Joe Austin 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.

Rich Bacolor 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.

Andrea Brook is a science education consultant with Oakland Intermediate School District in Michigan.

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. 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. 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.

Denise B. began her career as a high school mathematics teacher in Holly, MI. She has a wide range of experiences in K-12 education including serving as a high school principal, ISD mathematics consultant, and a US Math Recovery Facilitator. Denise served on the Board of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and was a co-author of NCSM Essential Actions: Coaching in Mathematics Education. Denise’s passion lies in developing and facilitating professional learning immersing mathematics educators in content and pedagogy that enriches their abilities to facilitate learning for all students and supports them as leaders in their respective roles. Denise’s hobbies include traveling to new places, spending time outdoors, and enjoying time with her adult sons.

Geraldine D. decided to teach when she was in 8th grade. For 17 years, she taught mathematics, ranging from sixth grade to AP Calculus. During that time, Geraldine also served as a middle school mathematics specialist and the curriculum coordinator for grades 6-12. She is currently a mathematics education consultant at Oakland Schools serving 28 school districts in Oakland County. In that role, she works ardently to support purposeful and engaging K-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment that have the potential to support students and teachers in developing positive dispositions toward mathematics and learning. She is also passionate about increasing all students’ access to content and language. She has had the honor serving of participating in national projects like writing professional learning modules for NCSM illustrating the Standards for Mathematical Practice. When she is not solving creative math problems, Geraldine enjoys spending time and laughing with her family and friends.

Mary P. began her career in education teaching 8th grade mathematics. She is currently a district mathematics coach for Kalamazoo Public Schools, supporting K-12. She is proud of her work as a district math coach, providing teachers with innovative and engaging ways of teaching mathematics through modeling, professional development, and curriculum writing. Top on her list of career highlights is traveling abroad to provide professional development for teachers of DoDEA schools (Department of Defense) as they transitioned to the Common Core. Mary is passionate about mathematics education because it is a gatekeeper to so many future endeavors for students and she believes that it is attainable for every child. One fun fact about Mary is that the DoDEA math training she facilitated was the catalyst for her international travels. She has now visited seven countries and continues to plan trips abroad.

Sarah P. graduated from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Elementary Education and Mathematics. Upon graduating, she started her career as an AVMR Math Recovery certified K-5 math interventionist. From there, she taught 3rd grade for 1 year before joining the East Grand Rapids Public Schools team, teaching 6th and 7th grade math using the Illustrative curriculum. She completed her Masters in Educational Leadership in 2020 and started a 2nd Masters program in Curriculum and Instruction. She gave a TedTalk titled “Mindset Matters” in 2018 as students’ positive math mindsets are her biggest passion and focus. When not in the classroom, Sarah enjoys spending time traveling and hiking around the country’s National Parks.