2024 Academic Support Conference | Speakers

Josh Clark is the head of school at Landmark School in Beverly, MA. He previously served as head of The Schenck School in Atlanta, GA, and the Bodine School in Memphis, TN. Josh began his career in education at Lausanne Collegiate School, an International Baccalaureate World School in Memphis, TN, where he served as assistant head of the middle school and a middle and high school English teacher for seven years. He’s involved with several professional organizations and currently serves as the chair of the International Dyslexia Association and is an expert contributor to Made by Dyslexia, an awareness-raising, educational, and advocacy group. Josh is very interested in promoting the science of reading as a vehicle for education reform and social good.

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Allison Posey is an international leader for implementation of Universal Design for Learning and an expert on learning and the brain. She works at CAST, where she collaborates to apply current understanding from brain research into instructional practices. Allison was a life science teacher in high school and community college settings and still teaches at Lasell University. She received a degree in mind, brain, and education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and is the author of Engage the Brain: How to design for learning that taps into the power of emotions (ASCD, 2018) and Unlearning: Changing your beliefs and practice with UDL (CAST Publishing, 2020).

Lane Abrams is the Achievement Center director at Christ Church Episcopal School (CCES) in Greenville, SC. Lane has 23 years of experience as an exceptional education teacher, 19 of which have been in an independent school setting. She has served as AP and SSD coordinator for CCES as well as being an upper school learning specialist and 11th grade dean of students. Lane is a passionate advocate for individualized student needs and understands the importance of meeting students where they are in the learning process.

Andrea Adams is the academic support program coordinator at St. David’s School in Raleigh, NC. She has been an independent school educator for 30 years. Andrea holds a B.A. in child development and a M.Ed. from Meredith College with a certification in reading for grades K-12. She has served as a learning specialist for six years and the head of the academic support program at St. David’s for the past four years. During her tenure, she has established an executive functioning and math support program for middle school students, as well as on-campus speech and occupational therapy. She has organized and led professional development opportunities for faculty and is a member of St. David’s Academic Council. Andrea is passionate about helping all students not only develop the skills and tools to become successful learners but also develop a love of learning.

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Donna teaches in the academic support program at St. David’s School in Raleigh. Before coming to St. David’s, Donna was a high school principal in Chatham County, NC. She also led the ESL and dual language program and played a vital role in the special education department, ensuring compliance and strategic gains. Before joining administration, Donna was an English teacher and was noted for achieving substantial growth in her middle-grade students.

Donna earned her undergraduate degrees in communication and secondary education at the University of Oklahoma. She also holds a master’s in administration and curriculum/instruction. She is a nationally board-certified teacher with over 25 years of combined experience in teaching and administration. Donna believes that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow mentally, emotionally, and socially.

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A graduate of Emory University, Rachael has spent her professional career coaching and solving complex educational problems. From applying problem solving and vision casting skills in the business environment through applying these principles to the education realm, she excels at helping individual students and families find educational success.

Prior to founding Effective Students, Rachael solved complex educational problems in her role as an educational advocate mastering the maze of finding solutions for families within Georgia’s public and private schools, helping the most difficult learners find success.

As the founder of Effective Students, Rachael is the co-author of the Effective Student Curriculum, a reliable tool for schools to develop academic management skills in their students. She now spends all of her time working with children, young adults, families, and educators who are focused on achieving success in their school environment and acquiring a set of self-management skills that last a lifetime.

Barbara joined ISM in 2011 after working in the field of education since 1996. Her areas of expertise include employee culture, organizational systems, academic leadership, faculty evaluation, brain-based pedagogies, mission identity, and survey design. Prior to joining ISM, Barbara served as a literacy teacher at Boston University; a modern language teacher at the MacDuffie School, (MA); and a language teacher and lead advisor at Collegiate School (VA). She also served as academic dean at Cape Henry Collegiate School (VA), overseeing curriculum and professional growth in grades PreK−12. Barbara holds a bachelor’s degree in French and Spanish from Trinity College (CT); a master’s degree in applied linguistics from Boston University; a master’s degree in educational administration from Harvard University; and a master’s degree in independent school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.

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Hagen Carmichael is one of two upper school learning specialists at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, SC. A Christ Church Episcopal School graduate herself, Hagen is especially invested and works alongside teachers, parents, and other learning specialists to ensure the most success for the individual student.

This is her 10th year in education. She has previously taught in public schools where she helped develop curriculum and co-taught an inclusion class. She also taught at Camperdown Academy, which is a private school serving students with dyslexia.

In her years working in public education, Hagen led several professional development sessions and was the Crystal Apple award winner in 2014. She holds a B.A. in English and M.A.T. in middle-level education, both from Clemson University. Additionally, she has completed Orton-Gillingham training at the Associate Level.

Janine Loumiet Couch is the director of student support services and the Center for Academic Excellence at Maclay School in Tallahassee, FL. Janine has been an independent school student and educator in schools in Florida, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C. She has served in several leadership positions and as a middle and upper school English teacher. She holds a master’s degree in school leadership from Harvard University and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English literature and English education from Florida State University. She is passionately dedicated to advancing equity and excellence in schools and promoting continuous improvement for all.

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Katy Goldsmith is passionate about teaching students self-advocacy and empowering them to be actively engaged in the classroom. In her current role as director of the middle school academic resource center at Pace Academy, she enjoys supporting students by helping them understand how they learn and partnering with teachers to implement brain-based practices within the classroom setting. Before moving to Atlanta, Katy was the director of the teaching and learning center at the National Cathedral School in Washington, DC, and the middle school learning specialist at Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, TN. With a B.S.W. from the University of Georgia and a M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University, Katy has over 15 years of experience as an educator and considers herself a lifelong learner.

In his 30-year career in private-independent schools, Mike has served as a teacher, coach, department chair, technology specialist, curriculum developer and coordinator, division head, high school principal, and assistant head of school. He has been with ISM as a Summer Institute faculty member since 2014 and as a full-time ISM consultant since 2020.

As an ISM consultant, Mike works with schools in all areas of academic programming, including leadership and management, strategic academic planning, faculty culture and the student experience, faculty evaluation and growth, curriculum design and review, departmental management, and academic technology.

Mike is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including recognition six times as “Most Inspirational Teacher” from the Mayor of Los Angeles. Mike’s work has been featured on National Public Radio, Edutopia, KQED’s Mindshift blog, and in recent books on project-based learning and online learning.

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Scott Hamilton is a licensed clinical psychologist who founded Understanding Minds PC in Atlanta. He has over 20 years of experience 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 frequently presents at regional and national workshops on various topics related to the interface between education and neuroscience. In addition to his private practice, he has 18 years of experience in independent school leadership, serving as 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 PreK-12 school in Indianapolis.

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Tamara Hamilton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker whose career has spanned more than three decades. For the past ten years, she has served on the administration team as school counselor and director of the Cliff Valley Institute at Cliff Valley School in Atlanta. Tamara earned her master’s degree from the Indiana University School of Social Work, and she holds a graduate certificate in mind, brain, and teaching from the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. She has a theoretical focus that is aligned with positive psychology and has advanced training in motivational interviewing. Tamara developed and is the primary instructor for Executive Function Certificate Training, an assessment-based certificate accreditation program (ACAP) that is an annual professional development course at the Cliff Valley Institute. She is a frequent consultant and invited speaker regarding various child development topics.

Keri Knisley is the outreach and outplacement coordinator at Camperdown Academy in Greenville, SC. She has nearly ten years of experience in the field of dyslexia and has worked as both a teacher and now as an administrator. Camperdown Academy is a school that provides excellence in the education of children with dyslexia. Additionally, the school provides training and outreach services to teachers and professionals across the region to better assist an even broader population of dyslexic learners.

Keri graduated from Bob Jones University in 2013 with a bachelors in elementary education and she was hired by Camperdown Academy as a lower school math teacher. During her tenure, Keri has facilitated workshops, been named teacher of the year, and is co-author of a math curriculum designed for students with learning differences.

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Jessica Kulp currently serves as the upper school student academic support coordinator at Cannon School in Concord, NC. Prior to joining Cannon in 2014, she taught English and coached girls’ basketball for eight years in two public school systems in North Carolina. She holds a B.A. in English with a secondary education minor from Catawba College, and a M.A. in curriculum and instruction from University of North Carolina – Charlotte.

In 2017, Jessica led the establishment of Cannon’s academic coaching program, a 1:1 student-centered program that employs relational, research-based coaching strategies to support executive function development and student agency. She finds joy and purpose in sharing her passion for and expertise in executive functioning skills, educational neuroscience, and effective teaching and learning practices with students, families, and colleagues.

Working in education for 25 years, Kara Loftin is the head of school at The Schenck School and executive director of ReadSource. Previously, she served as the head of school at The Craig School in New Jersey. She is a frequent keynote and guest speaker both at home and abroad including Japan, Kuwait, and India, and has published three of her practitioner articles (“Promoting Teacher Retention through Mentoring,” “Scaffolding Literacy through STEM Instruction for All Learners,” and “The Many Benefits of Strengths-Based IEPs”) on Edutopia.com. In 2021 and 2022, respectively, her academic work was published in Assessment for Effective Intervention and T-Care. Kara is a certified structured literacy specialist (CERI), earned an MBA from the University of Maryland, University College, an M.Ed. in special education, dyslexia concentration from Fitchburg State University, and a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Northern Colorado.

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Erin McNicholas received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s in special education from Kennesaw State University. She joined the Pace faculty in 2018 as an upper school learning specialist in the Academic Resource Center (ARC), following five years working in Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s learning resource department. Erin strives to help students become “self-directed learners who understand their academic strengths and know how to leverage those strengths to grow and overcome challenges.” While supporting students remains her primary focus, Erin possesses a deep passion for fostering spaces where teachers can reflect, collaborate, and refine their craft. Through lunchtime learning sessions and vibrant professional learning communities, she empowers them to discover impactful tweaks to their approach, leading to improved student engagement and outcomes. Erin’s dedication to professional development cultivates an environment where teachers continuously grow, enriching the learning experience for their students and creating a ripple effect of positive changes across the Pace community.

Adam has been with The New Community School since 2001, starting as an upper school math teacher before becoming department chair. After earning his M.Ed. from University of Virginia in 2012, Adam became director of special programs at TNCS, and then director of upper school in 2017. During his time at TNCS, Adam has seen the school grow significantly in enrollment as well as in the breadth of academic and student life opportunities. He credits the close, trusting relationships TNCS teachers build with students as the “secret sauce” behind the school’s ability to foster self-knowledge and self-efficacy within its students.

Elizabeth Sheward works at Maclay School in Tallahassee, FL, as the assistant director of the Center for Academic Excellence. She holds a B.S. and M.Ed in elementary education from the University of Florida and an Ed. S. in educational leadership from Florida State University. Elizabeth has worked as an educator for 15 years and taught third through seventh grades before moving into administration. She works as an educator because she believes in the tremendous capabilities of each student and loves working with her colleagues to find ways to support students in reaching their greatest potential.

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Maggie Simms is one of four middle school learning specialists at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, SC. Maggie specializes in grades 5 and 6 and is also an alumna of Christ Church. In addition to her day-to-day work educating and advocating for her students, Maggie is passionate about consulting with teachers and providing support for parents to foster academic success. In partnering with the middle school leadership, Maggie has implemented and participated in leading professional development focusing on various instructional strategies to support students with various learning needs. Maggie has taught for 12 years and holds a B.A. and a M.A.T. from Furman University.

After an initial career in banking and management, Page Poston Sullivan followed a newly discovered passion and moved to education over 25 years ago. She completed several graduate level courses in learning disabilities before eventually obtaining her M.Ed. in divergent learning. She has worked for several private schools in the southeast, serving in various roles of learning support. She is currently in her sixth year as a middle school learning specialist at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, SC, where she writes, implements, and oversees student learning plans for 7th and 8th grade.

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Richard Weinfeld founded and directs Weinfeld Education Group (WEG), a group of 16 educational consultants located in the Washington DC area who provide virtual advocacy throughout the U.S. In addition to directing WEG, Rich provides direct special education consultation services to families of students with special needs. Rich also provides parent and staff training and consults with schools about appropriate programming for students.
Twenty-six years of his 30-year career with Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools were spent in a variety of teaching and leadership roles in special education.

Rich’s books include: School Success for Kids with High Functioning Autism, Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential; Helping Boys Succeed in School; School Success for Student’s with Asperger’s Syndrome; and Special Needs Advocacy Resource Book.

Rich received his master’s degree from Trinity College and is certified in early childhood/elementary education, special education, administration and supervision.

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Grace Wingfield is in her 26th year of teaching and learning with students from middle school to college, with the majority of her experience with upper school students. Her content area is mathematics and in 2010 she began focusing her work on study skills development with students, naturally deriving from her work for equitable access to education. She worked as part of a student support team for ten years and is in her third year at Ashley Hall School in Charleston, SC, as director of academic support working with students and teachers for greatest learning and development.