.A. Second Language Acquisition, University of Texas at Austin, teaches English-as-a-second-language at Richfield High School, Richfield, Minnesota. She has taught in Europe and Japan in addition to directing U.S. Army linguist programs while on active duty with the U.S. Army.