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Peter Cookson’s knowledge of schools and children’s learning needs comes from a lifetime of teaching, researching, and working to improve the quality of education for all children. His first job after college was as a case worker for the New York City Department of Social Services. His days were spent visiting the homes of the city’s most disadvantaged citizens. It is to these families, especially the children, that he owes a life’s commitment to the cause of educational justice.

Samuel Casey Carter wrote On Purpose as senior fellow at The Center for Education Reform. Today, he is Senior Vice President for Global Corporate Social Responsibility for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a leading global education company committed to addressing education's dynamic challenges through individualized content, innovative technology and a holistic approach that inspires achievement and a lifelong love of learning. He is also Executive Director of the HMH Foundation.

Sharnell S. Jackson is a nationally recognized instructional leadership consultant, coach, and executive strategist for school districts, foundations, businesses, and corporations. She has more than thirty-five years of K-12 experience as a classroom teacher, teacher leader, assistant principal, state director, chief executive officer of enterprise information and e-Learning.

Steffen Saifer has served as director of the Child and Family Program at Education Northwest since 2000 and as an adjunct faculty member at Portland State University since 1996, where he has taught graduate courses in education. His areas of work and expertise include cultural-historical activity theory, the role of play in human development, and school-family partnerships. Saifer has worked extensively in Russia and Eastern Europe, assisting in education curricula reform.

Keisha Edwards is a trainer for the Oregon Parent Information & Resource Center (OR-PIRC) at Education Northwest. Her primary work is to design and deliver meaningful learning for educators and families on educational equity, cultural competence, and engaging diverse families as allies in the school change process. In this role over the past 5 years, Edwards has facilitated over 300 workshops, trainings, and coaching sessions with diverse audiences.

Debbie Ellis is the project director for the Oregon State Parental Information and Resource Center (Oregon PIRC) at Education Northwest. Her area of work and expertise focuses on school/family partnerships, educational equity, and early childhood parent education. Ellis coordinates a statewide conference for educators and parents focusing on school-family partnerships, educational equity, and academic achievement.

Lena Ko is an advisor in early childhood education and school-family-community partnerships at Education Northwest. She has over 20 years experience training and coaching educators, coordinating professional development and technical assistance in model early childhood teaching centers, and consulting and technical writing for various education agencies.

Amy Stuczynski is currently working with the Human Services Research Institute evaluating the use of family team meetings by public child welfare agencies. She began her career as a social worker for a community-based service organization for African American youth and families in Madison, Wisconsin. She later joined Education Northwest, where she wrote about language, literacy, and culture for six years.

After graduating in 1961 from California State University, San Jose, with a B.A. in elementary Education, Susan J. Kovalik began her teaching career as a sixth grade elementary teacher followed by a science teacher in a K-6 elementary school of 1,200 and a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) teacher in five schools. In 1984, Susan was awarded the California Gifted and Talented Teacher of the Year.

Margie Pearse has over 30 years of teaching experience with certifications in mathematics, elementary education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Pennsylvania Quality Assurance Systems (Certified Instructor – PQAS 2014). She is presently at Chester Community Charter School as a Math Coach and in graduate education, training pre-service teachers how to create deeper, more numeracy based lessons.

Kate Walton has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels for twelve years. Although Kate’s primary passion and expertise is with language arts, she feels Numeracy transcends and is, at its very core, deep, logical thinking, which she has always encouraged in her classroom. She believes that a well crafted lesson and a healthy obsession with creativity are the keys to inspiring students to think deeply.