Lynette Guastaferro is the Executive Director of Teaching Matters, a non-profit organization that partners with educators to ensure that all students can succeed in a digital age. Serving one of the largest urban school systems in America, Teaching Matters has introduced over 10,000 teachers across 700 schools to educational innovations made possible by technology. By supporting teachers to redefine their teaching practices, Teaching Matters has helped prepare hundreds of thousands of students with skills necessary to thrive in today's digital world. Ms. Guastaferro possesses a unique blend of education, private-sector consulting, and technology innovation experience. Under her leadership and responding to both research and what is happening in real classrooms, Ms. Guastaferro has spearheaded the design of award winning, scalable learning environments that strike a balance between core-academic and 21st century skills. Ms.Guastaferro has worked as both a classroom teacher and a senior management consultant for Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC). At PWC, she led projects to innovate and improve the performance of government and educational agencies. Her work in education reform led her to Baltimore, where she took a classroom teaching position and designed her school's first technology-based learning support lab for literacy and mathematics. Ms. Guastaferro holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a B.A.from Williams College.

One of the authors of the New York City Board of Education’s Technology Plan and founder of the Citizens Coalition for Technology in Schools, Ms. Condliffe has more than 33 years of experience working with non-profits, government, and in education. A founding staff member of Teaching Matters, she develops programs such as Constitution Today that bring the democratic process to life for students while training their teachers in the use of technology in the classroom. She was one of the managers of New York City’s 1996 Technology Summit that brought together more than 200 educators, business executives, and government leaders to develop a technology plan for the NYC school system. She now advises school districts on how to utilize their technology resources to advance student achievement. A life-long resident of New York, Ms. Condliffe holds a B.A. from New York University.

Mr. Clemente leads our team of 35 educational consultants with high expectations to achieve the goals of over 200 education clients. He oversees the implementation of Teaching Matters professional development services and programs. He has been with Teaching Matters since 2004, and has been a key member of the development team for the Voices and Choices and Writing Matters series. He graduated from New York University with a degree in anthropology. He subsequently joined the AmeriCorps VISTA Program in Paterson, New Jersey. He was an inaugural member of the New York City Teaching Fellows, teaching middle school in the south Bronx for four years. He received his Masters in Education from Lehman College and a Masters in Media Studies from New School University.

Naomi Cooperman is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Teaching Matters, Inc. In this capacity, she is responsible for the development of innovative instructional initiatives which marry best practice in teaching and learning with the effective use of technology. Since 2006, Dr. Cooperman has spearheaded the creation of Writing Matters, Teaching Matters’ middle school literacy program. Dr. Cooperman has more than twenty-five years of experience in the field of education. She was previously a Teaching Matters educational consultant, mentoring New York City classroom teachers to meet the needs of struggling students using tech-rich resources. Prior to joining Teaching Matters, Inc., Dr. Cooperman was the Instructional Design Specialist at the Center for Management and Organization Research, Baruch College, CUNY, where she developed and managed government professional development projects. Dr. Cooperman earned an Ed.D. in Communications, Computing and Technology from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she investigated the interaction between teachers’ instructional beliefs and their first classroom attempts with the Internet. She holds an MS from the University of Wisconsin and a BS from the University of Massachusetts.

Mr. O'Donnell heads the technology department at Teaching Matters providing support to schools and Teaching Matters' staff of educational consultants around four key areas: 1. The use of technology to enable goal setting, planning, knowledge sharing and reflection 2. Demonstration of learning 3. The use of data to inform instruction 4. Communication and collaboration. Evan joined Teaching Matters in 2000 to help design and implement the award winning programs Teaching with the 'Net and The Connected Principal, two of the organization's Distance Learning courses for Teachers and Principals.

Sharon Rubinstein is a lawyer and former journalist with extensive communications and advocacy experience in the non-profit world. For nearly a decade, she was Communications Director at Advocates for Children and Youth in Baltimore, where she was also a lobbyist. She has been a communications consultant for numerous clients, including Medicaid Matters Maryland, Health Care for All, and the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute. In 2012, she was named one of ten "leaders" by the Moving Maryland Forward Network.

Some of Ms. Rubinstein's writing credits include BusinessWeek Magazine; Newsweek International; CNN; CBS News, and the Baltimore Sun. Much of her writing has concerned social issues. She has been active in academia as well, and was a Senior Fellow at the University of Baltimore School of Law's Center for Families, Children and the Courts, which operates a Truancy Court Program that addresses student attendance problems. Ms. Rubinstein taught child advocacy courses at the University of Maryland's College Park Scholars program, and taught law and education policy for the George Washington University Graduate School of Education. Much earlier in her career, she was a federal law clerk. Ms. Rubinstein has a J.D. from the University of Michigan's School of Law, and a B.A. from Cornell University.

Mr. Tunik is responsible for leading the design and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for measuring the outcomes of Teaching Matters' programs and services, including identifying key areas for evaluation and building capacity for ongoing self-assessment. He is also responsible for leading efforts to conceptualize and implement a longitudinal strategic performance measurement plan designed to improve internal program practices and inform the education sector. He brings to this role more than 25 years' experience in program evaluation and performance measurement. Prior to coming to Teaching Matters, Mr. Tunik worked as an independent evaluation consultant, and for almost 17 years managing evaluation projects in K-12 education at Metis Associates. He has extensive experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, and has led experimental, quasi-experimental, qualitative and compliance studies and authored reports on programs focused on adult and continuing education, science education reform, national welfare policy, college readiness, project-based learning, literacy instruction for struggling readers, and the NYC Department of Education's adoption and dissemination of the Common Core State Standards. Mr. Tunik earned an MPA in Research Methods from Columbia University, where his studies focused on public policy, statistics and evaluation methodologies for social science research. He holds a BS in Cognitive and Experimental Psychology from the University of Wisconsin.

Pamela Abramson is an educational consultant for Teaching Matters. Pamela's interests range from providing an educational climate where students enjoy the learning experience to creating a classroom with opportunities for students to master innovative technology. Prior to joining the Teaching Matters team, Pamela evaluated the instructional practices of tenured teachers for continued service. Previously, she created lessons for One laptop Per child. Earlier in her career, Pam was a second and third grade teacher in a public New York City elementary school for 7 years. Pamela received an M.A. from New York University and a B.A from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ms. Baker has worked in the field of educational technology for almost fifteen years. She has extensive experience producing web content and educational multimedia for a variety of audiences and industries. Ms. Baker also taught elementary school in East New York for two years. Since joining Teaching Matters, she has focused on the New York City Balanced Literacy initiative and has helped to develop content for the Office of Instructional Technology. Ms. Baker received a B.A. from Boston University, an M.A. in developmental psychology from Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and her M.Ed. from Brooklyn College.

Ms. Baum brings more than 17 years in the field of education to her work as a Curriculum Writer for Teaching Matters. Most recently, she was a learning specialist in two NYC independent schools where she encouraged students to use technology as a tool to facilitate their writing. Her classroom experience has included seven years teaching a self-contained 5th grade class at the Fieldston Lower School in the Bronx. Prior to working as a teacher, Ms. Baum ran the Columbia University Liberty Partnership Program, a drop-out prevention program that provided enrichment and work experience for 250 adolescents in Washington Heights. She has also worked at several NYC museums, running education programs for students of all ages. Ms. Baum attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut where she received a B.A. in Psychology. In addition, she completed an M.S. in Teacher Education from Bank Street College of Education and participated in both the Reading and Writing Workshop Programs at Teachers College.

Ms. Bertolotti has worked as a professional developer for more than 16 years. Currently, she is working in partnership with two middle schools building capacity and creating a collaborative environment through technology. Her main goal is to enable school-level educators to set and meet instructional goals through data-driven professional learning communities (PLCs), as well as collecting data on parent engagement. She can also be found in New York City public schools working on Learning Technology Grants, integrating technology in the social studies curriculum or working with teachers on curriculum planning. She has taught at the School of Journalism at New York University and has successfully attended participated in both the Reading and Writing Workshop Programs at Teachers College. Ms. Bertolotti is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and French. Ms. Bertolotti holds a BA in Psychology from Marymount Manhattan College and an MA in Media Ecology from New York University.

Mr. Better currently teaches 3-D Computer Animation at New York City College of Technology. For the past nine years, he has been teaching Animation and Video workshops to middle school students, which have culminated in videos focusing on subject matter such as Renaissance Art, Greek Fables, Cubism, and the History of Jackson Heights. He has been a film and video artist for twenty-five years. He has received a Puffin Foundation grant, and has exhibited his work in New York and other cities. He has taught Animation and Filmmaking at Brooklyn College and Bloomfield College in New Jersey.

Jeff Branzburg brings over 25 years of instructional technology professional development experience to his work as an educational consultant at Teaching Matters. He is currently focused on implementing a 1:1 computer program in a Bronx middle/high school. Earlier in his career, Mr. Branzburg was Assistant Director for Instructional Technology at the New York City Department of Education, Instructional Technology Director for 3 suburban NY school districts, as well as a contributing editor for Technology & Learning Magazine. In addition, he has taught instructional technology courses at Molloy College, Touro College and Long Island University. Mr. Branzburg holds an M.Ed. and a B.S. from The City College of New York, and an advanced certificate in instructional technology from New York University.

Dr. Brotman has been engaged in the field of science education for over ten years. After working as a research scientist, she began her career in education by creating and teaching an inquiry and project-based science curriculum for a start-up middle school in Oakland, California. Jennie subsequently completed a Ph.D. in Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she investigated urban high school students' learning and decision-making about HIV/AIDS. She has also taught education courses at Barnard College and done professional development and curriculum development work in numerous New York City public schools. Jennie holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kim Brown has provided in-classroom professional development on integrating technology with instruction for the past three years. Previously, Ms. Brown was an ESL teacher in New York City and taught video production to students in Westchester. She has also written about education for a number of venues including the New York Times Learning Network, WNET.org and Gannet newspapers. Ms. Brown has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a master's in education from Long Island University.

Ms. Brujan is interested in the areas of language learning, pedagogy, and human development. She has focused on creating and analyzing the curriculum of elementary, bilingual, and special education programs. Ms. Brujan has developed extensive knowledge about the application of technology in curriculum through her many years of teaching. Her M.S.ED from Bank Street College of Education and current research for her doctoral dissertation at Fordham University have provided Ms. Brujan with a rich foundation for supporting technology integration within our New York City classrooms.

Dr. Charles has provided in-classroom professional development on integrating technology with instruction for nearly 20 years. A former researcher for the Children’s Television Workshop and public school language arts teacher, she has taught courses at Bank Street College and the College of New Rochelle. She studied the effects of social and organizational factors on technology integration for her doctorate, which she received from Columbia University’s Department of Communications, Computing and Technology, Teachers College. Dr. Charles holds an M.Ed. from Teachers College and a B.A. from the University of the West Indies.

Mr. DelaCruz has worked as an instructional technology specialist for over seven years. He was manager of the Children's Museum of Manhattan Media Center (1997-2000), a state of the art television studio. There he developed media literacy programs for schools while facilitating workshops for museum visitors. He then proceeded to the Bertelsmann Foundation (Media Workshop New York) where he trained teachers on how to utilize technology in their classrooms. Through this four year initiative, Mr. DelaCruz worked at various high schools around the city including: Forest Hills High School, Taft High School, High School for Environmental Studies and Brandeis High School. Jelbin continues to expand his horizons within the field of instructional technology.

Mr. Donaldson has worked with teachers and students for more than eight years. Over the past three years, Bill has designed, implemented and refined the Digital Literature and History in Focus programs. He is currently developing a new program for public schools called the Poetry Network that promises to inspire students through poetry and technology. He has also coordinated special projects at Teaching Matters from the Annenberg Foundation, the Helena Rubinstein Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. Mr. Donaldson holds a BA from University of Michigan and a Masters in Elementary Education from Hunter College.

Jennifer Gleason is an Educational Consultant and Information Systems Developer at Teaching Matters. In this role, she develops and supports websites, and works with school leaders and teachers, helping them move toward learner-centered pedagogy supported by new technologies. Jennifer began her career as a software engineer at IBM, where she developed and tested enterprise software. In addition, Jennifer worked for the Buck Institute for Education as an Education Pioneer Fellow. Jennifer earned an MA in Communications, Computing and Technology in Education from Columbia University Teachers College and holds a BS from Binghamton University.

Dr. Heller brings over 16 years of experience partnering with schools for continuous improvement. Bill received his doctorate from New York University's Steinhardt School of Education, where he currently teaches graduate-level courses in English Education and Science Education. He directed the professional development for the NYC DOE's iTeach/iLearn one-to-one initiative, overseeing the planning, development, publication, and delivery of 136 unique one-hour Train-the-Trainer sessions. He now serves as the lead facilitator for Teaching Matters institutes for Voices & Choices, TERC's Using Data, and a new three-day retreat on the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Recently, Bill's research provided a chapter for the book Literary Education and Digital Learning (published by IGI Global), and his article on school Internet filtering has appeared in over 400 newspapers nationwide. Dr. Heller holds a BA from Albright College and an MA from New York University.

Edith Schneider has been a professional developer for over nine years. Since joining Teaching Matters, she has helped many New York City schools integrate technology into their science and social studies curricula, and has facilitated implementation of New York State Learning Technology Grants. She has ten years experience in the New York City public school system as a teacher of both high school and middle school science. Ms. Schneider is currently investigating ways to use technology so that middle school science students can apply science concepts to real world problems. She has both her Bachelor's Degree in Biology, and her Master's of Science Education from Brooklyn College, City University of New York.

Nick Siewert comes to Teaching Matters from a 15 year career as an English and social studies teacher in middle and high schools across the country. He has taught in Colorado, California, Florida and New Jersey. In addition to teaching, he has served in schools as an academic dean, a communications director and a major gifts officer . He holds a BA in English from Middlebury College, an MA in English from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury and an EdM in Technology, Innovation and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Mrs. Valinotti has been in the classroom for over 14 years having started out as a paraprofessional and moving from classroom teacher to staff developer. She comes to Teaching Matters with a wealth of experience working in elementary and middle schools in Brooklyn and New Jersey, where she resides with her husband and two sons. A graduate of Brooklyn College with a MS in Education, she was a member of Kappa Delta Pi , International Honor Society in Education. She has conducted workshops on Classroom Management and Balanced Literacy. She has worked as a mentor in the NYC Mentor Teacher Internship Program and teacher trainer to new teachers. She looks forward to working alongside teachers to help implement exciting literacy lessons that integrate technology.

Rebecca Wessler is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Teaching Matters' refined strategic plan. After seven years of strategic planning experience at a management consulting firm (Booz and Company) and in internal strategy groups at financial services companies (Westpac Bank, Australia and MasterCard), she is now keen to apply her skills to the education sector. Ms. Wessler received an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.A. from Davidson College in North Carolina.

As an Educational Consultant at Teaching Matters, Ms. Ortiz-Williams coaches teachers in integrating technology into core curriculum using programs like Writing Matters and Voices & Choices. Before coming to Teaching Matters, Josefina worked as a Humanities teacher at a charter school in New Jersey. Earlier, Josefina was a Humanities teacher and Literacy Coach in the NYC Public Schools. Her expertise is in creating and implementing student-centered, cross-disciplinary, multi-cultural curriculum. She has facilitated training in Balanced Literacy and reading and writing workshop model. Josefina has also collaborated with ePals and the Peace Diaries/ Knowledge iTrust, Inc. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Latin American Caribbean Areas Studies from Binghamton University and a Master's in English Education from New York University.

Ms. Lucas-Matos has more than 12 years of experience in research, program planning and development and has worked in the academic, nonprofit, and private sectors. Most recently, she oversaw the competitive grants program for Edison Schools, Inc. – the nation’s largest private manager of public schools – across twenty states for approximately 150 school partners. Ms. Lucas-Matos supports key aspects of fundraising and development. She earned an M.A. from Brown University and a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.