Jean Sharp - Consultant
With more than 30 years of executive leadership and management experience in the education and software publishing industry, Jean has led content development and instructional design teams in the creation of digital learning solutions that meet the learning needs of our K-12 students and educators today. For the past ten years, Jean served as the Chief Academic Officer and Vice President of Content Development at Apex Learning where she was responsible for driving academic leadership in the market and setting the vision for curriculum and instructional design in Apex’s digital learning solutions. Today, Jean engages in relevant and meaningful ways to support education by aligning her research and writing with her commitment to improving the learning and life outcomes for all students. Jean serves on several Curriculum Advisory Boards as well as the Executive Committee for the Digital Learning Collaborative. Jean has written numerous articles and blogs and participated in many webinars and conference presentations on topics that impact education.
My Why:
I am driven by a core belief that all children deserve access to high-quality learning opportunities to reach their full potential. As a young girl, my parents instilled in me both the value and importance of education and I have dedicated my career to supporting great teaching and learning, both in the classroom and online.
I have chosen education as my life’s work. And, like others who have made a similar choice, I believe with conviction that our job, in fact, our responsibility is to support the students we’re serving. We must strive to make learning accessible to every student. While we understand the time, pace, path, and place for learning may be different, there is no question that it’s the learning that matters. Now, more than ever, we recognize that our success depends on our ability to navigate the future of education together.
Jessica Shopoff - Consultant
Jessica Shopoff is the Director of Policy for the Texas Public Charter Schools Association. She is responsible for championing the Association’s efforts to reform charter school policy in Texas as we pursue our mission to ensure every family has the ability to choose a high-quality public school. Prior to joining TPCSA, Jessica was a Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellow and School and Market Analyst for the Learn4Life network of dropout recovery charter schools. She is an educator at heart and her professional career includes time spent as an elementary teacher, online charter high school lead advisor, regional data specialist and trainer, and accountability policy specialist. She is a self-professed data nerd and policy wonk who believes that zip code should not determine a child’s future. Jessica holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and a M.Ed in Educational Technology Leadership from Lamar University. She lives in San Antonio, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching football, and hiking and camping in the Texas Hill Country with her husband, four kids, and two dogs.
Dr. Janice Silver - Consultant
Dr. Silver started her education career as a high school science teacher in rural, eastern North Carolina. She went on to serve in the Curriculum and Instruction division at North Carolina Virtual Public School, which is the 2nd largest state virtual school in the country. Her leadership across this organization focused on digital teaching and learning. Dr. Silver later served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Academic Officer, and Superintendent where she led schools to high student growth every year. She now serves in Government Affairs in the Education Technology field.
Dr. Silver earned her Education Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management from Capella University. Shortly thereafter she earned her Education Specialist Degree from Appalachian State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Pre-Medicine) from Elizabeth City State University and Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Scranton. Dr. Silver has published several professional journal and op-ed articles in the field of online learning, education leadership, MTSS, and Science of Reading. Her area of expertise lies in thought leadership, district transformation, adult SEL, MTSS, and facilitation. She believes that service is the rent that we pay to live on this wonderful planet called Earth!
Sarika Simpson - Consultant
Sarika has dedicated her life to education. Sarika began as a teacher and for more than 20 years, she has served in multiple leadership roles across the country in both the public and private sectors. Sarika has proven success in the areas of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Leadership Coaching, Professional Learning, Emotional Intelligence, Creating Healthy Teams, and Academic Achievement. Sarika consistently has positive outcomes and is impactful because she answers the question, what problem am I prepared to solve? Sarika works collaboratively to assess the needs, develop a plan, and implement the plan with fidelity. Sarika is known as a servant leader. She takes education seriously, maintains high expectations, inspires passion, and always looks for opportunities to learn.
Antonia Small - Consultant
Antonia “Toni” Small has a background in dance that began at an early age. Through dance, she met the world. She had many beloved teachers who introduced her to ballet, modern, and jazz techniques, as well as the stage and performing. As a young woman, stage and screen performer, Marge Champion, took her to her first yoga class. Her yoga classes are taught with a curiosity for the body's innate wisdom, drawing on her years of dancing, lots of current study, and a firm belief that everyone who walks into a yoga class, already has some kind of practice. She is certified as an Integrative Yoga for Seniors instructor through Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff's Yoga for Seniors Professional Training at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. She is also an Experienced - Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), through the Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level. Her yoga teacher trainings were completed through the ShivaShakti School for Yoga & Healing Arts in Maine. She is also a Somatics and Kinesiology student and completed the Intelligent Movement Training program with the Soma Kinese School in 2019. Toni is also a fine art photographer (http://www.antoniasmall.com).
Dr. Dacia Smith - Consultant
Dacia Smith identifies as a native New Yorker living in Maryland. For more than two decades, Dr. Smith has made her passion for education her life’s work. Teaching did not seem to be a foregone conclusion. A graduate of Binghamton University with a B.A. in History, Dr. Smith attended New York University where she received a Master’s in Education. Thereafter, Dr. Smith pursued a career in the law at Brooklyn Law School. Upon completion, the experience led Dr. Smith back to education. Dr. Smith graduated from Johns Hopkins University where she completed her doctorate in education. During her time as a classroom teacher, Dr. Smith initiated academic programs designed to support young women of color. As a high school teacher, Dr. Smith coordinated academic and extra-curricular programs to provide academic and social-emotional support to prepare and encourage the participants to enroll in advanced placement courses. Additionally, Dr. Smith sponsored and chartered honor societies to inspire and elevate excellence in black and brown students. As a middle school administrator, Dr. Smith leads professional development for her staff with an emphasis on culturally responsive teaching, antiracism, and engaging students in social activism. Outside of school, Dr. Smith continues her work in social justice through service in a variety of civic and community service organizations.
Dr. Leann Smith - Consultant
Leann V. Smith, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, researcher, and the founder of The Mending Place, a culturally affirming therapeutic and wellness brand. She has expertise in culture, trauma, stress, and coping. Her research is well-cited and focuses on race, racism, and the ways in which success can be bolstered for marginalized populations. As a licensed psychologist, Dr. Smith has helped a variety of clients cope with a range of mental health concerns. Dr. Smith is an assistant professor of educational psychology with specialized training in school psychology, child and family services, trauma-informed care, and cultural resilience. Dr. Smith serves on the editorial boards for two American Psychological Association (APA) journals and is the convention co-chair for the 2022 APA Convention. Her work has been published in the APA’s flagship journal, American Psychologist, as well as leading journals in subfields of psychology, such as Child Development and the Journal of Counseling Psychology. Dr. Smith considers herself to be a community-engaged scholar, who is intentional about bridging the research-to-practice gap.
Mary Snow - Consultant
Mary Snow serves as the Chief Content Officer for Wellness for Educators. Mary has been studying, practicing, and teaching yoga and fitness classes for both children and adults for 35+ years and has over 800 hours in training, including but not limited to YMCA, Kenneth Cooper Institute (Dallas, TX), Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Yoga of the Heart and Cancer Certificate (Nischala Joy Devi) and workshops with Angela Farmer. Mary also has been involved with recovery work for over 32 years. Mary holds a Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education from Lesley University as well as a Master’s in integrated arts from Plymouth State College. She recently retired from teaching in 2017 after 40 years serving in public schools in the state of Maine. She is passionate about empowering her students to be all they can be.
Jill Souza - Consultant
Jill is a consultant and instructional designer who puts her passion into practice every day as she guides her clients through projects from conceptualization to development and beyond. Jill is passionate about creating engaging, accessible, and meaningful learning experiences. Collaboration, combined with innovation and a passion for learning, is the cornerstone of her design philosophy. Jill holds a bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degrees in English and Instructional Design. Previously, Jill has worked as a writing tutor, managed an adult education program, and taught writing at the college level.
Nick Souza - Consultant
Nick has been an instructional design consultant for three years. His big city aspirations lead him to Chicago where he attended Loyola University and earned a bachelor’s of science in biology. Nick loves all things nature, and he has experience in bioinformatics. He spent three years working in an evolutionary biology lab, where he was a scientific affiliate at the Field Museum of Natural History. His research focused on the taxonomic relationships among several genera of birds. Nick loves to get others excited about experiencing something new. While working for the Chicago Botanic Garden, he was afforded the opportunity to lead volunteer groups and public tours. He likes to solve problems, and he hopes to inspire others with his love of pursuing and sharing knowledge.