Amanda BickerstaffCEO, AI for Education, Inc.
Amanda is the Co-Founder and CEO of AI for Education and is a former high school biology teacher and EdTech executive with more than 20 years of experience in the education sector. She has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that AI can offer and is a frequent consultant, speaker, and writer on the topic of AI in education, leading workshops and professional learning across both K12 and Higher Ed. Amanda is committed to helping schools and teachers maximize their potential through the ethical and equitable adoption of AI.
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Jay McTigheAuthor and Consultant, McTighe and Associates
Jay McTighe is a veteran educator and accomplished author, having co-written 18 books, including the award-winning and best-selling Understanding by Design® series with Grant Wiggins. His books have been translated into fourteen languages. Jay has also written more than 60 book chapters, articles and blogs, and been published in leading journals, including Educational Leadership (ASCD), Edutopia and Education Week.
Jay has an extensive background in professional development and is a regular speaker at state, national, and international conferences. He has made presentations in 48 states within the United States, in 7 Canadian provinces, and internationally in 41 countries on six continents.
Jay received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, earned his Master’s degree from the University of Maryland, and completed post-graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University.
Lauren FryeCampus Architect, Forsyth Country Day School
With more than 15 years of professional experience and architectural degrees from Princeton University and the University of Virginia, Lauren is a practicing architect, educator, and nonprofit founder/board chair. She is a big-picture thinker with an eye for detail and is a design-thinking evangelist. Passionate about the power of design to build community via thoughtful engagement, respectful reuse, and responsiveness to natural systems, Lauren strives toward a practice that celebrates the latent value in people and places.
Jill Lovorn GoughDirector of Teaching and Learning, Trinity School
Jill Gough, director of teaching and learning at Trinity School since 2012, facilitates professional development opportunities, builds teacher-administrator partnerships to facilitate a collaborative learning community, and leads educator observations and assessments.
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Sarah HanawaldSenior Director, Association for Academic Leaders
Sarah has spent more than 25 years leading education innovation in curriculum and pedagogy in independent schools. During that time, she was a classroom teacher and advisor, department chair, technology director, and an academic dean at three North Carolina Independent schools. In just three schools, Sarah still worked in environments that included boarding and day, K-12, high school, single gender and co-ed, faith-based and secular. She currently serves as the senior director for the Association for Academic Leaders, a professional association dedicated to supporting those in academic leadership roles in growing in the competencies that empower them to further their schools’ growth in meeting their missions.
Marsha HarrisDirector of Curriculum, Trinity School
As director of curriculum, Marsha has played a key role in designing and implementing comprehensive curriculum frameworks and assessment practices. By collaborating with colleagues and administrators, she has successfully developed curriculum models that align with educational standards, best practices, and promote student achievement.
She provides support to teachers, helping them refine their pedagogy, implement intervention and enrichment opportunities, and enhance classroom management skills. Through individualized coaching sessions, workshops, and professional development programs, Marsha empowers educators to create engaging and inclusive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of their students.
Assessment is a vital component of effective teaching and learning. With her passion in assessment strategies, Marsha helps facilitate and implement data-driven approaches to measure student progress and inform instructional decisions. By utilizing formative and summative assessments, she also facilitates targeted interventions and promoted continuous improvement among students and teachers alike.
Dr. Jared Cooney HorvathDirector and Founder, LME Global
Jared Cooney Horvath (PhD, MEd) is a neuroscientist, educator, and author of the best-selling book Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick.
Jared has conducted research and lectured at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, the University of Melbourne, and over 1,000 schools internationally. He has published 6 books and more than 50 research articles, and his work has been featured in publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, HBR, and PBS’s NOVA.
Jared currently serves as the director of LME Global, a company dedicated to bringing the latest brain and behavioral research to teachers and students.
Mike KentzFounder/CEO, AI Literacy Partners
Mike Kentz is an award-winning educator with more than 14 years of experience across journalism and teaching. He is a TEDx Speaker, and his work in AI in Education has been featured in EdSurge, Edutopia, The Wall Street Journal, Canadian National Radio, and more.
His workshops have been formulated as a product of direct classroom experience in 2023-24, when he developed a ground-breaking approach to teaching with AI in the classroom that has since been accepted for presentation at multiple national and regional education conferences.
These experiences now inform his unique, Humanities-based approach to developing AI Literacy among adults and students and helping schools to adapt to the advancement of artificial intelligence.
He is a graduate of Georgetown University (B.A. American Studies), Relay Graduate School of Education (M.A.T.), and Wilkes University (M.A. Creative Writing).
Michelle KlostermanAssociate Head of School for Teaching and Learning, Forsyth Country Day School
Michelle has spent nearly 25 years in the academic world, with 14 of those as a consultant for schools, individuals, and organizations focused on strategic development, team culture and support, and process-oriented change. She currently serves as the associate head of school for teaching and learning at Forsyth Country Day School, where she supports the curriculum and teaching efforts of the school.
Nicole MartinExecutive Director of Learning and Innovation, The Mount Vernon School
Nicole Martin (Ed.S) serves as the executive director of learning and innovation at The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, GA, where she has led faculty, students, and staff for the past 15 years. She focuses on the best ways to transfer innovative learning practices and key curricular decisions from vision to reality in preschool through grade 12, including implementing competency-based learning, expeditionary learning, inquiry-based learning, instructional rounds, authentic assessment practices, and the school’s research and design professional learning model.
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Dr. Yolanda McClureDirector of Teaching and Learning, Forsyth Country Day School
Dr. Yolanda J. McClure is a seasoned educational leader specializing in professional learning and development. As director of teaching and learning at Forsyth Country Day School, she utilizes over 15 years of experience to empower educators through coaching, mentorship, and innovative programs. Her leadership focuses on enriching the faculty experience, including onboarding, curriculum development, and ensuring organizational coherence.
Dr. McClure holds a doctorate in education from Northeastern University, specializing in Teaching, Leadership, and Learning, along with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UNC Greensboro. She actively contributes to the educational community, presenting on topics like literacy integration and differentiation. Her strategic leadership has consistently improved instruction, student outcomes, and school culture. Dr. McClure is passionate about professional learning that equips educators to meet evolving student needs and cultivate lasting academic success.
John MonahanCivil Dialogue Program Co-Director, The Westminster Schools
John Monahan is currently director of testing, co-director of civil dialogue program, and teacher of U.S. History at Westminster in Atlanta, where he has also served as a grade chair, discipline council moderator, and football and baseball coach.
Prior to Westminster, he was a member of the school leadership team and teacher advisory board at Saint Martin de Porres High School, a Cristo Rey Network School, in Cleveland, Ohio. John is also on the board of trustees at the High Meadows School in Roswell, Georgia. This is his 20th year in education.
He has an M.A. in the Teaching of Social Studies and Politics from Teachers College, an M.A. in Public Policy with a Finance Concentration from Georgia State University, and a B.A. in History and Politics from the University of Virginia. He is originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, where he went to St. Anne’s-Belfield School.
Danette MortonExecutive Director, Center for Teaching, The Westminster Schools
Danette Morton is the executive director of the Center for Teaching at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA. She leads efforts to foster a professional culture that emphasizes both high challenge and high support. A proven teacher, administrator, and mentor, Danette is passionate about inspiring growth and joy in educational leaders.
Steve NowackAssistant Head for Academic Affairs, Rabun Gap Nacoochee School
Steve Nowack, assistant head for academic affairs at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, has been a pivotal leader over his 15-year tenure, shaping the school’s applied learning model centered on real-world experiences for students Pre-K through grade 12. Recognizing the importance of equipping faculty with the tools and support necessary for a modern learning structure, Steve has worked to ensure a smooth transition, fostering a culture of professional growth and adaptability among teachers. His collaborative approach empowers faculty to engage in innovative, experiential teaching that connects students to meaningful, practical applications, preparing them for success beyond the classroom.
Brooke PetersonAssistant Head of School for Teaching & Learning, Advent Episcopal School
Brooke Peterson is the assistant head of school for teaching and learning at Advent Episcopal School in Birmingham, Alabama. In this role, she works closely with the teaching and learning team to promote a culture of trust, growth, and excellence in all areas of student learning.
Prior to working at Advent, Brooke served as the middle school head, iPad integration specialist, and English teacher at Tuscaloosa Academy. With more than two decades of experience as a middle and high school English teacher in independent schools in Alabama and Ohio, her work with young people in the classroom continues to guide her role as an administrator.
Brooke holds an M.Ed. from Vanderbilt Peabody College, a M.A.T. from Marygrove College, and a B.A. in English from The College of Wooster.
Dr. Maggie RenkenDirector of Modern Learning, Rabun Gap Nacoochee School
Dr. Maggie Renken is an award-winning educator with a history of working in higher education and preK-12 settings. Currently the director of modern learning at Rabun Gap Nacoochee School, she works with faculty, administrators, and students to infuse modern learning strategies, skills, and technology, with a particular focus on design thinking and AI, while also teaching AP Psychology classes and leading a season of after school STEAM.
Her research publications and funded projects have focused on curricular approaches for assessing and improving thinking and learning, particularly in science disciplines, through the use of technology and for learners typically underrepresented in STEM fields.
Dr. David-Aaron RothDirector of Student Leadership Development, Charlotte Latin School
David-Aaron Roth is the director of student leadership development at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, N.C, where he leads various TK-12 initiatives related to student leadership development, community-engaged learning, service and community partnerships, and student life. Prior to his arrival at Charlotte Latin, David-Aaron completed his doctorate at the University of Virginia, where he studied and researched high quality practices related to community engagement and student leadership development.
Ann Marsh RutledgeExecutive Director, MV Ventures, The Mount Vernon School
Ann Marsh values her work leading research on emerging topics in education. She enjoys partnering with educators and leaders all over the world to design school strategy, innovate programs and systems, and transform teaching experiences.
Over the course of her 15 years in education, she has taught and tutored students in grades PK through grade 6, served as a learning specialist, instructional coach, and curriculum designer, as well as head of learning and innovation for MV Ventures.
Ann Marsh is an innovative education leader with a passion for applying research to practice and guiding schools through change to meet their highest potential. She is a frequent speaker, facilitator, and consultant on topics ranging from the future of education, emerging innovation, and organizational strategy to instructional design, including Inquiry-based Learning, Competency-based Assessment, and Design Thinking.
Tori SparksCivil Dialogue Program Co-Director, The Westminster Schools
Tori Sparks is currently a grade chair, co-director of the Civil Dialogue Program, and teacher of AP African American Studies at Westminster in Atlanta. Prior to Westminster, she was a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Gulliver Prep in Miami, Florida, where she taught U.S. Government and Economics, in addition to other Humanities electives. She has also previously served as the History department chair and advisory coordinator while working at a charter school in Washington, D.C.
This is her 12th year in education, and she is currently working on her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on Innovation at the University of Virginia. She has an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Florida International University, an M.S. in Educational Studies with a focus in Secondary Social Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in History and African American Studies from the University of Virginia.
Dr. Kelly SwansonDean of Academics, Mount Paran Christian School
Dr. Kelly Swanson has been involved in education for more than 29 years, including teaching the first AP Human Geography course in the world in 1997. He has authored the Kaplan AP Human Geography Guide and the Teacher’s Edition for Bedford/Freeman’s Human Geography for the AP Course.
Kelly’s work includes being a geographic consultant for the Onion’s Our Dumb World. Kelly assisted in rewriting the Minnesota State Geography Standards in 2012 and advised the committee for the 2022 revision of the standards, along with being a member of the Center for Social Studies Education Committee. He has served on the National Assessment in Educational Progress Geography (NAEP) standing committee with the United States Department of Education.
Kelly has served worked for the College Board, Educational Testing Service, and teachers around the world in assessment and pedagogical practice. Currently, Kelly serves as dean of academics at Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Dr. Sonja TaylorAssociate Head of School, Charlotte Latin School
Sonja is the associate head of school at Charlotte Latin. She previously served as the school’s DEI director. Sonja joined Latin in 2017 from the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, where she championed the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; managed strategic corporate partnerships; and supported its STEM outreach programs in schools across the state.
As a lifelong learner and advocate for STEM education, Sonja has extensive experience as a curriculum developer and content writer, professional development leader, and project manager. These skills were honed over 12+ years in the educational publishing industry. Sonja has been the lead or collaborating author of several science textbooks and contributed to numerous science-focused publications for K-12 students. As a classroom teacher, Sonja taught Chemistry and Physics, and she also served as department chair and research advisor to students pursuing independent research on numerous physical and biological science topics.
Claire VaughnHead of School, Advent Episcopal School
Claire Vaughn is the head of school at Advent Episcopal School, where she has been leading since 2021 with a focus on academic excellence, belonging, and collaboration. Known for her creative problem-solving, Claire effectively navigates complex challenges, driving strategic growth, and fostering a strong sense of community.
Her previous leadership roles include serving as the assistant head of school for advancement at Advent, director of admission and financial aid at Indian Springs School, and assistant director at Saint Mary’s School. Claire holds an M.Ed. from Vanderbilt Peabody College and a B.S. in Child Studies.
Dr. Ryan WelshChief Design Strategist, Providence Day School
Ryan Welsh is the chief design strategist at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. In this role, Ryan leads IDEAS@PD, as well as designing and facilitating strategic conversations and experiences for the PDS senior leadership team.
He teaches design thinking and English in the upper school and a special area class for 5th grade students called “IDEAS Lab.” Across all of these efforts, he is charged with perpetuating intersected, interconnected learning experiences driven by student passion and curiosity.
He earned a B.A. in English and philosophy from Duke University, an M.A. in the humanities from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in curriculum & instruction from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Connie WhiteDirector of Learning & Innovation, Woodward Academy
Connie White is a visionary leader who has served as the director of learning & innovation at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA, since 2015. She is a former upper school Physics, Chemistry, and Math teacher who became one of the first technology & learning directors of a 1:1 program in the southeast.
Connie has conducted hundreds of workshops and seminars throughout the country and internationally. She is the president of the AATE ISTE affiliate, and she serves on several advisory boards, including the Association for Academic Leaders. She is a Paul Harris Fellow.
Connie leads Woodward Academy’s efforts in the areas of professional development, curriculum, and innovation. She was also the recipient of the 2016 ISTE ISEN Outstanding Educator Award, the 2020 ATLIS Pillar Award, and EdTech Digest’s Top 100 Influencers 2023.
Alexis WigginsDirector of Teaching and Learning, The John Cooper School
Alexis Wiggins has worked as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator in the U.S., Spain, the Middle East, and Asia and has consulted with schools all over the world, helping them implement Spider Web Discussion, Understanding by Design (UbD), effective assessment and rubric practices, the IB’s Approaches to teaching and learning (ATL), and Jay McTighe’s Macro-Curriculum model for curriculum review.
Alexis’s book, The Best Class You Never Taught: How Spider Web Discussion Can Turn Students into Learning Leaders (ASCD), explores how to transform classrooms and schools through high-level, student-led inquiry.
Alexis is currently the director of teaching and learning at The John Cooper School and in The Woodlands, TX.
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