2024 Curriculum Symposium | Speakers

Stephen Addcox has been an educator for 17 years in both secondary and higher education. Working primarily in the world of English literature, Stephen creates learning experiences for students that push them to contemplate, discuss, and refine their understanding of culture and the human experience. His teaching often explores the intersection between traditional literature and technology, encouraging students to understand how their lived experiences in a digital world are still reflected in narratives from centuries past. At Westminster, he also works as an innovation specialist in the upper school, developing student programs for the school’s maker space and VR lab. Through innovation, Stephen provides space for students to harness their ideas and develop new interests in design, creativity, and product development.

Serving in private schools across Atlanta for 20+ years, Heather has served in roles from counseling, academic advising, professional development and now experiential learning. The PEAK Institute is HIES newest experiential program connecting students with its community members through projects and leadership development, and Heather serves as its founding director.

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Allen is managing director at MehtaCognition, a strategy consulting firm that works around the country supporting schools in a range of strategic initiatives. Over a career spanning three decades, Allen Broyles has worked in and consulted with schools and organizations on strategic planning, value proposition development, organizational learning, leadership development, program and school design, and DEIB initiatives. Allen is a faculty member of NAIS’s Diversity Leadership Institute, has served on the executive committee of the national board of directors for the Learning Disabilities Association of America, and is a faculty member of the Institute for New Teachers for SAIS. Prior to his current role, Allen held several senior leadership positions in schools, most recently as assistant head of school at The Children’s School in Atlanta.

Sohan is the co-founder and CEO of Flint, a Y Combinator-backed startup helping schools embrace AI. By using Flint, school administrators can give students safe access to the latest AI tools and enable teachers to create personalized assignments. Before founding Flint, Sohan built a video chat company and studied computer science at Georgia Tech, where he was a Stamps Presidential Scholar.

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Jared Colley is the upper campus head of learning & innovation at The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, GA, where he also works as the resident competency based education specialist, coaching and supporting teachers on CBE assessment and instructional practices. He also serves as a senior consultant and editor for MV Ventures where he consults with schools on a variety of topics related to teaching and learning and serves as senior editor of MV Ventures’ quarterly white papers, where he recently published the report, “A People-Centered Organization Living in an AI World.” Jared is passionate about authentic assessment, purpose-driven learning, and the idea that collective intelligence is how we solve the world’s wicked problems.

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Kevin is savoring his fourth year as a middle school teacher at The Mount Vernon School, and his second year as the Impact Design Lab coordinator. He is wildly grateful to get to learn alongside curious and courageous students and colleagues, and to continue to explore with them what it could mean to become a reflective and daily practitioner of joyful and liberative meaning-making in the world.

Julie currently serves as a national partnership director at Friendzy. Julie has been an educator in both the public and private school settings for over twenty years. She has been a teacher, interventionist, instructional coach, curriculum and staff development director, Catholic school superintendent, and consultant. In addition, she has been a strong advocate for education access. She believes all children deserve well-prepared and joy-filled teachers who will invest in finding every student’s gifts and talents. The ethics of care and the study of belonging are both current research interests.

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Daniel Forrester is a dynamic educator and leader at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s PEAK Institute. Daniel has a B.S. in mathematics education and an M.Ed in instructional technology from Kennesaw State University. He has excelled in various roles, including associate director of PEAK Institute and PreK3-12 director of STEAM. His expertise lies in developing innovative curricular frameworks and leading cross-functional collaborations. Daniel’s passion for experiential learning and skill development is evident in his leadership and the numerous educational initiatives he has spearheaded. His approach is characterized by a commitment to fostering diverse learning paths and empowering students through technology and creativity.

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Liza leads the team at R.E.A.L. to serve school partners across the U.S. and around the world. She’s been on this mission to teach and celebrate “human skills” in a tech-centric world for over a decade – since she first built R.E.A.L. to solve for challenges she faced as a teacher and administrator.

Liza is an award-winning speaker and widely-published writer who brings equal parts research, reflection, and laughter to every audience.

Liza holds a B.A. from Harvard College and M.S. from Penn GSE, with further graduate work at Harvard GSE and Klingenstein Center. Liza serves on the boards of Nashoba Brooks School and Shady Hill Teacher Training Center.

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Sarah spent over 25 years leading education innovation in curriculum and pedagogy in independent schools. During that time, she was a classroom teacher and advisor, a technology director, and an academic dean at three North Carolina independent schools. 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.

During her independent school career, Sarah also worked as a consultant to schools seeking a strategic partner in making sense of the intersection of technology, curriculum, and pedagogy. As a consultant, Sarah worked with public, independent, and charter schools across the U.S.

Sarah has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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Adam Mangana, executive director and founder of Optima Independent, is a leading expert in education. Renowned for his work in VR curriculum development, Adam previously served as head of school at Benedict Day School, pioneering the first VR lab in the Pine Belt. As director of the extended reality lab at Jackson Preparatory, he contributed to building the Southeast’s largest XR lab in K-12 schools. A featured speaker at conferences like NAIS and co-host of the “Ready Teacher One” podcast, Adam passionately advocates for immersive educational experiences. With degrees from Brown and Vanderbilt University, he combines a solid educational foundation with tech expertise. As a Teach For America Alumni and Albert Bennett award recipient, Adam’s innovation and commitment have positioned him as a respected authority in VR education, influencing schools and organizations to provide cutting-edge learning experiences.

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Shannon McDonough, a middle school Spanish teacher at The Westminster Schools, holds a B.A. in Spanish from Bowling Green State University and an M.A. in Hispanic linguistics from the University of Georgia. Having specialized in diachronic language change, Shannon is passionate about infusing her linguistic background into the classroom, creating an engaging and immersive learning experience for her students.

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Anna serves as head of school for The Howard School, the only K-12 school for children with language-based learning differences inside the city of Atlanta. Anna’s journey to K-12 education followed a career as a tenure-track neuropsychologist with the Emory University School of Medicine and a grant-funded researcher for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Anna spent 12 years at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta where she developed a comprehensive program of student support that encompassed physical health, emotional well-being, and learning support. She moved into the head of school role at Howard following a beloved head who had completed 17 years at the school. Even with that wealth of experience and knowledge, having a coach to guide her first year as a head was invaluable!

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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.

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Ann Marsh Rutledge is the executive director for MV Ventures, the transformation R&D lab at The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, GA. She has worked for Mount Vernon since 2014. Over the course of her career, she taught PK through grade 6 and served as a learning specialist and instructional coach as well as head of learning and innovation for MV Ventures. Ann Marsh received her B.A. in art history from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has her M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Richmond and she is certified in Orton-Gillingham, as a reading specialist, and as an ESL teacher. She loves working with educators to transform learning experiences.

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Meera Shah started her career as a very rookie science instructor but quickly fell in love with the art of teaching and the science of learning; she went on to serve several independent schools as a department chair, academic dean, associate head of teaching and learning, and director of studies. She loves to connect the big ideas in school redesign with the practical realities of running a school. Meera founded Trey Education to partner with schools and educators who share a vision that schools should be joyful places for deep and transformative learning for both students and educators. Meera is passionate about professional growth for teachers at all career stages and in developing school cultures and systems that move a school’s vision into practice. Trey Education offers customized solutions to independent school teachers and administrators. Meera also supports heads of schools and leadership teams with senior administrative searches via Educational Directions.

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Whitney Stovall is a nationally board certified counselor and a school partnership specialist at Friendzy. Before joining the team at Friendzy, Whitney served as a preK-8 grade school counselor for a decade at Christian schools in Tennessee. Whitney’s experience as a school counselor and passion for education fuels her in her role of collaborating with and supporting educators in their mission to serve their school communities through implementing school-wide social-emotional character development through the Friendzy program. Whitney holds a B.A. in psychology from the University of Tennessee and a M.S. in school counseling from The University of Memphis.

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Peyten Williams is an educator, parent, and facilitator on a mission to make all kids feel heard, whether through conversations in a classroom or at home. Peyten believes that discussion skills are teachable but that in a world where kids would rather text than talk, they must be taught –  by teachers and parents alike! She partners with R.E.A.L. Discussion to deliver research-backed PD on this topic. 

Before collaborating with R.E.A.L., Peyten served as a director of teaching and learning at Westminster (GA) where she led groundbreaking work on equitable grading; previously, she was an award-winning middle and high school English teacher. Now, Peyten facilitates parent education through Bowbend Consulting: an organization she founded to inspire and equip parents to raise thriving children of character. 

Peyten holds B.A. and M.Ed degrees from the University of Virginia. 

Torrey joined Westminster as chief information officer in July 2019 after serving as director of technology for Guardian Pharmacy in Atlanta. He holds a B.S. in computer engineering from Georgia Tech. A native of Columbia, SC, his technology roles have run the gamut from coding, consulting, infrastructure, and network design to cloud computing and team leadership. Service to the community has always been at the forefront of Torrey’s career in technology; he has served as director of technology for the Atlanta Community Food Bank as well as earlier roles in senior engineering for TechBridge.

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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 specializes in start-up innovation initiatives, STEAM, strategic planning, curriculum design, assessment, professional development, brain-based strategies, and pedagogy. She has conducted hundreds of workshops and seminars throughout the country and internationally. She is the president of the AATE ISTE affiliate, serves on the Association for Academic Leaders Advisory Board, and is a Paul Harris Fellow. Connie leads at Woodward in the areas of professional development, curriculum, and innovation. Connie 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.

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