KEYNOTE Speaker

Wednesday, April 22, 10:00 am-11:00 am

Bio: 

Dr. Marcia Fetters is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education in the College of Education and Human Development, with a joint appointment in the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University. She serves as President of the Michigan Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE), where she helps support statewide efforts to support educator preparation, foster collaboration among institutions, and advocate for policies that strengthen teaching and learning. Her work with MACTE includes engaging with state and national policy issues, supporting partnerships across the educator preparation community, and promoting innovation and quality in teacher education. Dr. Fetters also serves as a site reviewer for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation  (CAEP) and as a program reviewer for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Bio:

Anne Tapp Jaksa, Ph.D. is a Professor of Teacher Education in the College of Education at Saginaw Valley State University. She is the immediate past Chair of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Board of Directors and serves on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Board of Directors. Dr. Tapp Jaksa is also Senior Research Director for the University of Michigan Center for Digital Curricula and co-Director of SVSU’s Center for Experience Research & Design. Deeply involved in state and national policy, she advances efforts to expand educational access and promote excellence across the profession. She is the author and co-author of several publications, including Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Transform Teacher Education Accreditation.

Bio:

Jillian Davidson, Ph.D., is a certified secondary educator, K-12 administrator, and higher education professional. Currently, she serves as the Director of Educator Preparation Programs at Central Michigan University. An education enthusiast at heart, Dr. Davidson enjoys teaching and providing professional development for future educators and volunteering through educational organizations such as MACTE and the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. 

Bio: 

Kelli Brozanski is the director of the Office of Educator Excellence at the Michigan Department of Education where she provides oversight for education policy and all components of the educator workforce pipeline: recruitment, preparation, certification, school safety, placement, evaluation, recognition, and professional learning for the state of Michigan. She has been with the department since 2016, serving in roles related to early literacy preparation and the strategic implementation of initiatives. Prior to joining the department, Ms. Brozanski held a variety of roles in K-12 education, including as a classroom teacher.

Bio: 

Luman has served as part of the School of Education faculty for Spring Arbor University for the last several years. For the bulk of his professional career, he was a K-12 classroom teacher, high school counselor, and elementary and high school administrator

Bio: 

Barbara Baird-Pauli is a lifelong educator whose career began in special education and culminated in K–12 leadership as a high school principal. Since 2021, she has served at Spring Arbor University, where she is the Dean of the School of Education and a member of the teaching faculty, dedicated to preparing and supporting the next generation of educators. 

Bio: 

Dr. Ahlam Bazzi is an Education Consultant with Office of Educator Excellence at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). She oversees the development of quality educator preparation standards and programs for elementary literacy, disciplinary literacy, World Languages, English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, School Librarian, and Reading/Literacy Specialist. Prior to joining the MDE, Ahlam served as Director of Educational Partnerships and Experiences for Wayne State University and as a teacher educator with Loyola University, Chicago. There, Ahlam drew on her PK-12 instructional leadership to coach teacher candidates earning the Illinois state licensure with an International Baccalaureate endorsement. Among her practitioner accolades, Ahlam had led her school to be the first IB authorized Michigan Charter School in 2009 and the recipient of the Michigan Title I Distinguished school in 2011. Dr. Bazzi was honored as the American Arab of the Year in Education in 2012.

Bio: 

Dr. Eric Dickens is the Assessment Coordinator in Albion College’s Teacher Education Program where he leads assessment and national accreditation processes. In addition, Eric serves as the and Director of the Ferguson Center for Technology-Aided Teaching and Learning where he assists faculty and students with effectively integrating educational technology into their instructional practices. 

Bio: 

Virginia McMunn serves as the Director of Accreditation and Continuous Improvement for the Oakland University (OU) School of Education and Human Services (SEHS), and a doctoral student pursuing research in education leadership and organizational change. Her background includes over 15 years in teaching and leadership across PreK-12 and higher education, National Board Certification, administrative and instructional design credentials, and advanced training in data science and equity in education.

Bio: 

Alissa Thelen, Ed.S., leads accreditation and quality assurance efforts for the education department and Hope College. With 17 years of diverse educational experience, she has taught in New Zealand, Arizona, and Michigan and has held leadership roles in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Before joining Hope College in 2024, Alissa spent a decade at Grand Valley State University, helping schools use data to improve teaching and learning. She is passionate about creating innovative professional development for educators. She is certified in elementary education, K-12 Administration, and has a central office endorsement.

Bio: 

Karen Carman has served as an instructor and field instructor for preservice teachers in the Alma College Education Department since 2020. She has 30 years of teaching experience at the elementary and middle school levels. Currently, she serves as an undergraduate and graduate instructor in the Education Department, is the Assistant Director of the Master of Arts in Special Education and Para to Educator Programs, and is a Ph.D. Candidate in Reading, Language, and Literacy through Concordia University Chicago.

Bio: 

Becca Couch has served as an instructor and field instructor for preservice teachers in the Alma College Education Department since 2019. She has 20+ years of teaching experience in K-12, as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and literacy coach. Currently, she serves as an undergraduate instructor in the Education Department and Para to Educator Programs.   

Bio: 

Deb Van Duinen is the Arnold and Esther Sonneveldt Professor of Education at Hope College in Holland, MI and director of Hope College’s Big Read Lakeshore and Senior Seminar programs. Her research and teaching focus on disciplinary literacy, young adult literature and adolescent literacy.

Bio: 

Dr. Christine Lancaster is a higher education consultant with the Michigan Department of Education Office of Educator Excellence. She has served for over 25 years in Michigan educator preparation. Dr. Lancaster’s research focus is on college student belonging, persistence, and support.

Bio: 

Dr. Sara Hoeve directs the student teaching program and teaches Education courses at Hope College. In addition, she currently serves as President of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English. Her research supports classroom educators and focuses on local censorship efforts, critical literacy, and induction mentoring. 

Bio: Gregg B. Dionne is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, and Higher Education at Central Michigan University (CMU). Dr. Dionne has over 20 years of experience in education at the local, regional, state, and national levels. His research and evaluation efforts focus on collaboration between PK-12 and higher education utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In addition to teaching in multiple CMU graduate programs, Dr. Dionne also leads efforts across departments on accreditation for advanced programs, assessment, and the approval of educational leadership certification programs. 

Bio: 

Dr. Susan Brondyk began her career as an elementary teacher, during which time she founded Greenhouse Montessori in Grand Rapids, MI. She is currently the Irwin B. and Margie E. Floyd Endowed Associate Professor of Education at Hope College, where she serves as department chairperson and teaches undergraduate preservice teachers, and co-coordinates professional learning opportunities for the program’s mentors. Before coming to Hope, Brondyk held the position of Associate Director of Launch into Teaching at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (USA), which involved providing ongoing, job-embedded support for mentors and instructional coaches working with beginning teachers in struggling urban districts across the country. Dr. Brondyk’s research examines mentor preparation at both the pre-service and induction levels, most recently, looking at how induction mentoring by educator preparation programs can improve teacher retention. 

Bio: 

Catherine Plehn currently serves as Assistant Director of the Office of Educator Excellence at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), overseeing the Data and Accountability and Workforce Supports units. Catherine previously served as a consultant for the MDE, as the Director of Accreditation at Oakland University, as a Higher Education Consultant at the MDE, as an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Oakland University, and as a general and special education teacher at the secondary level. Catherine has experience across K-12 public education, state government, and higher education with a focus on systems, quality, and accreditation.

Bio:

Dr. Beth Kubitskey is the Director of Volunteer and Training Management for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and a long-time educator, researcher, and leader dedicated to advancing quality in teacher preparation and advocating for continuous improvement in education. With a B.S. in Chemistry, an M.S. in Physics Education, and a Ph.D. in Education Studies, her background bridges science and education. As past Dean at UM-Flint and Associate Dean at Eastern Michigan University, she led initiatives to enhance teacher education. Her research focuses on continuous improvement and educator advocacy. She is the author and o-author of several publications, including Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Transform Teacher Edcuation Accreditation. 

Bio: 

Bridgett McDowell is the Education Assessment Specialist overseeing the MTTC program. Bridgett holds a M.A. in Educational Psychology from North Carolina State University, a B.A. in History from University of Michigan, and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Michigan State University.

Bio: 

Rebecca is the Susan and Glenn Cherup Endowed Associate Professor of Education Instruction at Hope College in Holland, MI, where she teaches undergraduate courses in special education. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at Purdue, teaching graduate-level courses in gifted education and the undergraduate exceptional child course. In addition, she was the co-Director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute at Purdue, overseeing Saturday and summer programs for gifted learners.  Prior to her doctoral studies at the University of Connecticut, she worked for 17 years as an elementary and middle school classroom teacher as well as a gifted resource teacher in Colorado and New Hampshire. Rebecca is a former board member of the Michigan Association for Gifted Children.  Her research is focused on twice-exceptional learners with spatial strengths.

Bio: 

Sean Kottke currently serves as Assistant Director of the Office of Educator Excellence at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), overseeing Preparation and Certification units. He previously supervised the Preparation Unit, leading a team of consultants who direct activities related to assuring quality educator preparation standards, programs, and licensure assessments for all discipline areas in which Michigan licenses educators. He formerly served as Dean of the Elizabeth H. Binda School of Education and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at The Robert B. Miller College in Battle Creek, Michigan and as a high school Humanities teacher and gifted/talented specialist in Tomball, TX. He has been a Master Teacher with the Folger Shakespeare Library's biannual Teaching Shakespeare Institute and is a former Jeopardy! contestant.

Bio: 

Karen Young is the Marsal Online Education Program Co-Director, focusing on Curriculum, Instruction, and Continuous Improvement.

Bio: 

Amanda Cornwell is the Assistant Director of Elementary Fieldwork in the Office of Educator Preparation Program at Central Michigan University. Her elementary and middle school teaching experience served her well in the classroom and later, along with creativity and curiosity, as an informal educator in a makerspace. In 2022, Amanda earned a Doctorate in Educational Technology.

Bio: 

Amy currently serves as an Associate Dean at GVSU and a professor of special education. In her role as associate dean, she supports continuous improvement, assessment, and accreditation for the College of Education and Community Innovation.

Bio: Carrie is a Clinical Experiences Specialist in the Office of Clinical Experiences at WMU's College of Education and Human Development. She is a former high school teacher and has been at WMU for three years. 

Bio:

Jeff is the Coordinator of Data and Reporting for Western Michigan University's College of Education and Human Development. Before coming back to Western he was an elementary school principal and director of technology in a local school district. He is an avid gardener and has played french horn in the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestras.

Bio:

Danielle L. DeFauw, Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Education and a Professor of Reading and Language Arts in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. 

Bio:

Alex Jacobsson brings two decades of experience in higher education, with a strong focus on accreditation, compliance, and continuous improvement in educator preparation. As Associate Director in the Office of Certification and Accreditation at Grand Valley State University, Alex collaborates with faculty and leadership to coordinate and submit accreditation reporting, manage data and assessment systems, and support evidence-based program development. With an M.S. in Communication, Alex approaches each project with transparency, collaboration, and a commitment to students.

Bio:

Ben Sobczak (he/him) is the Assistant Director of Certification and Accreditation at Grand Valley State University. He holds degrees from Central Michigan University and Western Michigan University, including a master’s in Educational Leadership. Ben is passionate about supporting future educators and strengthening pathways into the profession. Outside of work, he enjoys training for his first half marathon, playing pickleball, making espresso, and reading.

Bio:

I have spent nearly 25 years in rural public education, starting as a teacher at the elementary level and moving to middle school. From there, I moved to higher education as a Clinical Experiences Coordinator, Assistant Director, Education Faculty and Student Teaching Supervisor. Currently, I am the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Programming at MiCAREER where our mission is to end the teacher shortage in rural public schools in Michigan. 

From Surviving to Thriving: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from SSR Submission to Site Visit

Wednesday, April 22nd, 4:00 pm -4:45 pm 

Bio:

Kym has spent more than 30 years in education, serving in PK–12 and Higher Education settings. Her career includes roles as a classroom teacher and high school principal, experiences that inform her commitment to effective teaching and educational leadership. She currently serves as the Certification Officer for Grand Valley State University’s Education programs, where she supports current and prospective teacher candidates and guides them through the certification process. Kym also contributes to GVSU’s Accreditation and Assessment team, helping drive continuous improvement across the university’s educator preparation programs.

Bio:

Dr. Chad Waldron is the Chairperson for the Department of Teacher and Special Education and Professor of Reading and Literacy. His teaching experiences span from early childhood settings to advanced graduate level coursework within higher education. 

Bio:

Vicki is an award-winning educator, author, and consultant with over 30 years in teaching and school leadership. A former principal in Wyandotte, MI, she transformed her school into a nationally recognized Model PLC School and pioneered a strength-based approach to instructional rounds—work she details in her book, Lead With Instructional Rounds.

Recipient of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Mortgage One National Educator of the Year award, Vicki now works with schools across the U.S. and internationally to move from isolation to collaboration, building collective teacher efficacy and improving student achievement.o

Navigating the Seas of Learning: A Journey Through Instructional Rounds 

Thursday, April 23rd at 2:00-2:45pm

Bio:

With over two decades of expertise in middle school education, Doug currently serves as the Principal of Mona Shores Middle School in Muskegon, Michigan. His professional journey is defined by a thirteen years of leadership in building administration, preceded by eleven years in the classroom teaching Math and English at West Ottawa Public Schools. Doug’s approach to education is anchored in a commitment to relentless optimism, a servant’s heart, and a dedication to empowering others to reach their full potential. Beyond the school building, Doug has spent years channeling his passion for leadership into the worlds of athletics and non-profit service. He dedicated ten seasons to coaching basketball at West Ottawa and working as a player and student-assistant at Hope College.  Additionally, he served and supported Camp Sunshine, a camp for individuals with developmental disabilities, for over twenty years. During his time with the organization, he has made a lasting impact as a counselor, volunteer recruiter, and member of the leadership team, consistently working to foster acceptance, inclusion, and growth across his community.

Bio:

Dr. Garner began her work in education as a speech-language pathologist working in public schools in Chicago, IL. and St. Louis, MO. She completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy at Michigan State University in 2009 focusing research on administrator perspectives of least restrictive environments for students with special educational needs. That work led to her time as a professor at Aquinas College coordinating the Learning Disabilities preparation program, as well as serving as the accreditation coordinator for the School of Education. This experience served Gina well as she transitioned in 2017 from Associate Professor to her position as a Higher Education Consultant in Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Educator Excellence. She is the primary consultant for administrator, special education, and arts education programs and coordinates accreditation support for all providers. She also serves as the content expert for clinical experience requirements and Professional Knowledge and Skills Standards. When she’s not serving the people of Michigan, you might see Gina on stage in the Lansing area singing blues, rock, or Amy Winehouse.

Bio:

Dr. Alban is Department Chair of the School of Education and Professor of Education at Ferris State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University, an M.Ed. from Temple University, and a B.S. in Mathematics from Bryan College. With over 25 years in education, he has served as a principal, assistant principal, and mathematics teacher in the U.S. and Egypt. At Ferris, he teaches educational leadership and math education. His scholarship focuses on international education, leadership, and diverse learners. He is active in professional organizations and consults on global teacher education initiatives, including work in Liberia.

Navigating Uncharted Waters: Transitioning from CAEP to AAQEP

Wednesday, April 22nd, 11:15- 12:00 pm

Bio:

Currently, Dr. Hill is an Associate Professor of Special Education and the Accreditation Coordinator for The College of Education, Health, and Human Services at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Before earning his Ph.D., Dr. Hill spent 11 years in K-12 education as an Administrator and a National Board-Certified Teacher, serving students with various disabilities, including intellectual disability, autism, emotional behavior disabilities, and specific learning disabilities. His research interests include developing effective, inclusive, evidence-based practices to enhance instruction for students with disabilities. Program evaluation and assessment, as well as examination of legal issues in special education, to assess how they may impact school districts. 

Bio:

Sacia Gilbertson is originally from Holmen, Wisconsin and graduated from Hope College in 2023. She is currently a second-year student in Grand Valley State University's School Psychology program. She has been part of the accreditation team for the College of Education and Community Innovation since 2024. She will be completing her School Psychology internship at Holton Public Schools during the 2026-2027 school year. 

Bio: 

Kathryn Dirkin is the Director of Partnerships and Programming for MiCAREER. She is also faculty at Central Michigan University in their Teacher and Special Education Department. Her current work focuses on the educator workforce in rural districts. 

Preview Lower and Upper Elementary Content Preparation Materials by Pearson 

Wednesday, April 22nd,  2:00  - 3:00 pm

Bio:

Nancy Hahn serves as the lead contact for the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) program. She collaborates with the MTTC team at the Michigan Department of Education to provide leadership and direction to Pearson staff in the areas of assessment development and implementation. Dr. Hahn holds a PhD in Psychology from Temple University and a BS in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University.

Bio:

Jason is an Education Research Consultant with the Michigan Department of Education and has been working with the EPPs to roll out a candidate tracking system that is integrated within MOECS