transformED is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing culturally responsive services to school districts, government agencies, tribal organizations, foundations and other non-profits.   We are deeply committed to social justice and equity in everything we do.   Our organization brings together educators, researchers and other professionals from the Pacific Northwest to collaborate on short and long term projects.  We have the expertise to write competitive grant proposals to private foundations and public agencies.  to conduct program evaluations and mixed methods research projects.   With a wide variety of experience and expertise, we can connect your organization to facilitators who can provide professional development to teachers, administrators, school boards and community groups connected to public schools. We can also provide technical assistance for report writing, strategic planning and program design.   

The transformED Board of Directors is governed by the organization bylaws established in 2022 (available on request).   The board meets quarterly and as needed to address issues and opportunities.   

Scott Christian, PhD is a long time Alaskan educator.  He was a middle school teacher in rural Alaska for many years.  After moving to the University of Alaska Southeast, he was the director of the Professional Education Center, where he led several statewide projects including the Preparing Indigenous Teachers and Administrators for Alaskan Schools (PITAAS) program and served as the Program Coordinator for the Secondary Master of Arts in Teaching program.  As faculty, and later as Associate Dean, he was the principal investigator and administrator for many program evaluation, research and accreditation efforts in Alaska.  His research includes a mixed methods study regarding “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Student Self-Efficacy in Alaskan Middle School Classrooms.”    Recent evaluation projects include the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation project, as well as other social justice programs in urban and rural settings.  He serves as the CEO and founder of transformED a culturally responsive non-profit organization serving education entities in the Pacific Northwest. 

Rhonda Larson is a life-long Alaskan educator. As an indigenous scholar and educator, she has advocated for social justice and the decolonization of public education throughout her career. She has worked as a high school social studies teacher at Juneau-Douglas High School and as a junior high school teacher in Glennallen, Alaska. Rhonda served as the program coordinator for Preparing Indigenous Teachers and Administrators for Alaskan Schools (PITAAS) with the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) where she was instrumental in building the program for the first four years. Rhonda retired from Alaska K-12 education in June of 2020 where for her last 12 years she served as the assistant principal at Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau, Alaska. During that time, she also served as the District Director for Advancement VIA Individual Determination (AVID) and the District Director for Athletics and Activities. Rhonda currently serves as an adjunct for UAS in the Secondary Master of Arts Teaching Program where she teaches the Perspectives in Multicultural Education course as well as mentoring student teachers. In addition, Rhonda has served on accreditation teams for COGNIA (international school accreditation organization) and is a currently certified K-12 Administrator for Nebraska Public Schools.

Tom McKenna is Director of Communications for Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf Teacher Network, part of its graduate program, Bread Loaf School of English. McKenna has worked at all levels in rural and urban public schools in Alaska, from elementary to university. He has been a classroom teacher for third through twelfth grade, a technology director, an Assistant Professor of Education Technology at the University of Alaska Southeast, and a principal at Harborview Elementary in Juneau. McKenna was selected as a United States Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow in 2013-14, where he worked to elevate teacher voice in national policy conversations. Tom holds active teaching and administrative credentials in Alaska, along with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Middlebury College. 

Mary Wegner, Ed.D. currently works as an assistant professor and coordinator of the Superintendent and Educational Leadership programs in the School of Education at the University of Alaska Southeast. Throughout her career, Mary’s work has focused on transforming the learning landscape to be relevant for today’s students and providing equity in education, and she currently contributes to this work through the development of principal and superintendent candidates who serve school districts in Alaska. Mary is an advocate for the arts, educational technology, policies and funding that promote the value of public education to society, and the necessity of learning in digital-rich environments for success in life. Mary has served as the Superintendent for the Sitka School District and for over 20 years held educational leadership positions in Sitka and Anchorage; she started her career over 35 years ago as a special education teacher. Mary sits on the Juneau Human Rights Commission and serves on a variety of boards that contribute to equity, personal and community health, and resources for educators. Mary holds a bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Special Education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a masters in Educational Technology from the University of Alaska Southeast, and a doctorate in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University. In addition to her degrees, Mary holds both an Educational Administrator and Superintendent certificate from the University of Alaska.   

in progress