Staff

William Slotnik, Chief Executive Officer, has overseen the growth of CTAC into one of the nation’s foremost providers of technical assistance, evaluation services, and policy support in the fields of education and community development. CTAC annually assists more than 90 organizations, school districts, and state departments of education. Bill provides extensive assistance to state education agency leaders, superintendents, state and local boards of education, unions, and leadership teams throughout the United States. He leads capacity building assistance and evaluation initiatives nationally which address such issues as systemic reform, human capital recruitment and development, teacher and administrator evaluation, compensation reform, preK–12 STEM, state-to-district initiatives, and accelerating learning in underperforming schools, as well as comprehensive community revitalization. He has been the lead or co-lead author of numerous evaluations (including the first comprehensive, longitudinal evaluative studies of the impact of performance-based compensation on student achievement, teacher effectiveness, and systems change) and articles, and provides briefings to members of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, state legislatures and departments of education, and the media.

Barbara Brown, Senior Associate, Curriculum and Instruction, guides the implementation of successful turnaround strategies at school and district levels. Barbara specializes in mentoring and coaching, providing professional development on instruction, and assisting districts and schools to use data to improve student academic performance. She has extensive expertise in instructional technology and learning, emotional, and intellectual disabilities. Barbara previously served as educational specialist for staff development in Henrico County Public Schools, Virginia. In that capacity, she organized and facilitated district-wide trainings, coordinated the district’s teacher mentoring program, and designed a specialized mentoring program to support year two teachers. She also served as the exceptional education department chair and as the division coordinator for positive behavior interventions and supports. Barbara taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and was recognized as Teacher of the Year and Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Educator.

Peggie Brown, Senior Associate, National School Reform, builds the capacity of districts and schools to develop and implement academic strategies that improve student performance. She has extensive national experience in district and school improvement, including developing principal, teacher, and parent leadership, implementing personalized learning, and improving community engagement. Peggie also leads CTAC interview teams in projects focused on school improvement, dropout prevention, and college readiness and access. She previously served as an award-winning principal and vice president of the Administrators Association in Cleveland Public Schools. Her areas of expertise include school improvement planning and implementation, equity initiatives, curriculum development, union-management relations, reading theory and practice, and the alignment of standards, instruction, and assessments.

James Christensen, Ed.D., Senior Associate, National School Reform, advises states, districts, and schools regarding certification and licensure, human capital management, strategic planning, policy guidance, and charter school management. As a former superintendent and principal, Jim has been a state- and nationally-recognized educational leader for over 30 years. As superintendent in Douglas County, Colorado, he established one of the highest performing districts in the state with 94% of the 71 schools reaching high or excellent status under Colorado’s accreditation report and reduced the dropout rate to less than 1%. In Adams 12 School District, located in the Denver metropolitan area, he guided the district to the greatest improvement gains in the metro area for two consecutive years. During his tenure in Sheridan, Wyoming, he improved student performance from the middle performance level to the second highest performing district in the state. Jim has received numerous honors for his leadership, including National Reading Recovery Leader of the Year.

Judith Clary, Ph.D., Senior Associate, National School Reform, provides program evaluation services and supports districts in developing effective restructuring and accountability frameworks. Judy also assists districts to cultivate relationships with community organizations, businesses, and universities. She previously served as the assistant superintendent for human resources and as assistant superintendent for research, development, and accountability in Albuquerque Public Schools. She also serves as a mediator for Alternative Dispute Resolution and as an educational diagnostician. Her areas of expertise include human resource systems, program evaluation, compensation and evaluation systems, and state and federal regulations and laws.

Mary Ann Crayton, Senior Associate, School, Family, and Community Engagement, focuses on school and district improvement, school-community partnerships, and comprehensive human services collaboratives to address social and emotional learning needs. She previously served as senior director at the Boston Public Schools, where she managed the implementation and assessment of family and student engagement practice in 31 schools. In that capacity, she created district policy dialogues and civic engagement models which promoted the participation of diverse racial, ethnic, and language groups in school and district improvement. Mary Ann previously served as the executive director of the Massachusetts Advocacy Center where she was the first African American woman to direct a statewide child advocacy and legal service center in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In previous senior level positions at CTAC, she trained school and district leadership teams, and provided technical assistance to non-profit organizations throughout the United States in the areas of neighborhood revitalization, youth leadership, elder advocacy, and refugee leadership.

Jeffrey Edmison, Chief Officer, National Field Operations, provides management oversight for CTAC’s education initiatives with states, districts, and schools around the nation. He guides initiatives on competency-based education, personalized learning, state-to-district assistance, and leadership development systems. Jeff previously served as chief operating officer for the Christina School District in Delaware, where he provided leadership for the New Directions in Christina systemic reform effort. Through a methodical implementation of the Standard Bearer Schools process, the district significantly increased student achievement and created foundational changes in the organization. In addition, he has served as the associate superintendent for the West Contra Costa Unified School District in Richmond, California, and as the regional general manager for EdisonLearning. In these roles, Jeff has led multiple system-wide efforts which have improved organizational effectiveness and increased student achievement. His areas of expertise include school turnaround, teacher and principal evaluation, charter schools, STEM, and fiscal accountability systems.

William Eglinton, Director, Management, Finance and Policy, serves on CTAC’s research and evaluation team and focuses on local, state, and federal public policy. He previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM: a Fortune 200 company), and chairman of the board for all corporate subsidiaries. Bill served as CTAC’s co-project director for the TIF-supported Leadership for Educators’ Advanced Performance initiative with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, directed CTAC’s National Urban Reform Network, led site research and evaluations teams in Christina (DE), Denver (CO), and Newark (NJ), and trained district leadership teams, community collaboratives, corporate leadership groups, and policymaking bodies at local, state, and national levels. His areas of expertise include school/corporate collaboration, performance-based compensation, executive assistance to superintendents and boards of education, and education policy.

Judy Finkel, Ed.D., Senior Associate, National School Reform, guides the implementation of CTAC’s turnaround services at school and district levels nationwide. She also provides counsel to school principals and evaluates school-based programs. Judy’s experience in urban education includes having served as a principal and school psychologist for Worcester Public Schools in Massachusetts. In addition, she served as project director at Worcester Community Action Council, where she developed and implemented a federal ARRA-funded program that provided employability skills, job development, and academic preparation for low-income, out-of-school 16–24 year-olds. Her areas of expertise include school improvement, professional development programs for principals and assistant principals, and teacher licensure programs.

Joseph Frey, Senior Associate, National School Reform, is responsible for key CTAC education initiatives relating to teacher evaluation, teacher licensure and certification, performance-based compensation, state-to-district and state-to-school assistance, and college readiness. He also coordinates CTAC’s higher education initiatives. Joe previously served as the deputy commissioner, New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of Higher Education. In this capacity, he oversaw 271 colleges and universities and over 450 non-degree-granting proprietary schools. His prior positions included the associate commissioner, NYSED, Office of Higher Education, and assistant commissioner, NYSED, Office of Quality Assurance. He developed the Smart Scholars Early College High School Program and a data-driven Statewide Plan for Higher Education that engaged all four sectors of higher education (SUNY, CUNY, independent and for-profit colleges). Joe was a lead collaborator on the development of the Regents’ Teaching Policy; he was also responsible for implementing the policy and developing the first alternative teacher preparation program in New York State’s history.

Kati Garness, Senior Associate, National School Reform, provides technical assistance and evaluation services to districts and schools and supports CTAC’s communications and development initiatives. She has experience teaching and coaching in district, charter, and international schools. Kati has expertise in and has coached on topics such as early childhood education, bilingual education, school culture and climate, English language learning, and project-based learning. Previously, Kati was selected as one of the first Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean’s Fellows where she supported the expansion and development of key initiatives within the Gwinnett County Public Schools (GA) Office of Early Learning. She has served as an educator coach in Peace Corps Colombia and began her career as a Teach for America corps member in the Washington, DC area.

Geraldine Harge, Ed.D., Senior Associate, National School Reform, provides on-site assistance to superintendents, district and school leadership teams, principals, and teachers. She has extensive expertise and experience in project coordination, special education reform, and Title I school performance. Gerry also provides training on teacher and principal evaluation systems. She previously served as superintendent of schools in Berryessa Union School District (CA) and Nye County School District (NV); as director of special education in San Mateo Foster City School District (CA); and as regional superintendent, principal, counselor and classroom teacher in Albuquerque Public Schools. Gerry has nationally recognized expertise in rural education, equity initiatives, special education, and systemic reform. She was honored as Nevada Superintendent of the Year.

Barbara Helms, Ph.D., Senior Associate, Evaluation and Accountability, supports initiatives in the areas of data-driven decision-making and the impact of performance management. She is an expert on the instruments and methodologies that CTAC uses to gauge student achievement and other indicators of school progress, and provides professional development to districts using CTAC’s data analysis instruments. She previously served as coordinator of demographics and assessment for the East Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut. She has also served as president of the Northeastern Educational Research Association. Barbara has conducted multi-year evaluations of state and federally-funded grants awarded to urban school districts, and was a Switzer Distinguished Research Fellow. She has extensive experience in student achievement data analysis, design and implementation of district data systems, statistical methodologies, and the creation and use of relational databases in teacher evaluation and performance-based compensation reforms.

Eric Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Associate, School Turnaround, leads school improvement efforts in multiple districts. He previously served as chief of research publications for the United States Air Force Academy and as director of the Urban Education Program in the School of Education at Drake University. Eric served Columbus Public Schools (OH) in the capacities of curriculum coordinator, professional development facilitator, and middle and high school teacher. He has facilitated national and international workshops on a variety of topics, including using difference as an organizational asset, professional learning communities, and data-driven decision-making. In addition, he has authored three inspirational books: Beyond Self Help: A Journey to be Better, 10 Deadly Aspects of Pride, and Livin’ in the Shade: Implications of Father and Son Relationships Explored. Eric’s areas of expertise include social and emotional learning, curriculum development, culturally relevant pedagogy, Title I, and multicultural education.

Susan Kirkendol, Ph.D., Senior Associate, National School Reform, builds the capacity of teachers and administrators to improve instructional practices and implement data-informed decision-making in low-performing schools. She informs educator evaluation initiatives at state and district levels throughout the United States, including conducting statewide Network Team Institute trainings and providing BOCES-level support across New York State. Susan, a What Works Clearinghouse-certified reviewer, also assists research and evaluation teams with developing research questions, determining appropriate analytic methodologies, and designing project plans and strategies. She previously served as a senior research program analyst for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Leadership for Educators’ Advanced Performance initiative. In that capacity, she guided teachers and administrators in low-performing schools in improving the planning and delivery of instruction. Additionally, Susan has served as a professor and dean at Pfeiffer University and an assistant professor at Clemson University.

Richard Larrabee, Senior Associate, National School Reform, guides the implementation of CTAC’s turnaround services at state, district, and school levels nationwide and serves as a trainer for projects focusing on instructional leadership and improvement. He provided technical counsel and evaluation services as a senior member of CTAC’s team for initiatives linking instructional improvement, human capital management systems, and performance-based compensation. He led CTAC’s field services team that conducted the groundbreaking professional development audit of the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership and Duval County Public Schools. Dick previously served as supervising superintendent (overseeing all district regional superintendents), principal of a distinguished school (the largest elementary school in Ohio), and as director of information services at the Cleveland Public Schools.

Cathi Leone, Chief Officer, Finance and Management Systems, oversees all financial and human resource functions, including financial reporting, grant and contract administration, risk management, and equal employment opportunity. She provides quality assurance to ensure that all project tasks are accomplished on time and at a standard of excellence. Cathi supervises all facets of the performance management system, including onboarding and integrating project and contracted personnel. Prior to joining CTAC, Cathi supervised and managed the finances, human resources, non-academic student services, facilities, and data security functions of a private school.

Guodong Liang, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, focuses on analyzing and interpreting data to help practitioners and policymakers make informed data-driven decisions. Guodong conducts research and evaluation to gauge the fidelity of implementation and impact of federally-funded programs within districts and states, district reform initiatives, and statewide educator evaluation systems. He was co-lead of CTAC’s four pivotal reviews of Maryland’s landmark teacher and principal evaluation system. Guodong’s areas of research include the relationship of professional development to teacher practice and student achievement, the implementation of statewide principal leadership development initiatives, and human capital development in charter schools. He previously served as a researcher at University of Missouri where he examined the opportunity gap in students’ access to qualified teachers. Guodong is an Editorial Board member of Educational Researcher, one of the most distinguished journals in the field of education. He is also a certified What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviewer under Version 4.1 of WWC standards and procedures for group and single-case designs. His work has been published in such journals as Educational Policy, Journal of Educational Administration, Journal of Educational Research, Journal of School Leadership, and the International Journal of Educational Research.

Eléna Mason, Senior Associate, Human Capital Management, has more than 25 years of experience in domestic and international human resources, process design, policy development, best practices research, project management, compensation analysis, and executive/leadership training. As CEO of Prudential Global Network, she has extensive human relations and compensation expertise. She previously developed the Statistical Job Evaluation and Classification System, an automated system combining compensation and business metrics with cognitive levels of work performance. Eléna holds QMS Auditor (ISO 9001:2000), Certified Compensation Professional, and Senior Professional in Human Resources certifications. She is trained by Watson Wyatt and certified by the State of Montana for compensation and classification using the Benchmark Factoring Method. She speaks 4 languages—Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog (Philippines), and English—and has worked in international companies in the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong.

Joan McRobbie, Senior Associate, National School Reform, manages projects on instructional improvement, teacher evaluation, and compensation reform in multiple states. Previously, she served as chief of staff and ethics officer in the San Diego Unified School District. She has also held senior policy and communications positions that focus on issues of urban school systems and their leadership. In addition, she has conducted studies of student achievement within and across states and analyses of the contexts, policies, structures, and practices affecting achievement. Joan has published numerous policy studies and briefs and convened multi-state policy seminars to provide policymakers with the best research and thinking on issues of urgent concern. She was a Lucius N. Littauer Fellow at Harvard University, and she won numerous national, state, and regional awards as a journalist.

Natalie Nier, Director, Communications and Technology, designs and implements communications strategies and technology solutions, and organizes and provides project management support. She serves as lead editor and quality assurance manager for research reports, policy briefs, and communications with constituents and policymakers. Natalie oversees the production and dissemination of key publications, presentations, and articles. She manages national symposia and coordinates leadership and networking summits. Additionally, she provides technology support to national headquarters and field staff, and senior district staff. Natalie also assists state education agencies to develop final products for distribution, creates and maintains websites, and disseminates project updates and best practices to the field through social media.

Deborah Norris, Instructional Specialist, provides coaching and demonstrates best instructional practices to school leaders and teachers to increase professional learning and student achievement. She also assists school-based educators to interpret student achievement data and determine related instructional needs of students. In several districts, Deborah previously served as mentor coordinator, staff development planner, exceptional education department chair, gifted education coordinator, and after-school enrichment coordinator. Deborah has been recognized as Teacher of the Year by Henrico County Public Schools, VA. Her areas of expertise include learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and mental retardation.

Donna Ogden, Administration Manager, provides program and administrative support to the CTAC team. She organizes and disseminates training and presentation materials, as well as assists the research and evaluation team with data organization. Donna assists with accounts payable, payroll, and benefits administration, and manages national and international databases. In addition, she coordinates Board of Directors’ communications, meeting planning, and logistics. Donna has extensive experience providing executive level support.

Zhaogang Qiao, Ph.D., Senior Associate, Research and Evaluation, leads CTAC’s key research and evaluation initiatives. He evaluates program and policy impacts on student achievement and educator performance at school, district, and state levels. Zhaogang manages and guides the research process, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and conducts advanced statistical analyses, including value added modeling, hierarchical linear modeling, and difference-in-difference modeling. He also conducts financial modeling to assist school districts to project and assess the financial stability and sustainability of their reform initiatives. Zhaogang has authored or co-authored numerous evaluations and research reports which focus on systemic reform, school turnaround, performance-based compensation, and professional development. He is also a certified What Works Clearinghouse reviewer. He previously served as research associate at the International Monetary Fund, where he evaluated macroeconomic performance of member countries and analyzed policy effectiveness. He also consulted at the World Bank.

Raquel Martinez Reedy, Senior Associate, National School Reform, assists states, districts, and schools in areas of school and district improvement; diversity, equity, and inclusion; special education; and bilingual education. Raquel previously served Albuquerque Public Schools—the state’s largest school district with 73,000 students—for more than four decades with the last five years as superintendent. Under Raquel’s leadership, the student four-year graduation rate increased by thirteen points, the district was reorganized into Learning Zones to better serve neighborhood schools, the district’s bilingual program was significantly strengthened, and music and art education in elementary schools experienced marked expansion. Prior to her superintendency, Raquel served as associate superintendent of elementary education, cluster leader principal, principal, and special education teacher. Her community and civic involvements include serving as a board member of the Council of Great City Schools, Albuquerque YMCA, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico State Superintendents’ Association, and United Way of Central New Mexico. Her areas of expertise include community engagement, special education, curriculum content and alignment, and leadership development.

Scott Reynolds, Senior Associate of National School Reform and Director of STEM Initiatives, leads district and school improvement initiatives throughout the nation, guides district level educator effectiveness projects, and builds the capacity of regional service agencies in multiple states. He has trained leaders from more than 30 states on high-quality teaching practices, principal leadership development, and evaluation systems. Further, Scott co-directs CTAC’s federally-funded Education Innovation and Research initiative in California and has won several awards in STEM education. He previously served Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as curriculum specialist, professional developer, and award-winning teacher. He also spearheaded the Leadership for Educators’ Advanced Performance initiative, funded by the Teacher Incentive Fund. In addition, Scott served as Vice President of the Classroom Teachers Association of North Carolina. His areas of expertise include school and district improvement, preK–12 STEM initiatives, evaluation and compensation reform, science and mathematics assessments, union-management collaboration, standards-based curricula, and constructivist pedagogy.

Lee Rutledge, Ed.D., Senior Associate of National School Reform and Director of Personalized Learning, provides leadership coaching to state teams to strengthen school turnaround and teacher effectiveness initiatives, increase the use of evidence-based instructional practices, and facilitate school redesign to accelerate learning in underperforming schools and districts. He builds the capacity of states and districts to design and implement large-scale competency-based education initiatives. Previously, Lee was appointed by the Governor to the Maryland Council on Educator Effectiveness. In addition, he served on the executive board of the Baltimore Teachers’ Union and on the Joint Oversight Committee responsible for implementing landmark performance pay and peer review systems. Lee taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and was recognized as a model teacher. His areas of expertise include school redesign, leadership development, equity initiatives, curriculum design, student growth measures, and compensation reform.

Sylvia Saavedra-Keber, Senior Associate, Community Capacity Building, trains community-based organizations in multiple states, coordinates CTAC’s leadership and networking summits, and managed the intermediary support for organizing communities program. Sylvia has led successful community efforts in the areas of immigrant voting rights and accessibility to quality education, housing, and health care. She previously served as executive director of Concilio Hispano, the largest multi-service center for Latinos in Cambridge, MA. She also served as assistant director of the immigrant unit at the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, and as the equal employment opportunity director for the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training. Her areas of expertise include community building, organizing, nonprofit leadership, advocacy for and by communities of color, school/community collaboration, and private sector philanthropy.

Margaret Sharp, Ed.D., Senior Associate, Leadership Development, guides district-wide reform efforts in rural, urban, and suburban districts. She designed and leads CTAC’s Quality Leadership Practices initiative. Margie assists states, districts, and schools to implement successful turnaround strategies as well as use data to improve instruction and student academic performance. Prior to joining CTAC, she was the assistant superintendent at the Avon Grove School District (PA) and was responsible for curriculum and instruction, professional development, strategic planning, leadership development, grant writing and oversight, and supervision of elementary and secondary education programs. Margie previously served as executive director of curriculum and instruction (K–12), director of elementary education, and principal in the largest school district in Delaware. She also served as an adjunct faculty member for the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at the University of Delaware. Her areas of expertise include district-wide strategic planning, curriculum development and audits, assessment systems, leadership development, and professional development.

Maribeth Smith, Senior Project Director, Professional Development, Curriculum and Instruction, serves as lead technical assistance provider and evaluator within CTAC initiatives in systemic reform, educator evaluation systems, and performance-based compensation. Maribeth has provided assistance at the state, district, school, union, and board levels throughout the country. She has been the co-lead author of numerous evaluations, including It’s More Than Money; Tying Earning to Learning; Focus on Literacy: Professional Development Audit; and Catalyst for Change (the summative Denver report on performance-based compensation). Maribeth previously served as associate superintendent for educational planning and development in Fremont Union High School District (CA). She was honored as Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year in California. She is one of the nation’s leading experts on school reform and redesign, pedagogy and evaluation, and instructional strategies to improve the student achievement of high needs learners.

Eduardo Soto, Senior Associate, National School Reform, focuses on district and school turnaround efforts, principal mentoring, special education reform, and accelerating learning in Title I schools. He also provides assistance to improve the management and impact of charter schools. Eduardo held many educator positions within the Albuquerque Public Schools in New Mexico. He served as associate superintendent for secondary education. As principal of Rio Grande High School, Eduardo was instrumental in issuing some of the first bilingual/biliteracy state seals in New Mexico. He also served as assistant principal, and as ESL, bilingual social studies, and special education teacher. Eduardo has been recognized as Special Education Administrator of the Year by Albuquerque Public Schools, Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), and recently by ALAS with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Deborah Zych, Ed.D., Senior Associate, National School Reform, builds state and district leadership capacity and provides specialized coaching and mentoring to principals in underperforming schools. Drawing on her expertise in literacy, she guides districts and schools in developing and implementing comprehensive literacy plans that engage and accelerate learners. Debbie previously served as superintendent of POLYTECH School District (DE), and as assistant superintendent of New Castle County VoTech School District (DE). She also served as director of curriculum and professional development at the Delaware Department of Education. Her areas of expertise include career and technical education, curriculum development, literacy, school redesign, and strategic planning.