Barnett Berry is founder and president of the Center for Teaching Quality, based in Hillsborough, NC. The Center seeks to improve student learning by shaping policies through developing teacher leadership, building coalitions, and conducting practical research. Berry's career, which began as an underprepared, inner-city high school teacher in 1978, has focused on a wide range of efforts to close America’s student achievement gap by closing the teaching quality gap.

Harold Brown is president of EDWorks, which is a subsidiary of KnowledgeWorks. In this role, Mr. Brown oversees EDWorks New Start turnaround schools, EDWorks Fast Track early college high schools and EDWorks STEMLab schools.

Jeanne Burns is currently associate commissioner for teacher and leadership initiatives for the Louisiana Board of Regents. Dr. Burns is also currently codirector of a grant awarded to the office of the governor from the Wallace Foundation to improve educational leadership.

Margarita Calderón is professor emerita senior research scientist at Johns Hopkins University School of Education. She has conducted longitudinal studies on English learners’ language and literacy development in elementary, middle, and high schools, and is now focusing on professional development designs for adopting evidence-based instruction.

Tom Carroll was named president of the National Council on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) in November 2001 and since then, he has led the organization in its mission to empower educators who are transforming their schools from teaching organizations into learning organizations.

Mary Diez is professor and dean of the School of Education at Alverno College. A 1995 winner of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, Dr. Diez is former president of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). She has served on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Segun Eubanks is director of teacher quality for the National Education Association, the nation’s leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Mr. Eubanks has spent more than twenty years of his professional career working to promote opportunity, access, and equity in America’s education systems.

David Gordon is superintendent of the Sacramento County Office of Education (California). The county office directly serves more than 30,000 students and provides financial oversight and support services to more than 235,000 students in thirteen school districts.

Darion Griffin is senior associate director in the educational issues department of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). She leads the AFT’s work on reading by analyzing public policy, implementing AFT reading policy, providing technical assistance to leaders and affiliates, working with educational organizations and others to advocate for and advance AFT positions, and developing and implementing professional development.

Jane Hannaway is principal research associate and director of the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research Program at the American Institutes for Research, where she oversees the work of the National Center and is a member of the Institute’s senior management team.

Peter McWalters joined the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) leadership team after having served as the Rhode Island commissioner of elementary and secondary education from 1992 to 2009. During his time as commissioner, Mr. McWalters made significant gains in creating a better state-led system of education and increasing success for all of Rhode Island’s students.

Ellen Moir is chief executive officer of the New Teacher Center (NTC), a national organization dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders. She is recognized as a passionate advocate for the nation’s newest teachers.

Glenda Partee is associate director for teacher quality at American Progress, where she focuses on improvements in human capital systems in our public schools, youth policy, high school reform, and career and college readiness.

In July 2008, after a distinguished career as principal of J.E.B. Stuart High School in Fairfax County, Virginia and T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Mel Riddile joined the staff of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as the associate director for high school services. Dr. Riddile was the 2006 National High School Principal of the Year and the 2005 Virginia High School Principal of the Year. His work as a high school principal has received national and international recognition from National Geographic magazine, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NASSP, and the International Baccalaureate of North America.

A nationally known leader in education rights for disadvantaged students, Sharon Robinson is president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). The former president of the Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) Educational Policy Leadership Institute, Dr. Robinson is a lifelong civil rights activist who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, where she also earned her doctorate in educational administration and supervision.

Jon Schnur is cofounder of America Achieves, a new national alliance working to improve education for all kids. Previously, Mr. Schnur cofounded and served as chief executive officer of New Leaders for New Schools, a national nonprofit organization focused on ensuring high academic achievement for every student by attracting and preparing outstanding leaders and supporting the performance of the urban public schools they lead at scale. As cofounder of New Leaders, Mr. Schnur led the development of the organization’s goals, metrics, and strategy, as well as the management team, board, core values, partnerships, and fundraising.

Jianping Shen is the John E. Sandberg Professor of Education at Western Michigan University (WMU). A faculty member at WMU since 1996, Dr. Shen has published widely in the areas of educational leadership and policy and has research interests that include policy analysis, leadership theory, research method, and comparative education.

Ronald Thorpe is president and chief executive officer of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, where he oversees all aspects of the organization’s operation and setting the course for the National Board’s second quarter-century.