Authors & Presenters

JR Entsminger, EdD, is an esteemed elementary school principal in Burbank, Illinois. He is also known as a prominent speaker, having presented throughout the United States on topics ranging from responsive circles and conflict management to integrated project-based learning.

Marlene Moyer is a teacher at South Lake Tahoe Middle School in South Lake Tahoe, California. She was an integral part of a leadership team that designed student-friendly critical concepts for student scoring using the High Reliability Schools framework.

Dr. Dawn Brooks DeCosta, EdD, is a distinguished educator and leader, currently serving as the deputy superintendent for Harlem Community School District 5. She is a renowned advocate for culturally responsive teaching and social-emotional learning.

Mark Anthony Gooden, PhD, is a Christian Johnson Endeavor professor of education leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Gooden has spent over two decades in higher education developing and teaching courses in culturally responsive leadership, race, law, and research methods.

Erica Battle, an education expert with Life Changes in Progress Educational Consulting, has supported thousands of educators nationwide. She has held various roles in education, such as classroom teacher, instructional specialist, teacher mentor, and director of response to intervention, specializing in literacy.

Kelsee G. Young has been a special education preschool teacher at Moss School in Metuchen, New Jersey since 2020. Her educational philosophy is to create a warm and nurturing environment for her students to play, grow, and thrive, upholding compassion over compliance.

Emily R. Peluso is a school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Mildred B. Moss Elementary School of Metuchen School District. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and maintains the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence.

Katie Upshaw is a preschool special education teacher in the Metuchen School District in New Jersey. Additionally, she also serves as a union representative, chairs the school leadership team, and engages in district committees.

Michele A. Herold has been an integrated preschool teacher in the Metuchen School District in New Jersey since 2018. Her educational philosophy is to create an uplifting, compassionate, and nurturing classroom that encourages confidence, kindness, and love for learning.

Patricia Erbe, MEd, is an author and former educator in Pennsylvania's West Chester Area School District, where she taught for decades at the elementary and secondary levels while also serving as a team leader, curriculum developer, science advocate, early field and student teacher mentor and professional development expert to individuals and organizations for skill growth and practical teaching applications.

Randy Ross has over 50 years of experience as a writer, teacher, administrator, coach, and facilitator of dialogue and professional learning. She has worked with community, school, district, and state education leaders for nearly 30 years.

Jillayne Flanders the executive director of the Center for Educational Improvement, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting mindful and compassionate schools with heart-centered, trauma-informed practices. She has taught graduate classes at Westfield State University, supervised student teachers at Mount Holyoke College, and lectured at Boston University, Springfield College, Boston College, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Orinthia Harris, PhD, has extensive experience in classroom and extracurricular settings. She is the founder of STEMearly LLC, an organization dedicated to reigniting teaching passions so educators and students can thrive.

Clayton R. Cook, PhD, is the chief development officer at CharacterStrong, an organization that aims to create a more loving world through education by designing low-burden, high-impact multitiered solutions.

Aria E. Fiat, PhD, is an assistant professor and pediatric psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is committed to making mental health care more equitable and accessible through integrated systems of service delivery that emphasize prevention.

Brian H. Smith, PhD, has been a leader in translating research into effective social-emotional learning programs for nearly twenty years.

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.

Katie Cubano is an educator focused on supporting teachers and schools as they design and implement curriculum and instruction that effectively and equitably meet students’ needs. Katie has over 15 years of experience in education, including teaching at the secondary and post-secondary levels and working alongside colleagues to improve teaching and learning as an instructional coach. In her work, Katie strives to ensure that each student has full access to their civil right to an education, and that each teacher is equipped with the skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary to lead in their classrooms and communities with confidence, integrity, and excellence.

Lisa Tartaglia is a high school assistant principal in Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. She has been an educator since 1994 and has experience as an elementary classroom teacher, reading specialist, and high school literacy coach.

Jorge Valenzuela, PhD, is a respected education and performance coach, author, and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. He supports educators through training in high-impact strategies, STEM, PBL, AI, and entrepreneurship to boost instruction and lead with purpose.

Ann-Bailey Lipsett is a special education specialist and DIR/Floortime practitioner with twenty years of experience working with children, families, and schools.

Tracey A. Hulen is an elementary and middle school mathematics and SEL specialist who has experience leading two professional learning communities in Fairfax County, Virginia, to Model PLC status.

Yvette Jackson, EdD, is a former teacher who served New York City Public Schools as director of gifted programs and executive director of instructional and professional development.

Dr. Rivers Murphy, EdD, is a seasoned presenter and educational leader. A change agent for over two decades, she has helped transform some of the highest-needs neighborhoods and districts by improving student active engagement, teacher self-care, school culture, and academic success.

Christine Mason, PhD, is an educational psychologist, researcher, consultant, and mindfulness yoga meditation instructor. She facilitates dynamic workshops for educators that incorporate the latest neuroscience research with practical strategies for improving school climate and academic achievement.

Larry Brendtro, PhD, is director of The Resilience Academy and professor emeritus at Augustana University. He has rich, practical experience as a teacher, principal, and psychologist—including 14 years as president of Starr Commonwealth.

Jonathan Weinstein, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with the Northport VA Medical Center in New York. He has served in various mental health and education roles and has adapted elements of contextual behavioral science to help teachers empower students.

Tina H. Boogren, PhD, is a fierce advocate for educators, particularly for their well-being. She is the author of numerous best-selling books centered around her passion areas of quality instruction, coaching, mentoring, and wellness and is co-director of Solution Tree’s Wellness Solutions for Educators with Dr. Timothy D. Kanold. She hosts the weekly podcast Self-Care for Educators with Dr. Tina H. Boogren and has received several accolades, including being ranked #5 among the Top 30 Global Gurus in Education. She is also a recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who of Professional Women award and has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as a Who’s Who of Distinguished Leaders. Dr. Boogren resides in Denver, Colorado.

MaryAnn Brittingham helps educators working with students at risk. She is an instructor and supervisor of student teachers at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Mark Onuscheck is director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois. He is a former English teacher and director of communication arts.

Kathleen Kryza is a master teacher, consultant, and coach who has presented highly practical, brain-based, and inspirational workshops internationally for more than 25 years.

Jane A. G. Kise, EdD, is the author of more than 25 books and has extensive experience in leadership development, executive coaching, instructional coaching, and differentiated instruction.

Eric Twadell, PhD, is superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He has been a social studies teacher, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent for leadership and organizational development.