About Us
Our staff includes experienced trainers whose expertise is critical to today’s needs. Click on the following two links (in orange) to view the CEI brochure (CEI brochure outside Feb 2010 2 and CEI brochure 2_ 2010 inside noon). The second link includes highlights from a just released national study of educational data systems (SRI International, 2010). - Dr. Christine Y. Mason, Executive Director, is a nationally recognized expert in the area of educational reform, teacher mentoring, and special education. As Executive Director of the Center for Educational Improvement she is also the Director of a newly formed Consortium: The Consortium to Improve Ohio Schools (CIOS)(see home page). Dr. Mason serves as a consultant to several schools in Ohio and Washington DC, providing technical assistance and professional development. With CIOS she is leading a team responding to a State Improvement Grant (SIG) initiative to improve student outcomes for students in Ohio.
Dr. Mason
Dr. Mason is passionate about helping schools capitalize on their strengths and student interests. In the Fall of 2009 Dr. Mason helped to establish student-centered learning at an international school in India. While there she also assisted the school in becoming prepared for Cambridge International Accreditation.From 2005-2009, Dr. Mason provided technical assistance to schools and training and supports to teachers to improve the quality of teaching in urban charter schools in Washington, DC. Dr. Mason has experience directing and evaluating national projects; guiding strategic planning; designing Response to Intervention systems for schools; and researching and implementing reforms in the areas of student-directed IEPs, teacher mentoring, IDEA and services to youth with disabilities, school to work transition, HIV-AIDS prevention, secondary school leadership, teacher recruitment, universal design and adapting/assistive technologies, and inclusive education for all students. She has recently assisted Charter schools in Washington DC in implementing approaches to further standards-based education and data-driven instruction. (continued on page 2)
Other Staff:
- Reem Labib, M. Ed., has more than 12 years experience in urban education primarily working with students with special needs in Washington DC. Reem is currently an independent consultant focused on school improvement and school reform efforts both in the United States and the Middle East. Reem has participated as a team member in school quality reviews for six years evaluating schools serving students in grades PreK-12. She has served as head of schools supervising multiple principals, principal of an inclusive arts-infused elementary school and also as deputy director of professional development for a school district. Reem has a master’s in education with a specialization in curriculum and instruction with a focus on multicultural education. She is currently part of a team implementing a School Improvement Transformation model for a charter school in DC and is co-teaching workshops with Dr. Mason in DC.
William Peterson
William Peterson (CIOS) has over 15 years experience in new business start-up, charter school administration, business marketing, strategic planning, public speaking, life coaching, and working with small start-up companies. He is an Ohio licensed school business manager.
Valida Walker
Valida Walker (CIOS) has 10 years experience working with Charter and Community Schools on issues of School Improvement, Federal entitlement, funds compliance issues, and implementation of highly effective teacher evaluation models. (Ms. Walker only works with Ohio Schools).
Tracy Jarvis
Tracy Jarvis (CIOS) brings over 17 years experience with school finance to CIOS. She is known for her fiscal efficiency and ability to align expenditures to student needs that lead to improvements.
Donnell Gregory, Ph.D. is a certified Marzano consultant who delivers professional development training in Ohio.
Donnell Gregory, Ph.D.
Dr. Mary Thormann, Director of International Education, Center for Educational Improvement. Dr. Thormann has extensive international experience, especially in developing countries, with a focus on teacher training, program evaluation, and access to quality education for all students. She has lived abroad and worked extensively with USAID and other NGOs in India, Ghana, Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, Kazakhstan, Saudia Arabia, Nepal, Nigeria, Syria and China. She has experience developing policies and assisting organizations and ministries of education and colleges and universities internationally with teacher development, early childhood, autism spectrum disorders, arts integration, communities of practice, conducting focus groups, and curriculum alignment.
Dr. Kevin Green,“Math Made Simple.” Dr. Green is an engineer with 10 years experience teaching math to high school students and through the University of Phoenix. He has coauthored chapters on teaching and improving math skills. He is also CEO of Live Minds. He has has developed a tailored and customized educational strategy that is targeted towards students who fear math, suffer from math anxiety, and are performing poorly in their math classes, and teachers who want to be more effective in teaching math and be successful in passing the math component of their teacher certification exams (e.g., Praxis I and II).
Suzan Mullane
Suzan Mullane, M.A.,English, Special Education. Ms. Mullane currently teaches in Anchorage Alaska. She teaches gifted education and has experience teaching special education at all levels and teaching education courses for the University of Alaska. Suzan delivered training in Socratic Seminars and improving student writing to Miri Piri Academy in India.
Jacque Hayden, M.Ed, currently teaches high school English and serves as English Department Chair in Washington, D.C. She delivers professional development workshops to teachers in the Metropolitan Washington area focusing on teaching models (inductive, deductive, project based learning, problem based learning), classroom management, effective teaching strategies, writing across the curriculum, and new teacher induction. Ms Hayden has also worked for the past five years with new and struggling teachers providing support as a mentor and coach.
- Ashley Tremper, M. Ed., is a Latin teacher in Richmond, VA. She has experience mentoring and providing professional development to new teachers in charter schools in Washington DC and Northern Virginia, teaching Advanced Methods of Foreign Language Teaching at George Mason University, and serving as a World Languages Curriculum specialist.
- Kevin Simpson, M.Ed., is a Global Education Consultant with (KDSL) Know Do Serve Learn who partners with organizations working to increase student achievement and teacher knowledge. He has worked in a variety of teaching, administrative, and consultant capacities at parochial, public, charter, and international schools located in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Michigan, Virginia, Laos, Qatar, and Dubai.
- Dr. Elizabeth Anne Robertson-Tchabo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development, College of Education, University of Maryland College Park. She is interested in the effects of the cultural context on students’ cognitive development and academic achievement and has extensive experience delivering professional development, particularly related to child development and teacher professionalism.
- Dr. Sheri Melton,Professor, Department of Kinesiology, West Chester University, Pennsylvania provides technical assistance and training to implement and improve physical education programs. She recently completed a Fullbright at Guru Nanak University in India to design a course in Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition. The course covers exercise testing, blood chemistry, biochemistry, obesity level, prescription and biomechanics.
- Andrea Waldock, M.Ed. Arts Integration, Doctoral Candidate, Catholic University of America and Project Coordinator of Hear Art See Music, Washington, DC. This program focuses on designing and implementing inclusive museum experiences that consider the needs of learners with varying abilities and disabilities.