Our Board
michelle cottrell-williams - President
Dr. Michelle Cottrell-Williams is the 2018 Virginia Teacher of the Year and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. She began her career as a high school social studies teacher at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, and served as both a classroom teacher and instructional coach for 15 years before transitioning to a central office role supporting equity and cultural responsiveness across Fairfax County Public Schools, one of the largest public school districts in the U.S. An educator, coach, and scholar, Michelle earned a Master of Education in Secondary Social Studies Education from The George Washington University, a second Master of Education in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University. Her doctoral research explored how secondary teachers promote belongingness for marginalized students. Michelle considers herself a disruptor and is committed to empowering educators and leaders to rethink the status quo. Her work focuses on creating equitable school and classroom cultures rooted in safety, belonging, vulnerability, trust, empathy, and strong relationships. If Michelle had to choose which animal best represents her personality, it would have to be a unicorn: part glitter, part rebel.
Susan Blum
Susan D. Blum is a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of a trilogy about education: Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning (2024); "I Love Learning; I Hate School": An Anthropology of College (2016); and My Word! Plagiarism and College Culture (2009), all published by Cornell University Press, and is the editor of Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) (West Virginia University Press, 2020). She has taught in higher education for thirty-five years, and at Notre Dame since 2000.
Johanna Brown
Johanna Brown is the Associate Director of Secondary Science for the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction where she leads 6-12 science instruction and manages one of the nation’s first statewide investments in climate learning, ClimeTime. Johanna previously taught chemistry and computer science in rural Pullman, Washington where her ungrading journey began. She has since championed ungrading and progressive grading via presentations and workshops most often through the National Science Teaching Association. Johanna is a 2022 recipient of the Robert E. Yager award for exemplary science teaching, a 2022 Geekwire STEM Educator of the Year, and a 2021 Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching Finalist. She is passionate about liberatory learning practices, climate solutions, and appreciation for all that her students have taught her.
David Kirkland
Dr. David E. Kirkland, PhD, is a visionary leader, scholar, and advocate for education justice. As Founder and CEO of forwardED, LLC, he pioneers transformative solutions for equity in education. Previously Vice Dean of Equity and Executive Director of NYU’s Metro Center, Dr. Kirkland’s scholarship has yielded groundbreaking insights into the systems of power and disparities perpetuated by academia. His work has played a pivotal role in reducing racial disparities in education and fostering culturally responsive-sustaining education, transforming educational services nationwide. Kirkland is the author of A Search Past Silence: The Literacy of Young Black Men, which shed light on the misuse of research evidence on vulnerable populations, advocating for a human-centered approach to scholarship. Recognized with awards like NYU’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Dr. Kirkland shares his insights nationwide through lectures and media contributions.
Chris McNutt
Chris McNutt is the co-founder and executive director of Human Restoration Project, a nonprofit organization focused on student engagement, well-being, and motivation. His work centers on realizing systems-based change, examining how progressive pedagogical shifts (e.g. PBL, ungrading) reimagine school to best suit the needs of students and teachers alike. He was a public high school digital media & design educator who focused on experiential learning, portfolio-driven assessment, and community involvement.
Ameena L. Payne
Ameena L. Payne is a strategic PhD scholarship holder at Deakin University’s Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning. Ameena’s current research aims to better understand the lived feedback experiences of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse postgraduate coursework students in Australia. She is a recipient of her alma mater’s Outstanding Young Alumna Award (2022) and is interested in socially just and equitable education, specifically assessment design and feedback. Her recent publications include the article ‘Humanising feedback encounters: a qualitative study of relational literacies for teachers engaging in technology-enhanced feedback’ (with Rola Ajjawi and Jessica Holloway) in Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. Her website is ameenapayne.com, and she tweets as @AmeenaLPayne.