Delaware Math Equity Annual Conference

Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall is the director of P-12 practice, leading Ed Trust’s Equity in Motion assignment analysis work. Her graduate studies focused on curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on teacher practice with high-achieving African American students. She is a national level speaker and agent of change. She was drawn to education because of her deep desire for students who looked like her to get the kind of education our nation purports to want every child to have (but often does everything in its power to do the opposite).

Dr. Jo Boaler is a professor of mathematics at Stanford Graduate School of Education. She is the co-founder and faculty director of youcubed, a center that provides free math education resources for teachers, students, and parents around the world. Jo is a leader of reform mathematics and equitable mathematics classrooms. She has written countless articles on mathematics reform and authored nine books. Her research interests include studying how different approaches to teaching impact student learning. She is committed to supporting teachers in their efforts to teach for a “growth mindset” and to employ equitable and effective practices in their mathematics classrooms. She is also working to expand the role and importance data science plays in K-12 schooling.

Dr. Pam Seda of Seda Educational Consulting is a thirty year veteran of education. She has held various positions in mathematics education including high school mathematics teacher, mathematics instructional coach, college mathematics instructor, and K-12 district mathematics supervisor. She is passionate about changing how students experience mathematics, especially those from marginalized groups, and advocates for mathematics instruction that develops all students as mathematical thinkers and problem-solvers. Pam is the co-author of “Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom.” Grounded in educational research, the book includes compelling stories and practical examples related to the ICUCARE equity framework.

Eli Luberoff is the CEO of Desmos, a math technology company used by millions of students and teachers around the world. His two dueling loves are learning and programming, which he combined in Desmos. Before Desmos, Eli founded and sold a tutoring software platform, and studied Math and Physics at Yale, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with distinction in both majors. When not glued to his computer, Eli blows off steam by playing piano or kicking around a soccer ball — both mostly at random.

Dr. Amanda (Mandy) Jansen is a professor of mathematics in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. She conducts research related to students’ motivation and engagement in mathematics classroom. She is a highly sought out national speaker. She is passionate about issues of access and equity and continues to be invested in supporting students’ voices through her research and ongoing study of engagement in the mathematics classroom. Her most recent book Rough Draft Math: Revising to Learn is published by Stenhouse.

Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall is the director of P-12 practice, leading Ed Trust’s Equity in Motion assignment analysis work. Her graduate studies focused on curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on teacher practice with high-achieving African American students. She is a national level speaker and agent of change. She was drawn to education because of her deep desire for students who looked like her to get the kind of education our nation purports to want every child to have (but often does everything in its power to do the opposite).

Dr. Kobett is an Associate Professor at Stevenson University. In addition to teaching mathematics and math methods courses, she serves as Director of the First Year Seminar program at the college. She is an active leader in the Maryland Teachers of Mathematics and National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics organizations. Dr. Kobett is a highly regarded national level speaker, consultant, and the author or co-author of numerous articles, book chapters, and books. Her most recent publication is entitled “Strengths Based Teaching & Learning in Mathematics.”

Jennifer Ranum is currently a Curriculum Consultant for the Math Learning Center. She takes her knowledge and expertise from 20 years as a classroom teacher, instructional leadership team member, and her experiences using Bridges in Mathematics as she works with new and existing Bridges districts. She enjoys modeling lessons, coaching teachers and administrators, writing blogs, facilitating Getting Started and Support Workshops for both Bridges and Intervention, and presenting at various math conferences around the United States.

Dr. Pam Seda is the co-author of the book “Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom. ” She has held various positions in mathematics education including high school mathematics teacher, math instructional coach, college math instructor, and K-12 district math supervisor. She is passionate about changing how students experience mathematics, especially those from marginalized groups, and advocates for mathematics instruction that develops all students as mathematical thinkers and problem-solvers.

Jennifer Christensen is a Curriculum Consultant for the Math Learning Center. She has been a classroom teacher for over 25 years, with additional experience in her district as an Instructional Facilitator. She has worked with teachers and coaches implementing Bridges in Getting Started workshops, lesson studies, and a variety of other topics related to implementation. She recognizes the challenges that face elementary teachers and is passionate about empowering teachers to see the potential in every student.

Dr. Jo Boaler is a professor of mathematics at Stanford Graduate School of Education. She is the co-founder and faculty director of youcubed, a center that provides free math education resources for teachers, students, and parents around the world. Jo is a leader of reform mathematics and equitable mathematics classrooms. She has written countless articles on mathematics reform and authored nine books. Her research interests include studying how different approaches to teaching impact student learning. She is committed to supporting teachers in their efforts to teach for a “growth mindset” and to employ equitable and effective practices in their mathematics classrooms. She is also working to expand the role and importance data science plays in K-12 schooling.

Dr. Sue Looney is the founder of Looney Math Consulting, a professional development agency devoted to supporting educators in the important work of inspiring learners to believe in themselves as powerful mathematicians. She is passionate about spreading the joy of mathematics to all learners – from experienced educators to the youngest of children. Her work is grounded in over 20 years of first-hand experiences with children. Sue holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialty in Mathematics Education from Boston University. Sue has been employed as adjunct faculty at Boston University where she developed and delivered a course for early childhood educators. Sue is part of the Mathkind Global community where she is a member of the advisory board. Sue is the author of Same But Different Math, Ying and the Magic Turtle and Exemplars PreK Math.

Twana is Vice President of Curriculum and Instruction at MIND, where she leads the overall vision, strategy, and execution for curriculum materials, resources, and professional learning across MIND’s suite of products. She also holds a leadership role in MIND’s co-design group, MEND – Math Equity in Design. MEND is a community of people who have worked with students of color, have been students of color, or are teachers of color. They are co-architects in designing culturally relevant math curriculum that connects with all students. Twana is a former classroom teacher, district curriculum specialist, and district curriculum director for math, science, and instructional technology with over 20 years of experience in education. She has been a leader in improving schools at the local, state, and national levels: developing and implementing curriculum, assessments, coaching programs, STEM learning pathways, and professional development training for teachers.

Lorianne Kalb, a seventh grade mathematics teacher at Gunning Bedford Middle School in the Colonial School District in Delaware, began her teaching career in 1989. In addition to being a middle school math teacher, Lorianne is the Lead Mentor at her school, helping new teachers in Colonial School District’s Comprehensive Induction Program. She is also team leader at Gunning Bedford, a teacher leader in her district, and an active member of the Delaware Mathematics Coalition. Lorianne is the 1996 recipient of the Science Alliance and DuPont Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the 1999 Delaware Recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. Lorianne has also been Gunning Bedford’s Teacher of the Year in both 1997 and 2020. As a mathematics educator, Lorianne is passionate about equity in mathematics. Having high expectations that all students are problem solvers and all students can think critically and communicate mathematically invites students to engage in challenging tasks and experience success. When teachers cultivate positive relationships — adults-to-students and peer-to-peer – they help foster student agency. Each student becomes the person with the active role rather than the teacher. Students are aware of their own thinking, and are creating and doing, and are reflecting on their work. They have the courage to take risks and be in charge of their own learning!

Steve Leinwand is a principal research analyst at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). He has forty years of leadership positions in mathematics education. Prior to joining AIR, Steve spent 22 years as a Math Consultant for the Connecticut Department of Education. Steve also served on the NCTM Board of Directors and was the President for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. In 2015, he received the Gilbert/Ross Taylor National Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to math education and the NCMT’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

As founder of Village Life Education, Dr. Kirk Kirkwood has 25 years of educational experience, with broad expertise in teaching mathematics, education administration, and academic advising. He has a passion for math education and is dedicated to empowering students and families to thrive in all academic settings. Dr. Kirkwood is a graduate of UC Riverside, received his Master of Arts in Education from Claremont Graduate School of Education, a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary, and completed his Doctoral at Cal State Fullerton. He has two sons: Malik and Amir, and has been married to Dr. Alisia Kirkwod for over 20 years.

Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall is the director of P-12 practice, leading Ed Trust’s Equity in Motion assignment analysis work. Her graduate studies focused on curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on teacher practice with high-achieving African American students. She is a national level speaker and agent of change. She was drawn to education because of her deep desire for students who looked like her to get the kind of education our nation purports to want every child to have (but often does everything in its power to do the opposite).

Ryan Harrington is the Director of Strategy & Operations at Tech Impact’s Data Innovation Lab where he focused on developing data science projects for social good. Previously, Ryan was the lead data scientist at CompassRed Data Labs, a data science and analytics consulting firm where his focus was on developing models using a combination of statistical methods and machine learning techniques. Outside of work, he co-founded and co-organized Open Data Delaware, an organization committed to improving data transparency within government institutions and applying data technology to solving civic problems. Prior to his work as a data scientist, Ryan was a high school teacher at Glasgow High School and spent time building DE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem at 1313 Innovation.

Chris Luzniak is currently a math consultant and instructional coach in Ohio. His nearly 20 years of teaching mathematics began in New York City public schools, where he also founded and coached the Speech and Debate team. Through this combination of teaching and coaching, Chris has worked to develop debate routines that bring student voice and discussion into the math classroom. He coaches teachers in both math and science to develop real-world debate activities for students. Some of his work can be seen on his website luzniak.com, in his book Up for Debate! published by Stenhouse Publishers, or on The DebateMath Podcast.

Dr. Ellis is a Professor of Secondary Education at the University of California at Fullerton, former Director of NTCM, serves on the Certification Council for the National Board Certification, and is a i-Ready Classroom Mathematics author and advisor.

Dr. Pam Seda is the co-author of the book “Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom. ” She has held various positions in mathematics education including high school mathematics teacher, math instructional coach, college math instructor, and K-12 district math supervisor. She is passionate about changing how students experience mathematics, especially those from marginalized groups, and advocates for mathematics instruction that develops all students as mathematical thinkers and problem-solvers.

Dr. Tonya Bartell is an associate professor of mathematics education in the School of Education at Michigan State University. She conducts research on teachers’ learning of equitable mathematics teaching practices with explicit attention to culture, race, and power. She is passionate about supporting teachers in engaging with students in using mathematics to explore, understand, and respond to social injustice. Tonya is co-author of two recent books on this topic: “Upper Elementary Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Injustice” and “Early Elementary Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Injustice.”

Jason Orlen been an educator for 17 years at East Millsboro Elementary located in Millsboro, Delaware. His experiences include teaching third through fourth grade, while currently serving as the school’s math interventionist. He is a member of the Delaware Bridges Cadre and Delaware Math Steering Committee. In addition to the time he spends teaching at the elementary level, he has also served as an adjunct professor at Wilmington University and facilitate workshops nationwide as a member of the Math Learning Center.

Dr. Molli Carter is the Administrative Intern for Achieving the Dream and Collegewide Coordinator for Mathematics Redesign at Delaware Technical Community College. She has a varied background in teaching mathematics ranging from time spent in public middle and high schools to providing statewide mathematics professional development to teaching mathematics at the community college. Since 2019, Dr. Carter has helped coordinate the shift in mindset in how Delaware Tech approaches developmental education and has led a massive redesign of mathematics coursework with a goal of shifting away from practices that have failed to promote the success of traditionally underserved students and instead, developing systems that empower every student who enters the college mathematics classroom.

Dr. Crystal Lancour is a Supervisor of Mathematics in the Colonial School District in New Castle, Delaware. She is a mathematics educator who is committed to empowering leaders, learners, & problem-solvers within and beyond her school community. She has 23 years of experience that includes teaching grades 5-10, adult continuing education, and pre-service teachers and grad courses at the higher education level. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence Mathematics and Science Teacher in 2005 and was her school’s Teacher of the Year in 2006. She is also currently the President and a founding member of the Delaware Council of Mathematical Leaders, the Delaware Math Coalition’s NCSM affiliate. Her passion is to provide equitable access to mathematics for all students and to foster a joy and appreciation of mathematics in the world around us.

Dr. Michael Kijowski is an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware. He instructs undergraduate math courses in the elementary education program. Dr. Kijowski worked for thirty years in public education as an elementary teacher, middle school math teacher, school principal, and curriculum supervisor. for math & science In addition, Dr. Kijowski has served on the DE Math Coalition’s Executive Board and worked as an instructional specialist for the University of Delaware’s Professional Development Center for Educators. Anyone who knows Mike will testify that he is passionate about teaching and learning.