2022 Academic Support Conference | Speakers

Jessica Minahan, M.Ed., BCBA, is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst, special educator, as well as a consultant to schools internationally. Jessica has over 17 years of experience supporting students who exhibit challenging behavior in urban public school systems. She is the co-author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students (Harvard Education Press, 2012) and author of The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors (Harvard Education Press, 2014). Learn more at www.jessicaminahan.com.

For over 25 years Marydee Sklar has been sharing her passion helping students and adults with time management, planning, and organization. A former classroom teacher and reading specialist, she approaches these issues from the perspective of supporting the brain with hands-on, visual tools and strategies, focusing on building metacognition to achieve behavior change. She has presented nationally and internationally at schools and conferences. Marydee is an award-winning author of three books to teach executive functioning. She has designed a student planner curriculum to build student executive function skills. She offers two highly praised online professional development courses for educators.

Mike Frawley is the director of educational technology for Woodlynde School where he also teaches upper school English. He has a bachelor’s degree from Temple University and certifications in elementary, special, mid-level, and high school education. He has been at Woodlynde School since 2015. Prior to joining Woodlynde, he taught middle school English, reading, and science in the Pennsbury School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Mike Gwaltney is an ISM consultant and ISM’s director of online learning. Over his 30 years working in private-independent schools, Mike served in roles from teacher and coach, to department chair, technology specialist, curriculum developer and coordinator, division head/high school principal, and assistant head of school. Mike works with schools on all areas of academic programming and is one of the pioneering leaders in online learning within the American private-independent school community. Mike was an inaugural-year teacher with the Online School for Girls and over four years taught courses for students and professional development courses for teachers. Mike also led the development of an award-winning blended/online program for private-independent schools in Portland, Oregon. Mike holds a masters degree focused on progressive/constructivist distance learning, and he is considered a thought leader in developing constructivist learning experiences that connect students to each other online in highly collaborative, digital and in-person projects.

Dr. Scott Hamilton is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Understanding Minds, PC in Atlanta. He has over 20 years of specialization providing comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations of children, adolescents, and young adults. Scott received his master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from Indiana State University. He is board certified by the American Board of School Neuropsychology. Scott is a frequent presenter at regional and national workshops on a variety of topics related to the interface between education and neuroscience. In addition to a 20+ year clinical assessment practice, he has 18 years of experience in independent school leadership. He has served as a principal and assistant head of school for academics for a K-12 independent school for students with language-based learning disabilities and learning differences, and as learning center director at a college prep pre-K-12 independent school in Indianapolis. Currently, he serves as a consultant with Cliff Valley School and the Cliff Valley Institute.

Carolyn Kruk is a learning specialist and director of professional development at Woodlynde School. Woodlynde School supports students with learning differences to become self-advocates and strategic thinkers. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in language and literacy from Harvard University, and a master’s degree in literacy from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Carolyn is also a Pennsylvania certified reading specialist.

Kristin McMurrer is the assistant director of admissions and a credentialed Wilson Reading System trainer at Woodlynde School. Woodlynde School supports students with learning differences to become self-advocates and strategic thinkers. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary and special education from Saint Joseph’s University and her master’s degree in reading education, also from Saint Joseph’s University. Kristin is also a Pennsylvania certified reading specialist.

Laura Portwood has served in many roles within the school community over the past 25 years including parent, volunteer, substitute teacher, and faculty member. This year she has a new role as the lower school learning support teacher. She works with a talented group of counselors and teachers to help support and empower the students in the lower school who have learning differences. Laura enjoys working with Parents U-Knighted and Homework Helpers, two programs that support parents and students within the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge community. 

Robin Talamo has over 23 years of clinical experience, with the last 13 years in the school setting. She is a graduate of Loyola University and Tulane University’s School of Social Work. The early years of her career were spent working with various age groups with significant mental health issues. Settings included behavioral hospitalization units, as well as partial hospitalization programs. She has been the learning support services coordinator at Episcopal School of Baton Rouge for 10 years. She works with students from the lower school all the way through 12th grade to get them prepared for the college level. Her core groups of Parents U-Knighted and OYES are hallmarks of the learning support services program that focuses on partnership and self-advocacy.