UMLN Member Biographies
Elaine Carman, ecarman@nycboe.net
Elaine Carman is the Mathematics Instructional Specialist for the New York City Department of Education. She has worked for the Department of Education for 32 years, first, teaching mathematics in the middle schools, then serving as chairman of the department and later as math coordinator for Staten Island, a borough of New York City. She has also taught mathematics courses as well as education courses for City University of New York.
Karen Sue Cockburn, karenco@spokaneschools.org
Karen Sue Cockburn is currently Mathematics Facilitator at Spokane Garry MS. She graduated from the University of Idaho with both a B.S. of Ed. and M.Ed. degree. She holds an Ed.D from Washington State University. She taught 30 years in Middle School and High School, as well as for Head Start. She has served as an Adjunct Professor, T3 Instructor and Secondary Math Facilitator for Central Valley School District. She was given the 1990 Washington State Presidential Award.
Linda J. Coulter, lcoulter@richlandone.org
Linda J. Coulter is the Elementary Mathematics Instruction Specialist in the Office of Curriculum and Standards, Richland County School District One, Columbia, South Carolina. Her focus is grades first through eighth.
J. Chris Coxon, ccoxon@boston.K12.ma.us
Chris Coxon is the Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in the Boston Public Schools. He has been with the Boston Public Schools since January of 2002 when he served as the superintendent's intern from the Urban Superintendents doctoral program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He later served as the Instructional Leader for Triad A. Before coming to Boston, Chris worked in Puerto Rico as an elementary school principal at the Antilles Consolidated School System (ACSS), a Department of Defense Education Activity school system. He has also served as the Director for School Improvement where he planned and supervised district and school specific instructional strategic planning. Chris has served in a variety of elementary teaching positions within ACSS and the Dallas ISD, where he started his teaching career.
Linda Curtis-Bey, lcurtis@nycboe.net
Linda Curtis-Bey is the Director of Mathematics for NYC Public Schools. She is responsible for the implementation of the uniform math curriculum, K-12, in NYC's 1,200 schools as well as overseeing the professional development of the city's 1,000 math coaches and high school math assistant principals.She came to the Department of mathematics from Community School District 15, where she was responsible for math and science, K-8; Comprehensive School Reform; and new teacher professional development. Linda began her career as a teacher and as a math and science staff developer at PS 321in District 15, where her children attended school. She has taught math education and math leadership courses at Brooklyn College and at the Bank Street College of Education.
Philip Daro, pdaro@berkeley.edu
Philip Daro is a Leader/Consultant for mathematics education projects. He has directed, advised and consulted on a range of mathematics education projects. The most extensive and intensive engagements include ACHIEVE (Chair of the mathematics group), Balanced Assessment Project (co-Director), Mathematics Assessment Resources (MARS), the El Paso Collaborative (consultant), Pittsburgh School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, New York City Board of Education, the state of Georgia, SCALE and the Mathematics Task Bank. He has served as the Executive Director for the Public Forum on School Accountability. He has also served as the Executive Director of the Teacher Professional Development Programs at the University of California.
Kaye Forgione, kforgione@earthlink.net
Kaye Forgione is a senior associate for mathematics with Achieve, Inc. Her primary responsibilities include overseeing and conducting analyses of state standards and assessments, including alignment studies and benchmarking comparisons. Her most recent work was a study of the mathematics exit tests for six states. Prior to joining Achieve, Kaye directed standards-related work at the Council for Basic Education. She has also worked at the state level as an assessment director, at the district level as a K-12 mathematics supervisor, and as a high school mathematics teacher.
David Foster, dfoster@noycefdn.org
David is employed as the mathematics director of the Robert N. Noyce Foundation. David oversees and directs the Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative comprised of 30 member district in the San Francisco Bay Area. David Foster is the primary author of Interactive Mathematics: Activities and Investigations, published by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1994. His other works included Exploring Circles, published by Glencoe, 1996 and Computer Science One, published by Coherent Curriculum, 1988. David taught mathematics and computer science at middle school, high school and community college for eighteen years. David is Co-Director of the Santa Clara Valley Math Project. He is also Co-Chair of the advisory committee of the Mathematics Assessment Resource Service published by CTB-McGraw Hill.
Martin Gartzman, mgartzman@cps.K12.il.us
Martin Gartzman is Chief Mathematics and Science Officer for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), a position he has held since September 2002. Gartzman has spearheaded the development of the Chicago Math and Science Initiative, the CPS comprehensive plan for mathematics and science improvement. Prior to assuming his current role at CPS, Gartzman spent 17 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where with mathematician Philip Wagreich and physicist Howard Goldberg, he helped establish UIC's Institute for Mathematics and Science Education. At UIC, Gartzman was involved with a wide range of programs, including serving as a senior author with the Teaching Integrated Mathematics and Science (TIMS) Project. Previously, Gartzman was a science teacher and bilingual program coordinator at Benito Juarez High School in Chicago.
Bill Hopkins, billhopkins@mail.utexas.edu
Bill Hopkins, Research Associate, directs the AP Equity Initiative at the Dana Center. He came to the Dana Center from the Texas Education Agency, where he served as Director of Mathematics. In that position Dr. Hopkins provided statewide leadership in mathematics curriculum, instruction, and assessment. He has had mathematics teaching experience at the secondary and higher education levels and has served on a number of state and national mathematics education and assessment committees.
Susan Hudson Hull, shhull@mail.utexas.edu
Susan Hudson Hull is the Director of Mathematics for the Charles A. Dana Center. She has coordinated Dana Center mathematics initiatives for ten years, working with state and national leaders as well as with districts and teachers. She managed the development of the state mathematics standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and resources to implement the standards. Susan also leads Dana Center mathematics initiatives with higher education faculty. She taught high school mathematics for 16 years in Texas and has a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education.
Rick Jennings, rjennings@ospi.wednet.edu
Rick Jennings is married with two children, ages 29 and 30, and one cat. He is currently Mathematics Curriculum Specialist for Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. He has been K-12 Mathematics Program Manager for Seattle Public Schools, as well as a teacher at the middle and high school level. He is one of the authors of the Mathematics Modeling Our World series, and is creator of the STREAM teacher training materials based on the 5 high school NSF curricula. He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has won the Presidential Award.
Sherri Crim Jones, sjones@math.utexas.edu
Sherri Jones is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Charles A. Dana Center. Sherri is currently working on a MS degree in mathematics from The University of Texas at Austin. She holds a BS and an MA in Secondary Mathematics Education from the University of Alabama. She taught mathematics in grades 7-12 for seven years.
Ed Joyce, ejoyce@boston.K12.ma.us
As Senior Program Director Secondary Mathematics, Ed Joyce is responsible for monitoring and facilitating the successful implementation of mathematics curriculum in all math courses in grades 6-12. Activities include: providing support to school based and other district administrators and leading a team of coaches and teachers in developing district wide: scope and sequences, assessments, professional development, curriculum material review, and new initiatives in mathematics. Ed is a thirty+ year veteran in district. Ed is also a life-long resident of Boston and product of the Boston Public Schools.
Mark Koester, Mark_Koester@dpsk12.org
Mark Koester is the director of mathematics for Denver Public Schools. His work focuses on the strong implementation of the mathematics initiatives in DPS-Everyday Mathematics, Connected Mathematics, Cognitive Tutor Algebra, and Interactive Mathematics Project. Implementation includes practice-based professional development of K-12 teachers and coaches and creating collaborative cultures at the school level. He holds a PhD in mathematics education with an emphasis on urban school districts from State University of New York at Buffalo. He also has an MS in mathematics leadership from Bank Street College of Education. He taught middle school mathematics and science for seven years in Spanish Harlem, NY, and has been a school administrator with responsibility for mathematics in western New York and the Denver metro area for the last five years.
Barbara Libby, blibby@doe.mass.edu
Barbara Libby is currently the Director of the Office for Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering for the Massachusetts Department of Education. From 19920-2002 she was involved in the State's 10-year NSF Systemic Initiative for Mathematics and Science: PALMS which led the way for the development of the state's curriculum frameworks, the statewide student testing program, teacher leadership initiatives, new policies for teacher testing and licensure, and intensive content-focused professional development programs. Her current work focuses on continuing these model programs, coordinating the new Title IIB Math Science Partnership Program, and working collaboratively with partners across the state to continue to improve student achievement and increase the quality of the educators in her state.
Cathy L. Lobdell, cathylo@spokaneschools.org
Cathy Lobdell is the Elementary (K-6) Math Coordinator for the Spokane Public Schools. She has worked with Teaching & Learning Services in Spokane, and was coordinator of elementary mathematics for two years. She taught 7th and 8th grade math and science at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane, WA from 1982-1991. She was a third grade teacher at Grant Elementary, also in Spokane. She holds a Masters in Education from Whitworth College with an emphasis in elementary computer usage and mathematics. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a major in Elementary reading and mathematics from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA.
Catherine (Cathy) Martin, cathy_martin@dpsk12.org
Cathy Martin is currently mathematics coordinator in Denver Public Schools. In this position, she works with teachers to support their implementation of standards-based mathematics to provide all of our students with opportunities to learn important mathematics. She began her work in DPS in 1990 at Morey Middle School after teaching in Killeen, TX, and Fairfax County Public Schools, VA. After two years at Morey, she transferred to South High School where she served as department chairperson. She recently earned a PhD with an emphasis on teacher leadership.
Katherine K. Merseth, kay_merseth@harvard.edu
Katherine Merseth is the Director of Teacher Education for Harvard University and Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Education. Former Dean for Program Development at the Graduate School of Education, she was also the Founding Executive Director of the Harvard Children's Initiative, the university-wide program focusing on the needs of children and the Graduate School of Education’s School Leadership Program. In addition, she has served as a math curriculum developer, math teacher, and math curriculum administrator in K-12 schools. Merseth's research and writing concentrate on school reform, teacher education, case method instruction, mathematics education, computer networks, and leadership. In 2001, she received the prestigious Morningstar Award, given by the students at the Graduate School of Education for Excellence in teaching. Merseth has raised over $12 million in her career as an educator. She was the principal investigator of the Mathematics Case Development Project funded by the National Science Foundation, and co-principal investigator of the Teacher Education Addressing Mathematics and Science in Boston and Cambridge project, also funded by the NSF. She serves on several charter and private school Boards of Trustees and other non-profit agency boards. In addition to her Harvard Ed.D. and M.A.T. mathematics degrees, Merseth holds a B.A. in mathematics from Cornell University and an M.A. in mathematics from Boston College. She spends any free time with her family in their Maine farmhouse, back-packing, or rowing on the Charles.
Mary Lou Metz , mxm1@pitt.edu
Mary Lou Metz is a Resident Fellow in Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Learning (IFL). Her background includes 26 years of teaching high school mathematics at all levels. At the IFL she is a member of the Disciplinary Literacy Mathematics Team which provides ongoing professional development to mathematics leaders in urban districts in the U.S. Metz is also in the process of completing her doctorate degree in mathematics education at the University of Pittsburgh.
Terrence S. Millar, Millar@bascom.wisc.edu
Terry Millar has been on the mathematics faculty at UW-Madison since 1976. His research area is mathematical logic. He also is the associate dean for the physical sciences of the Graduate School, Project Director and PI of the NSF Comprehensive Math and Science Partnership System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE), and PI of the NSF GK-12 K-Through-Infinity Systemic Initiative (KTI). He is a Vietnam veteran who served in the United States Marine Corps.
Jonathon Paslov, jpaslov@pitt.edu
Mr. Paslov currently serves as the Goal One Manager of the SCALE Grant based at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin at Madison and four large school districts around the country. Prior to this position, Mr. Paslov worked for two years as a non-profit consultant with the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management, funded by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Paslov also spent two years in the Technology in Education section of WestEd in San Francisco and holds a Masters degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Julie Peck, peckj@nwrel.org
Julie Peck is currently a Senior Associate with the Center for School and District Improvement at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, focusing on schoolwide improvement of mathematics teaching and learning. She was the Secondary Mathematics Coordinator for the Spokane Public Schools for seven years. Julie also taught mathematics for GED and college level courses for nine years, then returned to school for teacher certification and taught all mathematics at the middle and high school levels.Andrew C. Porter, andy.porter@vanderbilt.edu
Andrew Porter is the Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy and director of the Learning Sciences Institute at Vanderbilt University. He has published widely on psychometrics, student assessment, education indicators, and research on teaching. His current work focuses on curriculum policies and their effects on opportunity to learn. Currently, he has research support from the National Science Foundation and Ed’s Institute of Education Science. He is an elected member and former officer of the National Academy of Education, Lifetime National Associate of the National Academies, and past-President of the American Educational Research Association.
Ronald Schwarz, rschwarz@nycboe.net
Ronald Schwarz retired in Fall 2003, after twenty years working on professional development of high school mathematics teachers in Manhattan. Prior to that, he taught mathematics and English at the High School of Art and Design. His areas of specialization include the use of alternative strategies and integration of reading and writing in math instruction, problem solving and instructional technology. He has pioneered the use of video as a tool for teacher self-assessment, and has produced programs shown on WNYE Channel 25 and The Discovery Channel. He currently works as a consultant for the New York City Department of Education.
Regeta Slaughter, rslaughter@cps.k12.il.us
Regeta Slaughter is currently Director of Mathematics, Office of Mathematics and Science for the Chicago Public Schools. She has been in this position since 2001. She works with over 500 K-12 schools, but this year has primarily been responsible for grades 9-12 mathematics and implementation of the Chicago Math and Science Initiative (CMSI) high school component, which involves the implementation of standards-based reform math and science curricula and building strong math and science departments. Prior to working with the Office of Math and Science, she served as Assistant Principal to the small school Future Commons High School Multiplex. Her work also involved math department chair at Lane Technical High School where she coordinated the College Preparatory Mathematics Program (CPMP) for 4 years, which was developed to increase the success of underrepresented minorities in high school mathematics.
Laura McGiffert Slover, lmcgiffert@achieve.org
Laura McGiffert Slover is the director of the Mathematics Achievement Partnership (MAP), a multi-state collaboration to dramatically improve mathematics performance in the middle grades. As the principal manager of this project, Laura assumed primary responsibility for the development of Foundations for Success: Mathematics for the Middle Grades, which represents the core knowledge and skills that students should learn to be prepared for high school and beyond. These expectations now are being back-mapped down to kindergarten to indicate a clear progression of important knowledge and skills through the grades. To this end, Laura oversees Achieve's Mathematics Advisory Panel, an expert panel of mathematicians, mathematics educators, curriculum specialists, and state and local math supervisors representing a broad spectrum of perspectives about mathematics education. She also is responsible for coordinating state activities, including professional development pilot projects and meetings of state mathematics education leaders.
Mary Jo Tavormina-Porn, mporn@uic.edu
Mary Jo Tavormina is the director of the University of Illinois at Chicago - All Learn Mathematics (UIC-ALM) Project and co-director of the University of Illinois at Chicago - Middle Grade Mathematics (UIC-MGM) Program. She is a former middle grade mathematics teacher. She directs the programmatic activities for UIC-ALM and UIC-MGM, facilitates professional development, coordinates the evaluation, and teaches courses.
Susan Tedter, tedter@mail.utexas.edu
Susan Tedter is executive assistant at the Charles A. Dana Center and coordinates activities in the Director's Office. She has been at the Center for six months and has 17 years experience working at The University of Texas.
Philip Uri Treisman, uri@mail.utexas.edu
Uri Treisman is professor of mathematics and director of the Charles A Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin. For his work on minority student high achievement in mathematics, he was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1992. In December 1999, he was named as one of the outstanding leaders of higher education in the 20th century by the magazine Black Issues In Higher Education. Professor Treisman serves as a founding board member of AVID and of the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education. He is member of the National Academy of Science's committee developing a Strategic Education Research Plan for the United States. He chairs the Chancellor's Advisory Board on School Mathematics for the New York City Department of Education. Professor Treisman served as the vice-chair of the Governor's Commission for Volunteerism and Community Service under Governors Richards and Bush.
Dallas Webb-Burton, dburton@richlandone.org
Dallas Webb-Burton is a consultant for Advanced Academic Programs, Richland County School District One in Columbia, South Carolina. His focus is third through twelfth grades. He is a Disciplinary Literacy Team Member.