Conference Agenda:

• 10:30am-11:00am- Conference opens for participant log in
• 11:00am-12:00pm- Opening Session with Keynote Speakers
• 12:00pm-12:30pm- Lunch on your own (please stay logged in!)
• 12:30pm-1:00pm- National Speaker Panel
• 1:00pm-2:00pm- Grade Level Breakout Sessions
• 2:00pm-3:00pm- Distance Learning Strategies for Teachers
• 3:00pm-3:15pm- Closing

Biographies of Conference Speakers:

Kimberly Mayfield, Ed.D (Dean, School of Eduction, Holy Names University): Dr. Kimberly Mayfield began her education career as a special education teacher for the Oakland Unified School District. She earned her Multiple Subjects Credential at Holy Names University where she has led the education department since 2011. She earned her Specialist Instruction Credential in Special Education and doctorate in Learning and Instruction at the University of San Francisco. In 2018, Dr. Mayfield was named dean of the School of Education. She served as a co-convenor of the Effective Teachers for Oakland Community Taskforce from 2006-2011. Dr. Mayfield has been recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 black Women, the Oakland/Berkeley Chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action ( BWOPA) and Oakland Parents Together for her impact on education in Oakland. Dr. Mayfield serves as education policy adviser for the State Board of BWOPA and on the executive team for ARCHES. She is also the board chair for Oakland Natives Give Back. Dr. Mayfield is an advocate for the use of technology in education and is a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Terri Ruyter, Ed.D. (Principal, Battery Park City School): Terri is the founding principal of PS/IS276. Before becoming a school leader, she worked in schools in New York City and Santa Fe, New Mexico, trained teachers in the pre-service programs at Teachers College and Adelphi University and has trained New York City Teaching Fellows. She has worked as a literacy and social studies specialist in schools in New York City Districts 1, 2, 4 and 7. She received her doctorate in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Kate Kosmos, Ed.M., Ed.S., LEP (School Psychologist): Kate is a school psychologist for a large urban school district and in private practice as a licensed educational psychologist. She is on faculty at Holy Names University where she teaches courses in assessment, educational psychology and behavior intervention. Kate conducts trainings in emergency crisis response for school systems, functional behavior analysis, therapeutic techniques for school-based counseling, neurobiological consequences of trauma, social-emotional learning, and neurodiversity & learning. She has presented research at national conferences and guest lectured at Harvard University, U.C. Berkeley and Northeastern University. Kate developed a school-based model to address risk factors for child exploitation, which she presented during international round table discussions at Oxford University.

Christina Walker, LEP (School Psychologist): Christina Walker is an Oakland Unified School District school psychologist and licensed educational psychologist serving students and families in the East Bay. A native of Oakland, Christina has taught psychology courses at local universities including San Francisco State University and Saint Mary’s College.

Cicely Day Butler (2016 ISTE Digital Equity Award Winner):Cicely works in WCCUSD (West Contra Costa County Unified School District) in the central office as a STEAM coach. She was the 2016 ISTE Digital Equity Award winner and 2020 CUE Gold Disk Winner. She is a writer, presenter, and speaker.

Ann Park (2016 California Teacher of the Year): Ann Park is starting her 30th year as an educator — her first four years as a Math Specialist in the Bay Area and her last 26 as an elementary teacher in the Oakland Unified School District. She currently teaches 5th grade at Bridges Academy at Melrose, a K-5 elementary school in East Oakland. Named one of five CA Teachers of the Year in 2016, Ann has also achieved National Board certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist. Ann has also been tremendously active in the school community as a leader and team member, making collaboration a priority. She has designed and facilitated numerous professional development workshops in various subject areas. In addition to being on multiple school site committees, Ann is presently a member of the Oakland Unified NGSS Core Leadership Team and was recently part of the District Instructional Leadership Team. Ann received her BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, MA in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania, and teaching credential from Holy Names University.

Precious James (2019 OUSD Teacher of the Year): Precious James is a 4th/5th Grade Teacher at Madison Park Academy, Primary in Oakland, CA. She was one of the three 2019 OUSD Teachers of the Year. She is #KIDSFIRST, passionate about mathematics, and believes in the joy of education to transform lives. She earned a Bachelors of Arts in Religious Studies and Mathematics at University of California, Riverside, her Multiple Subjects credential at Holy Names University, and her Masters of Education in Math and STEM Education at Concordia University, Portland.

Kathy Carroll (President, American Association of School Librarians): Kathy Carroll was elected as the 2020-2021 President of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).Kathy has previously served as an ALA Councilor-at-Large and as a member of the ALA Spectrum Advisory Committee. She is a member of the ALA Black Caucus and the International Relations, Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange, and the Sustainability Round Tables. She also volunteers as a site visit team member for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Carroll is a past member of the AASL Board of Directors, serving as the Regional Director-Elect and Director for Region 4. She also served on the AASL Presidential Initiative Task Force for AASL President Steven Yates. At the state level, Carroll was an executive board member for the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL) and served as the chairperson of the association’s standards and guidelines committee.

Dr. Nicki Newton, Ed.M., Ed.D. (National Math Consultant): Dr. Nicki Newton is an education consultant who works with schools and districts around the country on elementary math curriculum (including best practices, guided math and math centers) as well as curriculum mapping. She has taught elementary school, middle school, and graduate school. Having spent several years as a bilingual teacher and staff developer, she has an extensive background in Sheltered Instruction and English Language Learner Strategies. Dr. Nicki has worked with Heidi Hayes Jacobs in facilitating both the Curriculum Mapping and the Interdisciplinary Curriculum Institutes at Teachers College, Columbia University for several years. Dr. Nicki has kept her hand in the academy by teaching graduate courses for CUNY, MCNY, Mercy College and Cambridge College. Her work teaching elementary curriculum, math methods and special education courses keeps her abreast of the latest educational theories. She has presented at several national and international conferences on education– including being an invited speaker for the NEA as well as working on a special interdisciplinary social studies curriculum project for the AFT. Dr. Nicki has an Ed.M. and an Ed.D from the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University specializing in Teacher Education and Curriculum Development.

Biographies of Breakout Presenters:

Alexandria Piccinini (Resource Specialist, Street Academy, OUSD): Alexandria Piccinini has worked in education for the last five years and is pursuing her masters in Educational Therapy, as well as a teaching credential in mild to moderate disabilities. She has formal experience working with middle and high school students, specifically with struggling learners. The students she has worked with one-on-one have dramatically raised their grades and grade level equivalencies on standardized tests. Alexandria effectively remediates writing and math, as well as study skills, organization and time management. She has a passion for sociology, psychology and social justice. In addition to remediating learning difficulties, she hopes she can inspire her students to be caring and compassionate individuals.

Thelma Woods (Math & Science Teacher, OUSD): Thelma currently teaches math (algebra) and science (chemistry) in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). She also works part-time as an adjunct professor at Holy Names University. A native of Oakland and graduate of Castlemont High School, Thelma went on to complete a bachelor’s of science degree in chemistry at UC Berkeley and a science teaching credential and Master’s degree at Holy Names University. During college and afterward, she had the opportunity to work for Upward Bound at both UC Berkeley and Mills College as a tutor, tutor coordinator, chemistry teacher, and Academic Coordinator.

Sarah Ben-Isarel (6th Grade Science Teacher, Edna Brewer Middle School, OUSD): Sarah (Ms. B) is entering her 11th year teaching 6th grade science at Edna Brewer Middle School in Oakland. Along with teaching, Sarah holds many responsibilities at her school such as coaching students in sports and mentoring and providing new teacher support. In 2009 Sarah became part of “Teach Tomorrow in Oakland” and entered Holy Names University, where she received her single subject science teaching credential and her Master’s in Education. Sarah was born and raised in San Francisco, and is a product of SFUSD, so she is committed to public school education. Sarah’s passions include equity in science education, health education, hands on learning, inclusion, community building, relationship building and restorative justice.

Robyn Wilkes (Middle School Math Teacher, Sacred Heart Atherton): Robyn is a California native raised in Moreno Valley, Ca who has made a home for herself in Oakland. She earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from CSU East Bay. There she discovered her love of teaching while tutoring youth throughout the Bay Area. She continued that passion teaching in multiple schools in Oakland Unified, before continuing her Education at Holy Names University. There she obtained both her Mathematics Credential and M.Ed while teaching both middle and high school math in the Oakland School District. In 2019, she joined Sacred Heart Atherton where she continues her work as a MS Math Teacher. Robyn’s teaching philosophy centers around students and their diverse needs being put in the forefront of academics.

Alexandra Mejia (7th & 8th Grade English Language Teacher, Ochoa Middle School): Alexandra is an English Language Arts teacher at Anthony W. Ochoa Middle School in Hayward, California (HUSD). After completing her Bachelor’s degree with a major in English Literature and a minor in Human Development, she began her career in education as a paraprofessional in New Haven Unified School District. She is currently working towards earning her Master of Urban Education at Holy Names University. Aside from her work in HUSD, Alexandra teaches English in a program that enhances English Language Arts skills through a curriculum that is centered around exploring current social justice issues.

Kasondra Walsh (Kindergarten Teacher, Emerson Elementary School): Kasondra is a kindergarten teacher at Emerson Elementary in Oakland and an Adjunct Faculty member at Holy Names University. She received her BA from UC Berkeley and her CA Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Master’s of Education from Holy Names University. Her focus areas as a teacher are in promoting arts integration in the classroom and advocating for science education in elementary schools. Her training includes completion of the Integrated Learning Specialist Program (ACOE), Project Zero Classroom (Harvard), GLAD, and being part of the NGSS Early Implementation Program (OUSD). In addition to her work as an arts and science education advocate she holds equity, accessible and quality public education, and culturally responsive teaching practices at the forefront of her work.

Pablo Pitcher DeProto (2nd Grade Duel Language Teacher, Futures At Lockwood Elementary): Pablo as he has been known for his 11 years teaching in Oakland, teaches 2nd grade at Community United Elementary (CUES) at Lockwood in East Oakland. Pablo received his BA in English from Oberlin College in 2000, his MA in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training in 2008, and his teaching credential from Holy Names University in 2012. Pablo has been working with youth since he helped start a local tutoring service while in college in Oberlin, Ohio and has also worked with youth in Central America and the Middle East.

Sarah Song (3rd Grade Instructional Leader Teacher, Madison Park Academy Primary): Sarah is a San Diego native who moved to Oakland in 2017. Since then, she has been teaching at MPA primary, specifically focusing on English Language Arts. This past May, Sarah collaborated with OUSD to host a district wide PD on how to effectively implement the ELA curriculum through a digital lens. She holds an M.S. from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education in Educational Studies and is an active member of multiple Oakland educational policy groups focused on parent advocacy and student equity. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and spends most of her winter in Lake Tahoe, enjoying as much fresh powder as she can.

Caitlin Everett James (9th & 10th Grade Education Specialist, Emery High School): Caitlin is entering her 14th year as an education specialist, currently working with 9th and 10th graders with IEPs at Emery High School in Emery Unified. In addition to teaching, Caitlin provides RTI support to students without IEPs, has been yearbook advisor, afterschool teacher, mentored new teachers, served on the school site council, restorative justice coordinator, and as liaison to the PTSA. In 2006 she began her journey towards earning an education specialist credential from Holy Names University. Caitlin was born, raised in, and continues to live in Oakland, currently raising two amazing children (6 & 9) with her equally amazing husband. Caitlin believes that with culturally relevant instruction and engaging curriculum parents and teachers can meet students where they are at and push them past where they think they can go.

Shalonda Tillman (1st Grade Teacher, Madison Park Academy Primary): Shalonda always wanted to be a teacher in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). A product of OUSD, Shalonda brings with her great pride in Oakland and steadfast determination to impact the educational realities of the city’s diverse student population. Shalonda graduated from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia majoring in Psychology, where she strengthened her knowledge and ability to understand the varying learning styles of students through her study studies. She is currently enrolled in Holy Names University where she hopes to obtain her teaching credentials and ultimately a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Shalonda won the 2013-2014 “Teacher of The Year Award” with Teach Tomorrow in Oakland (TTO), serving as a STEM educator and role model within her community. Freelancing as an educational consultant, she is motivated to impact change in her community. When she is not teaching, Shalonda enjoys spending time with her family, eating great food, and live music entertainment.

Theodus Ambers (3rd Grade Teacher, Piedmont Avenue Elementary School): Theodus is a 3rd-grade teacher for the Oakland Unified School District. He went to OUSD schools for K-12, completed Bachelors’s and Masters’s degrees at CSU East Bay before pursuing his teaching credential at Holy Names University. Theodus hopes to give the youth that he works with the same drive to help the community that he got from his teachers and coaches growing up in Oakland.

Caitlin Everett James (9th & 10th Grade Special Education Teacher, Emery High School): Caitlin is entering her 14th year as an education specialist, currently working with 9th and 10th graders with IEPs at Emery High School in Emery Unified. In addition to teaching, Caitlin provides RTI support to students without IEPs, has been yearbook advisor, after school teacher, mentored new teachers, served on the school site council, restorative justice coordinator, and as liaison to the PTSA. In 2006 she began her journey towards earning an education specialist credential from Holy Names University. Caitlin was born, raised in, and continues to live in Oakland, currently raising two amazing children (6 & 9) with her equally amazing husband. Caitlin believes that with culturally relevant instruction and engaging curriculum parents and teachers can meet students where they are at and push them past where they think they can go.

Carolyne Crolotte (Senior Policy Analyst, Early Edge California):Carolyne has nearly fifteen years of experience in Early Childhood Education and Dual Language Learner (DLL) policy and practice. Carolyne is currently Senior Policy Analyst at Early Edge California, where she leads their state- and local-level DLL-related policy and advocacy efforts. Previously, she worked as a Site Supervisor/Academic Coordinator at Maple Bear International School, a Dual Immersion English/Portuguese Canadian school located in the northeast of Brazil serving children ages 1 through grade 5. Prior to this, she served as English Language Learner Specialist for Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP, now Child360) where she provided ongoing technical assistance and trainings to classroom teachers on how to best serve and meet the needs of children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Preceding this role, Carolyne was Content Specialist – English Language Learner for Pearson Education where she was responsible for developing trainings for Pre-K through 12th grade teachers on how to support English Learners using the SIOP Model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol). Carolyne holds an M.A. in Linguistics from UC Davis and a Site Supervisor Level Child Development Permit from the state of California.

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