Leslie Hazle Bussey (@hazlebussey) is CEO and Executive Director at the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement, a non-profit organization driven by our mission to Uplift school leaders > Transform mindsets and action > Create vibrant cultures of innovation > Build excellent and equitable schools. Each year GLISI directly serves over 2,000 educators in 50+ districts, who in turn pour into over 800,000 students in Georgia and beyond. She is responsible for crafting overall strategic direction, cultivating district and philanthropic partners, motivating a talented staff of expert coaches and adult learning facilitators, and overseeing product and service innovations to grow school and district leaders who transform culture, schools, and student lives. Over her 11+ years at GLISI, Leslie has served as Director of Research & Policy, then Chief of Staff, then Deputy Director before serving as Executive Director.
In her work, she draws on her experience as a middle grades teacher and researcher to pursue her passions as a designer of powerful learning experiences for adults, as a student of how adults develop social and emotional competencies, and as a champion for leaders in education, the most noble profession.
Leslie has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Washington, a master’s in Educational Media and Technology from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University.
Aaryn Schmuhl (@aschmuhl) began his career teaching and coaching middle school in McDonough, GA. He helped open Luella Elementary School in 2005 as its assistant principal and served as principal of Luella Middle School from 2005-2011. He accepted the position of Asst. Superintendent for Learning and Leadership Services in Henry County in 2011 and has led the district’s 2020 Vision for Personalized Learning in 50 schools. The district was reorganized in 2017 and he served as the Chief Leadership Officer. In February 2019, Mr. Schmuhl joined GLISI as the VPPDI. Mr. Schmuhl holds a BS in History & Secondary Education from Vanderbilt University, M Ed. Leadership from Harvard University, and an Ed.D in Learning and Leadership in Organizations from Vanderbilt University. He lives in Hoschton, Georgia with his wife, Stacey and 13 year old son, Jackson.
Dr. McGiboney is the Executive Director of Government and Education Programs at Sharecare, an international healthcare support system, and is the former Deputy State Superintendent at the Georgia Department of Education. He has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, school psychologist, and administrator including work in all levels of public education. Currently, he works with many organizations, including schools, colleges and universities, healthcare facilities, businesses, and others on workplace climate and employee well-being.
He has served on several committees as an appointee of the Governor’s Office on topics including children’s mental health, literacy, dyslexia, foster children, safety, substance abuse, trauma, school leadership, and accreditation. He also serves by appointment on the Georgia Supreme Court’s Justice for Children Committee; Children in Need of Services Advisory Committee; Carter Center School-Based Behavioral Health Advisory Committee; Board of Directors of the Georgia Council on Alcohol and Drugs; Get Georgia Reading Campaign Cabinet, Behavioral Health Reform Commission, and others. He is also a Subject Matter Expert and Master Trainer on school climate, safety, and health security for the United States Department of Education.
Dr. McGiboney has over 30 professional publications and is the author of eight books, including books on workplace climate and employee well-being, mental health, leadership, crisis management, and emergency planning. Also, Dr. McGiboney authored two inspirational books: Leading Us Out of Darkness and Daily Wisdom and Inspiration, and a book of poetry, Timberline of the Mind.
Dr. McGiboney has been interviewed by CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Time magazine, and regional and local media outlets. Also, he has been quoted in the international press, including Le Devoir, Listin Diario, El Diaro, Japan Press, and Mato Grosso. He is the recipient of several awards, including NAACP Educator of the Year; the National Association of School Psychologists National Friend of Children Award; Georgia School Counselors Advocate of the Year Award; Georgia Association of School Nurses Hero Award (twice); National Alliance on Mental Illness Community Service Award; United States Environmental Protection Agency Health Hero Award, and others. He was inducted into the Georgia Board of Regents Hall of Fame for his career-long efforts on behalf of children. Recently, he received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Georgia Association of Positive Behavior Supports (GaPBS) and the award will henceforth be named in his honor as the annual GaPBS Dr. Garry McGiboney Outstanding Leadership Award.
Breakout Session Presentors Bios
Tiffany M. Adams is the Recruitment Operations Manager within the HR Talent Management Division for Atlanta Public Schools. She has 16 years of experience in public school education at the elementary, middle, high school, and District levels. Tiffany has served as an educator for Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina, and both the Clayton County and Atlanta Public School systems in Atlanta, Georgia. Her career work has advanced students' academic achievement, developed parental and community involvement in school programming through parent workshops, outreach, and Title I- A compliance. She has supported and improved school system's ability to acquire talent by developing comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies. Tiffany has led cross-functional teams of leaders to implement progressive, innovative methods for advancing school system projects and planning. She has positively impacted the organizations' mission to recruit, retain and develop staff for both certified and classified positions.
With passion, a collaborative approach, and a data-centered focus, she leads with enthusiasm and an objective for continual improvement and systemic organizational growth.
Dr. Allison Beasley is a Title II, Part A Education Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education. Prior to joining GaDOE in January 2022, Allison worked in the Wayne County School System as an Assistant Principal, MTSS Intervention Support Specialist and Elementary School Teacher. Dr. Beasley is an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, where she completed her Doctorate of Education in Curriculum Studies Degree. She has also earned degrees from Troy University and The University of Georgia.
Heather Bilton is the Teacher Induction Specialist for the GA Department of Education. Prior to joining the DOE, Heather worked as the Director of Employment for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. Additionally in Savannah-Chatham Heather was the PL Coordinator, GATAPP Coordinator and classroom teacher. Dr. Bilton has over 30 years of education experience.
Shayna Bishop
Shayna is an assistant principal at Kingsley Elementary School in the Dekalb County School District. She has been in education for 10 years and loves what she does! She obtained her undergraduate degree in Middle-Level Education from Clayton State University and her master's in Curriculum and Instruction and Tier I Leadership from Georgia Southern University. Shayna is continuing her education in the Fall at Valdosta State University to obtain her Ed. S in Educational Leadership with a Tier II certification.
Additionally, she comes from a long line of educators; her mother is a retired principal, and her sister is an assistant principal. Social and emotional wellness is a critical personal topic for Shayna, and she strives to bestow her knowledge of adopting a healthy work/life balance for all educators. Her hobbies include being a loving mommy to her 10-year-old son, being a well-rounded foodie, traveling with family and friends, and enjoying life by the day!
Danielle Cleveland EdS, is the Professional Learning Specialist for Middle & High Schools for the Hall County School District. She has worked in the district for 17 years and has been in her current position for the last 5 years.
Amy Colpo, M.P.P., Technical Assistance Consultant at the American Institutes for Research, has over nine years of experience in education as an educator, interventionist, policy coordinator, and technical assistance consultant. Colpo serves as a content expert, technical assistance facilitator, and knowledge development specialist for two federally funded technical assistance centers: The Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center; and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center). Her expertise focuses on mentoring and induction, as well as supporting states to implement strategies to address state-level and local educator shortages. She also serves as the Project Lead for the Georgia Teacher/Provider Retention Grant, where she supports the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) in its efforts to make informed decisions in selecting evidence-based strategies designed to strengthen the educator workforce and ensure that students in most need will be provided equitable access to great teachers and leaders. Colpo received her Master of Public Policy degree in Education Policy from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.
Kimberly is the Senior Program Manager of the Governor's School Leadership Academy (GSLA) Teacher Academy at the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA). She has been with the agency for almost seven years, first supporting schools as a Language and Literacy Specialist with the Reading Mentors Program, and then later as a Strategic Waivers School Systems Specialist and the Program Manager of Operations. Prior to joining GOSA in 2015, Kimberly taught for 16 years in elementary schools around the state and worked as a professional learning developer/facilitator for teachers in the metro area.
Leigh Ann Cross is the program manager for Instruction and Systemic Improvement, with the Division for Special Education Services and Supports/Federal Programs at the Georgia Department of Education. She leads the work of the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) to increase graduation rates and academic achievement for students with disabilities. She also leads the work for the Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS) as well as other instructional projects such as the Teacher Induction Retention Program, Specially Designed Instruction Project and School Administrator Academy.
She received her Ed S in Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University and her Masters in Emotional Behavior Disorders and Learning Disabilities from the University of West Georgia. This is her 37th year in education. She has been a teacher, school and district leader, as well as state and national presenter. She is passionate about student success.
DeOnna Dalton is an Atlanta native and a professional educator with 16 years of experience as a high school English teacher, a Graduation coach, an Instructional Coach, a School Improvement Coach, and a private educational consultant. She is honored to support the students, teachers, and leaders of Georgia as a Title II, Part A Education Program Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education.
Ms. Mill Davis works as a project manager for APS in HR/Organizational Development, with primary responsibilities including assistance with overseeing the district’s learning management system (LMS) and serving as a SME for professional learning course development, registration, and training. She possesses a broad-based skillset with more than two and a half decades of experience in training, professional development, and career consulting, with a formal background in program/project management, compliance, auditing, and administrative management.
Mill has worked with organizations and clients across multiple industries including PK-12, Higher Ed, non-profit, telecommunications, aerospace/defense, entertainment/music industry, and architectural design. She has a proven track record of helping individuals and organizations transform their ideas into efficient, tangible results through process improvement and program management techniques.
Michele Dugan serves as the Coordinator of Resource Development in the Forsyth County Schools Human Resources Department. Prior to her role at the district level, she gained experience as a professional learning coordinator, assistant administrator, instructional coach, technology specialist, and teacher. Michele serves on state committees for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the Georgia Department of Education. She recently partnered with the University of Georgia to research alternative certification programs and will complete her doctorate in education leadership in May 2022. She also holds an Ed.S. from Valdosta State University, an M.Ed. from the University of North Georgia, and a B.A. from Georgia State University. As a GaTAPP provider and education leader, she is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to effective educators for all students.
Dr. Erica Gilbertson recently conducted an action research study focused on induction support in school-university partnerships and will receive her Ed.D. in Learning, Leadership and Organization Development from the University of Georgia in May 2022. From 2012-2021 she served as a public service faculty member in UGA’s Office of School Engagement where she played a key role in leading the partnership between UGA and the Clarke County School District. Erica currently co-leads the Athens P-20 Collaborative, serves on the GA Induction Summit planning committee, and is co-authoring a book on action research. Prior to UGA she directed both federal and foundation education grants that supported K-12 school reform efforts, served as the communications manager for the Stanford University School of Education, and taught high school English.
Courtney Hartnett is a Ph.D Candidate at Georgia State University and a gifted program specialist at Oakhurst Elementary School in City Schools of Decatur. Courtney's research interests focus on teacher practices as they relate to constructs of educational quality.
Penny Harper is a School Improvement Induction Specialist for CSRA RESA and coordinates the development and implementation of the CSRA RESA New Teacher Center for Induction Teachers. She has served as a classroom teacher, school administrator, mentor teacher, and specialist at the district, regional, and state levels. She has also taught at the university level and served in the private sector as a curriculum writer/facilitator for high achieving students and as a lead for special services. Her passion is to develop teachers through coaching conversations and workshops, and regardless of the many hats worn by Mrs. Harper, her heartstrings always pull her back to working with beginning teachers.
Wardell Hunter has been very active in education over the past 20 years in the metro-Atlanta area. Currently, Wardell serves as the Director of Leadership Development for Atlanta Public Schools. Wardell supports the development of new leaders, aspiring principals, aspiring assistant principals and central office staff members. Previously, Wardell served as a Principal (Interim), Assistant Principal of Instruction and Academy Leader for Business and Entrepreneurship at Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Essential experiences include: creating and maintaining the school’s master schedule, monitoring student grades, data utilization, professional development, managing Title I funds, facilitating TKES Pilot Program, serving as AdvancEd/SAC Chairperson and serving as the Consolidated School Improvement (CSIP) Facilitator. Prior to this, I served as an Assistant Principal at Avondale Middle, before it was decommissioned, and Towers High School in DeKalb County, Georgia. I also served as a teacher at Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia.
Wardell attended Cortland State University, Kennesaw State University, Central Michigan University and Georgia Southern University where he completed his doctoral degree in Educational Administration. Those institutions afforded Wardell the opportunity to improve leadership skills to become an effective change agent and instructional leader. Wardell has a strong interest in improving educational institutions in urban areas and graduation rates. Wardell received training in urban education at Cortland State University, and I has worked in two urban school systems.
Wardell is married to Danielle Hunter. They have three sons that keep us super busy--Wardell C. Hunter IV, Winston C. Hunter and Warren C. Hunter. I am extremely close to my family and enjoy spending time engaging in various hobbies.
As a former teacher and school administrator, Brett has a great passion for supporting new teachers and administrators in schools. As a member of the Summit Planning team and co-lead for the NW P-20 Collaborative, he also feels that it is important to work across district lines to collaborate and share ideas to help improve the support provided to those new to the field of education. As Brett nears the end of his fifth year at NGRESA and his twenty-third in education, his passion to provide ongoing induction support remains unwavering.
Brett attended the University of Georgia, Piedmont College and Lincoln Memorial University where he completed his Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership. His experience as a former Social Studies Teacher, Mentor, Department Head, Assistant Principal and Principal, have provided him with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to help provide support for novice educators. He feels very strongly that holding on to quality educators in our schools and districts today is imperative.
Brett and his wife Susanna have been married for twenty-three years, reside in Chatsworth and have two daughters, Elizabeth and Caitlin. They enjoy spending time with family, traveling when they can, working on home projects, watching movies, taking care of their fur babies and attending church. In addition, Brett serves as Secretary for the Kiwanis Club of Murray County.
Suzanne Jarrard
Suzanne Jarrard is currently the Executive Director of Secondary Education for the Hall County School District. She has 28 years of experience in public education at the middle, high, and district levels. Suzanne has served all of her years in the Hall County School district. She has experience in teacher and leader development, secondary curriculum and instruction, charter school implementation, and school improvement. Her passion is developing leaders and believes that all educators are leaders in some way. Suzanne completed her Master's in Middle Grades Education and Specialist Educational Leadership from the University of North Georgia.
Ms. Janet Johnson is the Learning Management System Specialist for the Organizational Development Department within Human Resources in Atlanta Public Schools. She is responsible for overseeing the learning management system (LMS) for all district full time and charter school employees - maintaining professional learning course creation, deployment, training, records, and performance evaluations. Janet is a solution focused educational leader with a solid career in adult learning principles and professional learning standards. She has a solid reputation of accomplishing district goals, strategic priorities, and initiatives. Janet is a Gallup certified Strengths Coach; Learning Forward Georgia Board Member & Officer; Learning Forward International Academy Graduate 2011; and Kennesaw State University Bagwell College of Education School of Instructional Technology and Innovation Advisory Board Member.
Kathy Jones is a native of Augusta, Georgia, with roots in Miami, FL. Jones has a passion for education and has been a significant asset to the educational system since 2002. Her passion and mission is to educate, encourage and evaluate the culture in the classroom and mentor outside the classroom. Jones desires to motivate students to see past their current challenges and aids students in painting a mental picture of achievement and high self-esteem. Excited about her own education, Jones has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Science in Leadership. She is currently working on her Specialist Degree in Advanced Studies. Presently, Kathy works within the Richmond County Board of Education as an In-School Suspension Facilitator, transforming lives at W.S. Hornsby Middle School.
Dr. Sara Kajder is a clinical associate professor at the Mary Frances College of Education at the University of Georgia where she also serves as the coordinator for the English Education BSED, MAT, MEd (induction), MEd and EdS programs. Her most recent research explores preservice and induction teacher identity development, emergent uses of video to support teacher learning, and practices of effective mentoring. Formerly a middle and high school English teacher, Dr. Kajder has authored or co-authored over 40 journal articles and book chapters in addition to several practitioner books for teachers. A nationally and internationally recognized educator, Dr. Kajder recently received the Carl Glickman Faculty Fellowship, the NCTE/SITE National Technology Leadership Fellowship, and the inaugural Divergent Award in Research in Literacy in a Digital Age Research.
Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease is a 29-year educator who currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Bibb County School District, an urban school district serving over 21,000 students. She began her career as a middle school teacher then moved into leadership positions, becoming an assistant principal and serving as a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels. She served as the Director of School Improvement in Peach County then returned to the Bibb County School District in 2011 as an Associate Superintendent. Prior to her current role, she served as the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. As a principal, her work was published in two books, one titled Are We There Yet: Continuing to Close the Achievement Gap and Creating School Cultures that Embrace Learning: What Successful Leaders Do. Two schools she served became Title I Distinguished Schools, and the high school was recognized in the Professional Association of Georgia Educators’ magazine, PAGE One, for having a 46% change in graduation rate. In 2019 she was named as one of the two national finalists for the AASA School Superintendents Association Women in School Leadership Award. On February 19, 2021, she was the recipient of the 2021 AASA Women in School Leadership Award. Dr. Kilcrease has presented at the local, state, and national level on literacy, formative instructional practices, teacher and leader induction, equity, and leadership. Ensuring that the students she serves receive a quality education which leads to equitable outcomes is her passion
Rita McGlothin is the Student Teacher and Field Experience Coordinator for Atlanta Public Schools. She is responsible for managing all internal and external University student internships, university agreements, as well as supporting the Recruitment office of HR Talent Management. As a part of her role, she co-manages the Teacher Recruitment Ambassador program; ensuring the internal “mini-recruiters” receive the HR tools to help source for top-tier candidates. Prior to this role, Rita McGlothin worked in a full-time position as Recruitment Manager, which supported school-based leaders and the Operations department recruitment efforts. Before joining the Atlanta Public Schools Human Resources team, she was a classroom teacher and instructional leader for over twenty years. She has won several awards and accolades while teaching, including APS Districtwide Teacher of the Year and the state of Georgia Teacher of the Year Top Ten Finalist. Rita enjoys traveling, mentoring, and volunteering in the community.
Dr. Michele A. McKie is an Assistant Professor of Education at Georgia Southwestern State University and serves as the Assessment Director. Prior to this role, she served six years as the Director of Field and Clinical Experiences. She is the Secretary of the Georgia Assessment Directors’ Association, the Research Chair for the Georgia Association of College for Teacher Education, secretary for Delta Kappa Gamma (a women educator group), and advisor for the GSW Collegiate Educator Rising club. Dr. McKie completed the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction from Valdosta State University in July 2021. Her dissertation, titled A Qualitative Case Study to Explore the Intern as Teacher Model in South Georgia, focused on looking at the strategies needed to help undergraduate candidates working as full time paid interns in the classroom be successful through the experience.
Jim McMickin is the Leader Induction Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education, where he started in January 2022. In addition to his work at GaDOE, Jim has 28+ years of experience serving in public school systems in Worth County and Troup County as a teacher, school administrator, and district administrator. He is an alumnus of Albany State University, where he completed his Batchelor of Science and Master of Education Degrees. He completed his Education Specialist certification at Valdosta State University.
PaQuita Austin Morgan is currently employed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission as an Education Specialist. Her primary role is providing technical assistance to educator preparation providers preparing for program approval reviews. Prior to joining the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in August of 2008, PaQuita worked with the Atlanta Public School System for eleven years in various school and district level positions. PaQuita has served as an elementary school teacher, instructional specialist, comprehensive school reform instructional facilitator and district level teacher leader. PaQuita received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in Child Development with a minor in Early Childhood Education. PaQuita received her Master's of Education degree in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts. PaQuita earned her Doctoral degree in the area of School Improvement, with a focus on Teacher Leadership from the University of West Georgia. Specifically, PaQuita’s dissertation was entitled Novice Teacher Leadership: Preparation and Attributes for School Improvement. PaQuita holds a Tier II Educational Leadership Certification in the state of Georgia. PaQuita is the proud mother of one son, Solomon.
Elizabeth Perez has experience in teaching, mentoring, and leading others in new teacher support. Her experience and perspective spans across three states: Texas, New Mexico, and Georgia. She is passionate about students, teacher support, and strategic planning. If she is not in the classroom, you can find her driving the beautiful backroads of Georgia, looking for new coffee shops.
Candice C. Pettaway serves as the Induction Support Program Director for the College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University. She is a student in the Educational Policy Studies and Social Foundations doctorate of philosophy program. Candice is also a member of the 2019 Alabama Education Association’s Emerging Leaders class, a graduate of the James W. Wright Leadership Development Institute, and a Sister-Fellow of the Women’s Policy Institute of The Women’s Foundation of Alabama.
Dr. Rosetta Riddle is the Director of Field Experiences and Partnerships in the School of Education at Clayton State University located in Morrow, Georgia. She has more than 34 years of experience in education and has served in the field of education as a teacher, teacher leader, administrator, professor, educational consultant, and executive leadership coach. In addition to Clayton State University, Rosetta has served in Atlanta Public Schools, Henry County Schools, Department of Defense Schools, and the Guam Department of Education. She is also the past-president of the Georgia Field Directors Association and currently serves as the Co-Lead for the Atlanta Metro P-20 Collaborative. Her research interests include pre-service teacher self-efficacy, grit theory, resilience, teacher preparation, and new teacher induction.
Rosetta earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College and holds graduate degrees from West Georgia (M.S. in Instructional Technology), Lincoln Memorial University (Ed.S in Educational Leadership) and Liberty University (Ed.D in Educational Leadership).
She has received numerous awards for teaching excellence including the Academic Incentive Teacher of Year (Atlanta Public Schools) and Teacher of Year (Henry County Schools). Rosetta is married to Larry. She is also a mom and grandmom to four magnificent grandchildren.
Angela Sheahan joined CSRA RESA as a School Improvement Specialist in 2019. She has served as a K-12 classroom teacher, instructional coach, curriculum writer, professional learning provider, principal, GOSA Induction Coach, School Improvement Specialist and is currently serving as a School Improvement Induction Specialist for CSI Schools. She is passionate about helping induction teachers learn the strategies they need to succeed in the classroom and fostering a strong sense of purpose and pride as a teaching professional.
Carla Tanguay, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECEE) and the Associate to the Dean for Clinical Practice in the College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University. Since joining the university in 2007, Dr. Tanguay served as program coordinator for 12 years for the Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education with concentrations in ESOL and special education. Dr. Tanguay collaborates with faculty, university supervisors, and P-12 partners to develop and sustain strong program models. In her current role, she supports initial teacher preparation programs in the areas of teacher development, assessment, clinical practice, and urban education. She coordinates the Teacher, Support, and Coaching Endorsement program. Dr. Tanguay is chair of the Assessment and Accreditation Committee and reviews unit-level data annually, implementing a continuous improvement cycle. For accreditation purposes, Dr. Tanguay reviews the university'S core and academic programs. She is a Co-P.I. on a National Science Foundation grant, Preparing, Supporting, and Retaining Elementary Mathematics Specialists in High-need Urban Schools (PSREMS). Her scholarly interests include teacher development, induction, retention, assessment, program evaluation, and educational policy.
Dr. Taylor has been in public education for 15 years, serving as a classroom teacher and assistant principal. He began his career in the Clayton County Public School District and now works in the DeKalb County School District. He has also worked with Georgia State University and the TRIO program as an Upward Bound instructor. Tuqwan considers himself to be a bridge between the current education workforce composition made up of Baby Boomers, Generation X, fellow Millennials, and incoming educators belonging to Generation Z. He received his bachelor’s degree at Savannah State University and his master's degree in education at Mercer University. He also holds an education specialist in leadership and will graduate with his Ed.D. from Kennesaw State University in May 2022.