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RUTH VINZ
Founding Director Endowed Chair, Morse Professor of Teaching Education Dr. Ruth Vinz taught middle and high school students for twenty-three years before coming to Teachers College. She is a Professor in the English Education Program and the Enid and Lester Morse Endowed Chair in Teacher Education. She directs the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers. Ruth is the co-author of several books, Inside Out, Recasting the Text, Learning the Landscapes and Writing Qualitative Research. Her book, Composing A Teaching Life, received the Richard Meade award for outstanding research published in English education in 1997. She is co-author of the Houghton Mifflin Daybooks, a new 6-12 grade series of reading and writing literature books used in thousands of secondary classrooms, both nationally and internationally. In the most recent book, Becoming (Other)Wise, Dr. Vinz collaborated with other Program faculty in an examination of multicultural literature education and cultural criticism as literacy events. Her research interests include cultural literacies, particularly focused on adolescent readers’ practices, constructed and constructing identities of teachers, and traditions and representations of research-in-practice. At CPET, Dr. Vinz serves as Director and Senior Advisor to all initiatives. RUTH VINZ
Founding Director |
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ROBERTA LENGER KANG
Center Director Dr. Roberta Lenger Kang was a high school English teacher for eight years in Denver, Colorado and New York City. She wrote several district wide curricula for Denver Public Schools and the NYC Department of Education before transitioning from classroom teacher to professional development coach in 2006. As a coach, Roberta has supported schools on instruction, assessment, systems and structures, literacy and accountability mandates. In 2015, Roberta completed her doctorate in English Education from Columbia's University, Teachers College with a focus on the impact of mandated assessments on students, teachers and school leaders. In her role as the Initiative Director, Roberta supervises the professional development programs and initiatives projects across the Center. Roberta cultivates partnerships with schools, districts, and organizations, in critical areas such as developing academic rigor, refining literacy in high school, creating meaningful instruction for high stakes assessments, and leveraging city and state mandates for authentic school change. You can reach her at kang@tc.edu. |
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ADELE BRUNI ASHLEY Faculty Contributor Dr. Adele Bruni Ashley is a lecturer in the English Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She taught 8th through 12th grade English at the New York City Lab School, founding the Lab Theatre Company (LTC) in 2007. Prior to public school teaching, she received her M.F.A. in acting from the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) where she taught undergraduate theatre. As an educator, she is interested in structuring classroom spaces as laboratories for imaginative exploration and creation. ADELE BRUNI ASHLEY
Faculty Contributor |
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JONATHAN BELTRAN Professional Development Coach JONATHAN BELTRAN
Professional Development Coach |
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RUCSANDRA BITERE Professional Development Coach RUCSANDRA BITERE
Professional Development Coach |
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COURTNEY BROWN Senior Professional Development Advisor Courtney Brown is a Senior Professional Development Advisor whose work is informed by her range of experiences as a high school and middle school teacher of English and the humanities. Grounded in the philosophies of project-based learning and literacy across the disciplines, Courtney supports school leaders and teachers to develop culturally relevant curriculum and practices in order to enable students and schools to thrive and achieve their potential. Currently, her work includes a focus on developing PLC's and school-wide practices to support struggling schools to leverage mandates and build on their strengths. Courtney has presented workshops for school districts, the Student Press Initiative, AERA, ATE, the Global learning Alliance, and the National Council of Teachers of English Convention. She feels privileged to work with educators in NYC and collaborate with her colleagues at CPET. COURTNEY BROWN
Senior Professional Development Advisor ARTICLES |
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GRANT BROWN Professional Development Coach Before joining Teachers College to pursue a Master's degree in Philosophy & Education, Grant received a B.A. in Philosophy from Swarthmore College. He grew up attending public schools in Nebraska and has worked for five years as a debate coach and educator, both as a curriculum director, and teacher mentor at a non-profit summer camp for high need students. He is passionate about project-based learning, teaching students about social, political, and ethical issues, and bringing philosophical ideas into school discussions. GRANT BROWN
Professional Development Coach |
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CRISTINA COMPTON Director of Program Development Dr. Cristina Romeo Compton received her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2016, with a concentration in the teaching of English. She began her career in education as a NYC Teaching Fellow, teaching in a Title 1 school, while completing her Masters in Childhood Education. Cristina serves as the Director of Program Development at CPET, overseeing a wide range of school-based projects and the Student Press Initiative, an initiative that supports teachers and students in developing projects that culminate in professionally designed, print-based publications. When working with schools, she focuses on areas of strength and opportunities for growth, in an effort to develop highly customized and targeted professional development plans. In her on-site work, she supports schools with curriculum design, unit planning, project-based learning, and developing literacy strategies that can bolster student achievement across the disciplines. |
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MEG DAVIS Professional Development Coach MEG DAVIS
Professional Development Coach |
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VICTORIA FERNANDEZ Professional Development Coach Victoria Fernandez joined Teachers College, Columbia University as a student pursuing a Masters of Education in Sociology and Education. Prior to arriving at Teachers College, Victoria taught middle school students in Special Education and Math in Raleigh, NC. She was a co-chair of the Special Education department and the Community and Family Engagement Task Force at her previous school. Victoria's favorite part of teaching is building relationships with students and their families, and she values connection and curiosity as a means to helping others become their best selves. VICTORIA FERNANDEZ
Professional Development Coach |
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KELSEY HAMMOND Professional Development Coach KELSEY HAMMOND
Professional Development Coach |
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ISSAC HODGES Administrative Coordinator Prior to joining CPET, Issac attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he received his B.A. in Criminology and Forensic Psychology. Born in Yonkers and raised in the Bronx, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon, Issac was able to experience the NYC and the NYS public school system firsthand. The treatment of these schools systems and their students is what led Issac to become extremely passionate about finding ways to create access and opportunity for all students. During his time at John Jay, Issac served as the Alumni Outreach Coordinator for CUNY’s Early College Initiative (ECI), assisting high school students who had already accumulated large amounts of credits transition into the College atmosphere. Issac designed monthly workshops, conducted one-on-one advisement, and continued support throughout the semester. Issac is excited to be a part of the CPET community where he can continue to create change for generations to come. ISSAC HODGES
Professional Development Coach |
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RICHAA HOYSALA Professional Development Coach RICHAA HOYSALA
Professional Development Coach |
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G. FAITH LITTLE Initiative Director, 21st Century Learning Faith’s work at the Center grows out of her focus on identifying barriers and building bridges as she supports individual and team growth with creative, compassionate leadership. Faith spends most of her time at the Center on contract and project management, workshop and course planning, conference design, special projects, social/emotional support, curriculum development. She enjoys innovating processes and structures that connect to mission, vision, and services both for the Center and for educators in their own unique contexts. Faith’s decade of working with MS and HS students in a supportive, social emotional learning setting plus experiences teaching in alternative school settings, intensives with parents, and her English Ed background create a strong foundation to support site coaching for educators outside of the traditional classroom setting. She knows that words matter and listening demonstrates our care and concern for every stakeholder. |
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MARCELLE MENTOR Faculty Contributor Dr. Marcelle Mentor is a lecturer in the English Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a South African native, and an education specialist. Her academic interest focuses on Critical Race Theory, with an emphasis on Black Masculinity and teachers of color in the K-12 classroom. Her teaching philosophy is based on the concept of Ubuntu, which is a Southern African ethic or humanistic approach that focuses on the fact that we are people through the existence and interaction with and from other people. She is an activist, a mother of two sons, a wife, a researcher, a scholar, and teller of stories. She believes in equality in access of education for all. |
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LAUREN MIDGETTE Professional Development Coach LAUREN MIDGETTE
Professional Development Coach |
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KAYDIE MILKS Director of Operations Kaydie arrived at CPET after earning an M.A. in Psychological Counseling and an Ed.M. in School Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her time as a crisis management counselor and her lifetime of experience as a planning and organization-obsessed problem-solver have helped shape her current role at the Center. As the Director of Operations, Kaydie plays many parts - she created this website, is responsible for creating promotional materials and strategies for the Center, and as the person who oversees the Center’s finances, you can usually find her dealing with anything and everything that involves a dollar sign. KAYDIE MILKS
Director of Operations |
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LAURA RIGOLOSI Curriculum & Literacy Specialist Dr. Laura Rigolosi earned her M.A. and Ed.D. From Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also taught in the English Education department. Her doctoral research focused on the ways we teach reading in Title 1 high school classrooms, and she continues to research the best literacy practices at the secondary level. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Laura taught English in a District 2 high school; this sparked her interest in the most effective ways to teach reading and writing to diverse learners. For the past 15 years, Laura has worked with teachers in all disciplines and continues to help teachers increase their literacy practices in classrooms, thus increasing engagement and understanding within content area classes. She has led literacy-based workshops for teachers in NY, NJ, PA, CT, CA, and OH. |
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LINDI SHEPARD Professional Development Coach Lindi is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Cognitive Science in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also the Program Manager for Words in the Wild, a literacy-focused non-profit that provides research-based literacy experiences for elementary students and their families and conducts rigorous educator training. With a background in Special Education, Lindi worked as a teacher in full-inclusion and self-contained ECE and elementary classrooms abroad and across the US for 16 years, during which she honed her passion for curriculum development and differentiating instruction. She is excited to bring her curiosity, passion, and experience to the CPET community! LINDI SHEPARD
Professional Development Coach |
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JACQUI STOLZER Senior Professional Development Coach Jacqui is currently pursuing a P.h.D. in the English Education department at Teachers College. As a former New York City public school teacher, Jacqui has taught in a wide range of English classrooms, from specialized classes for students with disabilities, to inclusion classrooms, to AP Language and Composition. At CPET, Jacqui has partnered with middle and high school teachers to develop engaging Common Core-aligned ELA curriculum, differentiate for students with disabilities, and cultivate productive co-teaching relationships. She looks forwards to another year of supporting hardworking and passionate teachers! |
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MARIA GARCIA UNDERWOOD Instructional Specialist MARIA GARCIA UNDERWOOD
Instructional Specialist |
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ASHLYNN WITTCHOW Professional Development Coach Ashlynn is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to joining the Teachers College community, Ashlynn taught middle school and high school English in Columbia, South Carolina for six years. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Ashlynn served her school as both the yearbook sponsor and as the lead mock trial coach for her competitive middle school team. Ashlynn is excited to join the CPET community and to work with teachers and students in NYC and beyond. ASHLYNN WITTCHOW
Professional Development Coach |
