Our facilitators work hand-in-hand with Illustrative Mathematics to create high-impact learning experiences for mathematics educators.
Allen P.
Dr Allen P. is an experienced educator who began his teaching career in elementary school, starting with fifth grade. With a deep commitment to education, Dr P. has taught all grades from K-5, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the developmental needs of students at different stages. He has also taken on leadership roles, serving as a math leader in schools and as a district leader in delivering professional development to classroom teachers.
Dr P’s passion lies in promoting equity and access in mathematics education for all students. He believes that every student has the ability to learn and excel in math, regardless of their background or ability level.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Dr P. enjoys spending time with his family, engaging in athletics, and advocating for equity in education.
Amy K.
Amy K. has been a high school and middle school math teacher in Frankenmuth, Michigan, since 2000. A leader in her local math education community, she was selected to participate in the math specialist program at Saginaw Valley State University. She spent two years studying best practices in math education before going on to serve as a mentor to future participants. She is most passionate about developing meaningful co-teaching partnerships in special education classes. Amy believes that all students are capable of learning to high levels and is committed to working with others who share this belief. In her spare time, Amy is an avid runner and has recently learned to scuba dive.
Anne Marie NT.
Anne Marie NT. began her career as a middle school math teacher in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is currently the District Department Chair for Secondary Mathematics. During her classroom teaching in 2016, she won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She has worked in pubic school education over 30 years. Anne Marie currently serves on the board of the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Although teaching students problem-based instruction and accelerated math classes is rewarding, her favorite classes to teach were intervention classes. Helping all students feel mathematically successful, regardless of demographic background or challenging certifications, is powerful. When not working, Anne Marie enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, or paddling on quiet waters.
Cheryl F.
Cheryl F. began her career in education as a computer teacher in Perth Amboy, NJ, but quickly realized that math was her true love. A former middle school math teacher and elementary math coach, Cheryl is now an independent consultant who provides professional development, coaching, and demo lessons to K–8 teachers nationwide. After earning her MS in Mathematics Learning and Teaching, Cheryl was part of an NSF-funded grant aimed at improving math teachers’ ability to formatively assess students’ understanding and provide appropriate and valuable feedback.
Cheryl believes that when students become active doers rather than passive consumers the greatest learning gains can be realized. She also believes that in order to teach in powerful and empowering ways, teachers must first have experienced learning in powerful and empowering ways. A fun fact about Cheryl is that she appeared on TV with The Fonz during the Statue of Liberty’s Centennial celebration.
Courtney O.
Courtney O. is a National Board Certified Teacher and taught math and science in middle schools and high schools across the Bay Area before transitioning to district leadership. She is currently the Secondary Math Coordinator for Oakland Unified School District in California.
Courtney has developed professional learning systems grounded in lesson study, the TRU math framework, and site-based content coaching. She believes that lesson study is an essential collaborative structure that empowers teams of teachers, of all experience levels, to engage in an inquiry that puts the focus back onto students. Outside of her work in education, Courtney enjoys dancing, reading, and spending time with her husband and son.
Danielle S.
Danielle S. began her career teaching high school math and physics in Kalamazoo, MI. She had the privilege of consulting with the Charles A. Dana Center in Austin, TX where she co-authored the Academic Youth Development program, seeking to transform mathematics education for students. Later, Danielle returned to Michigan as a regional mathematics consultant and coach. Danielle currently serves as lead consultant and instructional coach for Bold Educational Consulting, focused on supporting educators and their administrators, across the region, state, and nation, in recognizing and removing inequities in students’ educational lives to help realize the power of mathematics for all students. Danielle is committed to further developing her abilities to recognize, respond to, and remove biased, racist systems within her spheres of influence. One of Danielle’s hobbies is home design and renovation. You might just find her with a sledgehammer, knocking down walls, next time you see her.
Danielle V.
Danielle V. started her career in 2003 as a middle school classroom teacher where she taught grades 6-8 and Algebra I in Mathematics and also English Language Arts. Currently, she is a Mathematics Instructional Coach for the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District. In her role at the ISD, she serves multiple districts across the county working with teachers and administrators to improve mathematics instructional practices and supporting classrooms collecting data, monitoring student learning, and implementation of curriculum and assessments. Danielle has served on numerous committees around School Improvement and MTSS, School Climate and Culture, and Formative Assessment. Danielle is passionate about building communities within mathematics classrooms that support and encourage student equity and identity, while also engaging students in high-quality problem solving and reasoning through student-centered discussion-based lessons. In her spare time, Danielle is an avid runner, loves spending time with family and friends, and just relaxing watching movies.
Deborah P.
Deborah P. is the founder and CEO of My Mathematical Mind. She is the lead author for second grade for the Illustrative Mathematics K-5 curriculum. Deborah speaks on various topics related to math identity, math content, instructional practices, and literacy connections to mathematics. Blending her training in yoga and mindfulness with mathematics instruction, Deborah advocates for a mindful approach to teaching mathematics to address math anxiety, build confidence, and support the development of positive math identities. She has dedicated her career and doctoral studies to supporting educators with innovative teaching strategies that allow students to be curious problem-solvers and see themselves as assets to the learning community. Deborah believes all children deserve high-quality instruction and the opportunity to become competent readers, writers, and mathers.
Greta A.
Greta A. has been teaching and supporting mathematics in New Orleans, Louisiana, since 2005 and has an MA in Instructional Leadership in Mathematics. Greta has been working on the Illustrative Mathematics team as a task writer and reviewer since 2012 and is an alumna of Park City Mathematics Institute and the Dana Center’s International Facilitation Fellowship. She now works as a professional learning facilitator for the 6–8 Illustrative Mathematics curriculum and with Achievement First in helping schools around the country adopt math story problem protocols grounded in the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. Greta believes that all students and teachers can fall in love with mathematics given the right tasks. Outside of her work in mathematics, Greta plays volleyball, gives her dog belly rubs, and enjoys the endless beauty of New Orleans.
Kaneka T.
Kaneka T. is a learning enthusiast! Her greatest joy is coming to understand and reside in the space where confusion meets clarity. She designs and facilitates professional learning experiences for local school districts across North Carolina. Kaneka served Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for 18 years as a classroom teacher, building math coach, Title I math specialist, and district math specialist, before leaving to work independently as a math consultant.
Kaneka is passionate about broadening the community of math learners to include the most unexpected and often rejected. She is pursuing this passion by teaching masters courses as a visiting instructor for Mount Holyoke’s Master of Arts in Math Teaching program, facilitating Investigations Workshops for TERC, and facilitating DMI workshops for local districts in need.
Kristi H.
Kristi H. began her career in education over 25 years ago as a high school mathematics teacher in Utica Community Schools, MI where she also held the leadership role of system-wide chairperson. She is currently a K–12 mathematics education consultant for 226 public schools Macomb County, MI, serving 125,610 students. She develops and facilitates professional learning for mathematics educators and administrators in any capacity that advances STEM education at local, county, and state levels. She is passionate about uniting teachers vertically, across grade levels and across all content areas. Her goal is to provide long-term and ongoing change in classroom instructional strategies that raises student achievement. During her time away from education, she is passionate about spending time with family and friends.
Libby B.
Libby B. began her career in education as an AVID tutor during her undergraduate studies. She went on to teach high school math for 15 years but left classroom teaching when she found herself with more questions than answers. She completed a PhD, focusing on how school culture influences achievement for different subgroups in diverse schools. Today, she is a full-time instructional coach for middle and high school math teachers.
Libby continues to pursue equitable access to meaningful learning and educational opportunities. She believes we have an obligation to help each and every student see themself as a competent mathematician by nurturing individualized sense-making for mathematical ideas. While mathematics is an important artistic outlet for her, Libby’s primary artistic work happens in the kitchen.
Lisa M.
Lisa M. began her career in education as a high school science and math teacher. For the past 20 years, she has worked with Mathematically Connected Communities (MC2), an organization committed to improving K–12 math teaching and learning in her home state of New Mexico. Lisa spent the first 15 years of her math education career focusing on 6–12. For the past 5 years, however, she has been digging into K–5 learning trajectories, partnering with teachers in their classrooms and implementing professional learning designed to help teachers understand how elementary students develop deep conceptual understanding.
Lisa believes students need to construct the meaning of mathematical ideas in ways that make sense to them, and she is passionate about helping teachers learn how to develop the ability to truly listen to children’s thinking. Lisa lives on a small ranch in south-central New Mexico and enjoys hiking, yoga, knitting, cooking, and connecting with friends and family.
Mary SL.
Mary SL. began her career in education as a second- and third-grade multi-age teacher in rural North Carolina. She has 25 years of experience in education, serving as a teacher, coach, and professional learning facilitator. Currently, she is an instructional coach in Charlotte, NC. Mary received her BS in Elementary Education from East Carolina University and her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In addition, she is a National Board Certified Teacher as a middle childhood generalist.
Mary believes in the value of curriculum and instruction that is accessible to all learners and allows students to solve problems using real-world and mathematical contexts. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Melissa H.
Melissa H. began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in 2007. For the past 8 years, she has been teaching grade 5 math and science in a progressive, public school district in Winnetka, IL. Melissa has played an integral role on her district’s math committee. Her contributions include writing curriculum, developing growth mindset strategies for all grade levels, strengthening differentiation practices, examining student math identity, and integrating inquiry into classroom practices. Melissa has also led professional development sessions on diverse topics such as the power of number talks, co-teaching with special education teachers, and cross-grades content progressions. Throughout her teaching career, Melissa has developed a passion for teaching and learning mathematics with a focus on cultivating a mathematical community where her students are engaged in mathematics by making sense of problems, sharing ideas with one another, and using critical thinking skills. When she is not teaching, Melissa enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.
Michelle J.
Michelle J. began her educational career as an elementary classroom teacher in Goose Lake, Iowa, where she taught second-, third-, and fourth-grade. She currently works as a math and school improvement consultant in eastern Iowa and teaches several courses at Upper Iowa University as an adjunct professor of education. She specializes in delivering professional learning for teachers based on mathematics, PLCs, MTSS, and social-emotional learning focusing on trauma-informed practices. Michelle is passionate about supporting the mathematical pedagogical knowledge and practices of teachers in the areas of academic safety, effective facilitation, and high-quality tasks which in turn foster positive perceptions of mathematics for students where they see themselves as mathematicians. When Michelle is not busy supporting teacher education students and current classroom teachers, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, reading, bow hunting, traveling, and being on the lake.
Robin C.
Robin C. Robin C. is a math curriculum coordinator for DeSoto Parish Schools in Louisiana where she develops and provides professional learning opportunities for K–12 math teachers in her district. She works on alignment of mathematical standards in all grades and provides feedback and support for teachers and administrators. Prior to that, she spent eight years as a TAP master teacher, focusing on math teacher support in grades 6–12. Her love of mathematics and student success began in the classroom teaching a combination of eighth-grade math, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and advanced math. Robin has a BS in Secondary Education from Louisiana Tech University with certifications in 6–12 mathematics and business education.
Sheila B.
Sheila B. has benefited from her 42 years of experience teaching students in both middle and high school, collaborating with teachers as an instructional coach, and facilitating professional development for teachers locally and out of state. She is an active member of North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, serving as secondary vice-president for the western region, conference program co-chair, and state vice president for middle school. Some of her professional accomplishments include attaining NBPTS certification, being chosen as a member of NC Teacher Leadership Network, being a lead teacher for the ARMS Project, participating as a trainer for NC Teacher Academy, and facilitating for the MELT program at ASU. Although retired, she considers herself a life-long learner and continues to be actively involved in mathematics education. She alos enjoys reading, playing with her granddaughter, and traveling.