Authors & Presenters

Gloria L. Canada, EdD, is the founder of Circles of Purpose, an educational consulting company whose work focuses primarily on school leadership, family engagement, and poverty awareness.

Melissa Carli, MEd, is a project manager for several federally-funded projects at the University of Central Florida. Through the projects, Melissa supports teachers as they build their professional knowledge to support all learners.

Dawn Caruso, EdD, is a former district administrator of assessment and accountability in Florida. She also served as a virtual school administrator as well as a literacy coach at the state and school level.

Brad Cawn is a teacher educator, author, researcher, and trainer who specializes in helping schools and teachers integrate ambitious teaching and learning—inquiry-based instruction, disciplinary literacy, project-based learning, etc.—across the content areas.

Lisa Cebelak is a national leader in education who is passionate about literacy as the heart of student learning. Lisa specializes in the areas of literacy, instructional coaching, and curriculum design.

Darlene Crane is an author, a speaker, and a consultant with 20 years of experience in education. She is supervisor for instruction for Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools and an instructor at Vancouver Island University.

James W. Cunningham, PhD, is professor emeritus of literacy studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has taught at the elementary and secondary levels and served as a consultant in 25 states.

Patricia M. Cunningham, PhD, is a professor of education at Wake Forest University. She has been an elementary school teacher, a reading specialist, and director of reading for a county school system.

Billy Eastman is a curriculum coordinator for secondary English language arts at Clear Creek Independent School District in Texas where he leads efforts to implement student-centered authentic literacy practices.

Carmen Emery is a consultant and principal of a K–6 dual immersion school in California. Previously, she was a classroom teacher and data systems project specialist.