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 ... More »
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 ... More »
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 ... More »
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 ... More »
Jeffrey Edmison, Chief Officer, National Field Operations, provides management oversight for CTAC’s education initiatives with states, districts, and schools around the nation. 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 ... More »
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 (LEAP) with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, directed CTAC’s National Urban Reform Network, ... More »
Benjamin Feit, J.D., Senior Associate of Program and Policy and Director of CTAC Charter Center, provides technical assistance to states and districts and guides policy initiatives to support CTAC’s education reform efforts. He also directs the CTAC Charter Center. Previously, Ben served in senior leadership positions for six years at Democracy Prep Public Schools, a nonprofit organization that operates a national network of public charter schools. At Democracy Prep, he managed large, diverse teams responsible for furnishing accountability, governance, policy, data management ... More »
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 ... More »
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 ... More »
Kati Garness, Senior Program Specialist, 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 ... More »
Ricci Hall, Senior Associate, National School Reform, builds the capacity of teachers and administrators to strengthen instructional practices, improve school climate and culture, and engage community partners. Ricci served Worcester Public Schools as principal, assistant principal, and teacher. As principal of Claremont Academy, he developed strong relationships with colleges and community partners and helped change the atmosphere of the school to a college-going, career-minded culture. In his capacity as principal of University Park Campus School, he guided the school’s ... More »
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 performance management. Gerry also provides training on teacher and principal evaluation systems. She served in a leadership role for the federally-funded TIF-LEAP partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. She previously served as superintendent of schools in Berryessa Union School District (CA) ... More »
Barbara Helms, Ph.D., Senior Associate, Evaluation and Accountability, has guided CTAC’s landmark work in the area 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 ... More »
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 ... More »
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 also assists research and evaluation teams with developing research questions, determining appropriate analytic methodologies, ... More »
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 the federally-funded TIF-LEAP partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He also led CTAC’s field services team that conducted the groundbreaking professional development audit of the Schultz Center for Teaching and ... More »
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, ... More »
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 ... More »
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 job evaluation and classification system combining compensation and business metrics with cognitive levels ... More »
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 ... More »
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 ... More »
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 ... More »
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 research and evaluation unit. 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 ... More »
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 EIR initiative in California and has won several awards in STEM education. He previously served ... More »
Lee Rutledge, 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 cross-agency collaboration. He also leads numerous school and district improvement initiatives throughout the United States. Previously, Lee was appointed by Gov. O’Malley to the Maryland Council on Educator Effectiveness. In addition, he served on the executive board of the Baltimore Teachers’ ... More »
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 ... More »
Margaret V. 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, ... More »
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 ... More »
Eduardo Soto, Senior Associate, National School Reform, focuses on district and school turnaround efforts, principal mentoring, special education reform, and professional development on new district and state accountability systems. 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, ... More »
Lynn Stinnette-Barbour, Senior Associate, National School Reform, has led numerous initiatives at CTAC including the implementation of the Standard Bearer Schools process in multiple districts throughout the nation. She also served as the director of urban education and director for school and community development for the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, and senior associate for the National Center on Education and the Economy. Previously, she served as an award-winning school principal in the Chicago Public Schools. Lynn is a leading expert in urban education, ... More »
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 ... More »