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Benjamin Botwinski is currently enrolled as a full-time graduate student at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he is studying educational policy and administration. Prior to becoming a full-time student, Botwinski served as a high school social studies teacher in west Michigan. He currently lives in East Lansing, Michigan, with his wife and two children.

Sarah C. Middlestead is a middle school teacher with seven years of experience in the mathematics classroom. She obtained both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Michigan State University and spent the first seven years of her teaching career at at a middle school in mid-Michigan. Sarah is passionate about teaching mathematics in an innovative and creative way, guiding students in exploring how mathematics is used in the world in which they live.

Mara Sapon-Shevin is Professor of Inclusive Education in the Teaching and Leadership Department of the School of Education at Syracuse University. She teaches in the University’s Inclusive Elementary and Special Education Teacher Education Program that prepares teachers for inclusive, heterogeneous classrooms.

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.

Edna has worked as an educator in several large suburban school districts for over thirty years. She has experience as a teacher, supervisor, reading coordinator, principal and staff developer. She has developed curriculum and training materials for several organizations and school districts. She has presented training sessions for numerous professional organizations and universities primarily in the area of implementing effective staff development programs.

Phyllis Hostmeyer lives in Southern Illinois, but is a Language Arts consultant for Educational Resources Group, Inc. of Charleston, South Carolina. (www.ergsc.com) A frequent speaker and presenter throughout Illinois, Phyllis has also worked as a language arts consultant throughout the country and abroad. She conducts a range of workshops on reading, writing, assessment, poetry, and other topics.

Daniel R. Venables is founder and executive director of the Center for Authentic PLCs, a research and consulting firm dedicated to assisting schools build and sustain authentic Professional Learning Communities. He is a Math/Science Fellow with the Coalition of Essential Schools and an award-winning classroom teacher of 24 years.