Keynote Plenaries

Dr. William Hite, CEO and President, KnowledgeWorks

With a focus on equity, innovation and quality, Dr. William R. Hite is the President and CEO of KnowledgeWorks, leading the organization towards making the mission and vision a reality. Additionally, as the superintendent in residence in the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management, Bill spends time preparing and supporting transformational leaders from diverse backgrounds.

Prior to his current roles Bill served as superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia, the largest public school system in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During his 10 years as superintendent, the School District of Philadelphia emerged from 17 years of state control for academic, financial and graduation improvements. Its credit rating climbed out of junk-bond status for the first time in five decades, allowing the district to save tens of millions of dollars in interest charges. Under his leadership, the School District opened new innovative high schools, expanded successful school models, launched in-district turnarounds and redesigned schools in partnership with communities. Bill was named the 2020 Superintendent of the Year by the National School Foundation Association and was the recipient of WHYY’s 2019 Lifelong Learner Award, an award that recognizes an honoree who has demonstrated a passion for lifelong learning for themselves and for all those they can inspire. Other recipients include President Joseph Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Gwen Ifill, Dawn Staley and more.

Joe Feldman, Founder & CEO, Crescendo Education Group
Joe has worked in education for over 20 years as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported K-12 schools, districts, and colleges/universities nationwide to improve grading and assessment practices. His writings have been published in Education Week, Kappan, Education Leadership, District Administrator, and Black Press USA. The second edition of his book, Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms (Corwin) was published in 2023. Crescendo Education Group has partnered with the National Education Association as well as the American Federation of Teachers, National Association of Independent Schools, and Stanford University’s Challenge Success. He has presented at numerous education conferences, and his work has been profiled in Education Week and the Wall Street Journal. He leads the Equitable Grading Project, which published the report, “Can We Trust The Transcript? in 2024, which analyzed the accuracy of over 33,000 grades and the impact of improved grading practices. 

Joe earned his B.A. from Stanford University and a Master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard School of Education. He lives in Oakland with his wife and two children.

Dr. Alan Cheng, Superintendent, New York City Public Schools
Alan Cheng is a high school superintendent in the New York City Public Schools, responsible for a network of 50 schools that includes members of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, Internationals Network, and NYC Outward Bound Schools. His work focuses on supporting school leaders to create learning environments that are rigorous, student-centered, and equity-driven. He partners with schools to deepen instructional practice, expand access to meaningful student work, and strengthen systems that support ongoing reflection and improvement. Across his district, students are encouraged to engage with challenging content, think critically and creatively, and connect their learning to real-world problems and audiences. Before becoming a superintendent, Alan served as a deputy superintendent and high school principal. Earlier in his career, he worked on federal education policy as a U.S. Senate Education Policy Fellow. He holds a doctorate in Adult Development and Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. Alan approaches improvement work with a focus on relationships, context, and learning. He values collaboration and is always looking for ways to strengthen systems by centering the experiences of students and educators.

Dr. Jill Gurtner, Former Principal and Founder of Clark Street Community School
Dr. Jill Gurtner is the former Principal and one of the founders of Clark Street Community School (CSCS), in the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District in Wisconsin. CSCS is a small public charter high school designed as an innovation zone within the school district.  In order to support their mission to democratically cultivate a community of engaged learners, CSCS has operated as a competency based school since opening in 2012.   She is driven by a passion to support the design and sustainable implementation of educational systems rooted in talent development for all learners which repay the educational debt owed to our most marginalized learners.  Dr. Gurtner’s dissertation entitled “High Schools as Empowering Environments:  Perspectives of Youth” elevated the perspectives and experiences of young people to better inform practitioners about the design features which were most impactful for youth in learner-centered schools.

Dr. Sonal Patel, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, San Leandro Unified School District
Dr. Sonal Patel brings a remarkable depth and breadth of practitioner knowledge to her passion for redesigning how schools traditionally work.  Her expertise has been honed through a myriad of school-based positions, starting as a Spanish bilingual paraeducator, K-1 elementary classroom teacher and a high school associate principal. In all of these roles, she has remained a staunch advocate for universally accessible learning experiences, empowering teacher leadership, multidimensional professional development, and authentic community engagement. As the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for San Leandro Unified, she integrates the current shifts in the local and national educational landscape in a way that reflects her critically unflinching commitment to justice. Dr. Patel also serves as a continuing lecturer at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education for the past 13 years, where she cultivates power and promise in both the Berkeley Teacher Education Program (BTEP) program and the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI).

Rae Li, Graduate, Clark Street Community School
Rae is a recent graduate (Jan 2025) of Clark Street Community School. Rae spent his 3.5 years at CSCS fueling his love of the great outdoors and nature through seminars and independent projects while also recovering his love of learning by learning to understand and work with his learning disabilities. While at CSCS, he also found a passion for student centered education through serving on the board of directors as a student representative and on the school’s outreach team.  He also served on the Student Senate and Student Leaders. Rae hopes to further follow these passions at UW Stevens Point where he is studying forestry.

Marcos Lucio Popovich, Director of Grantmaking, The Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Marcos Lucio Popovich joined the Foundation in 2015. He currently serves as the Director of Grantmaking where he leads the overall design and implementation of the Foundation’s grant funds, grantmaking processes, and grantee engagement approaches. Prior to entering philanthropy, Marcos served as Director of Operations at the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) where he led national efforts to register and train thousands of new Latino voters and leaders. At USHLI, Marcos co-authored three editions of TheAlmanac of Latino Politics, a comprehensive study of demographic and political trends among Latinos in the United States. 

Marcos has also served as a consultant for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, a Proteus Fund Diversity Fellow for EdVestors and the Barr Foundation, and a law clerk for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Immigrant Justice Center. Marcos holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from Bowling Green State University, a M.A. in Mexican American Civil Rights History from Arizona State University, and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Marcos sits on the board of directors at TSNE and Sociedad Latina. He also serves as Co-Chair of Boston Education Funders.

Dr. Medria Blue-Ellis, Principal of Engineering & Science, University Magnet School

Dr. Medria Blue-Ellis, a STEM principal, educational consultant, and co-founding director of the CT HBCU Alumni Network Inc., is renowned for her expertise in educational equity.  She focuses on creating systems that empower those who influence curriculum, culture, and student outcomes to be change agents in educational equity. In 2011, Dr. Blue-Ellis became a founding principal of the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS).  Under her leadership, ESUMS has earned multiple Magnet School of the Year awards and a National Coalition of Urban School Transformation (NCUST) award,  and the middle and high school is featured in the 2022 book Magnet Schools: Public Schools of Choice in a Changing Educational Landscape.   As a 2022 Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools fellow, Dr. Blue-Ellis studied educational leadership in Singapore, which enhanced her approach to fostering innovation in schools. She has consulted and presented at local venues and national conferences on various topics, including inclusive learning environments, literacy, 21st Century Skills, culturally responsive teaching, and global learning.  Dr. Blue-Ellis also provides valuable insights on educational equity and leadership. Her ability to address pressing educational issues makes her a sought-after speaker and a significant resource for educators and organizations seeking transformative educational approaches.

Dr. Arria Coburn, Executive Director, School Leadership

Dr. Arria Coburn is the Executive Director of School Leadership in Hartford, Connecticut. She is entering her eighteenth year in education. Prior to her current role, she was a special education teacher, an assistant principal, and principal at the Springfield Renaissance School in Springfield, Massachusetts. During her time as principal, the school received the Magnet School of the Year award and a special recognition from the state of Massachusetts for increasing proficiency levels in math and english. Dr. Coburn earned her doctorate from Northeastern University in 2021 and completed two fellowships during the 2020-2021 school year, one with the Massachusetts Department of Education and another with Students at the Center. Her work is deeply rooted in leveraging student voice, creating equitable outcomes for all students, and encouraging conversation around race and equity in education.

Ellen Pinnock, Director of Community Engagement, FabNewport

Ellen Pinnock is the Director of Community Engagement at FabNewport where she supports students of all ages. A born and raised Newporter, Ms. Pinnock leads parent engagement and event production for the Learn 365 Initiative, and established the Heart Club at Thompson Middle School. She also teaches cooking to middle schoolers in the spring and summer and serves as resident consultant for Newport Health Equity Zone. Her focus is always on equity and improving social emotional wellness for our students and families

Ms. Pinnock is the recipient of the Joan C. Arnold community service award 2023 and the Salve Regina Living the Mission Community Partner award for 2024. She was recently elected to the Newport City Council representing Ward 1.

Tee Freeman, Chief Executive Officer, Takeover Academy

Tee Freeman is the CEO of Takeover Academy, a consulting firm specializing in curriculum, program, and initiative development that nurtures the well-being and humanity of Black youth. She is also a dedicated PhD candidate in Social Psychology at Clark University, committed to establishing equitable healing spaces for Black youth, particularly Black girls. With an academic background that includes degrees in Criminal Justice, Forensic Psychology, and Social Psychology, she brings nearly a decade of experience in education and community engagement to her work. As both an educator and researcher, she firmly believes in empowering Black girls, women, and femmes as architects of their own equitable learning, growth, and healing environments. By involving them in the design process, she fosters their ability to champion their own liberation, even in the face of systemic injustice.

George R. Greenidge Jr., Executive Director, Greatest MINDS

George R. Greenidge Jr. is the Founding Executive Director of Greatest MINDS, a Boston-based Black-led nonprofit focused on mentoring young people as they explore college, career, citizenry, and volunteerism as a way to bring about positive change in civil society. In his capacity as a non-profit executive, academic, and consultant, George has pursued diversified partnerships with national and local policymakers, foundations, high-wealth individuals, corporations, and non-profit leaders to support his positive community development work. His research focuses on the use of qualitative research methods in policy development and program evaluation. In 2023, George was the keynote speaker for the Harvard University Affinity Celebration Honoring Black Graduates. He was picked by Harvard faculty, staff, and students for his outstanding work and vast experiences as an activist, a community leader, a thought leader, and his career of supporting graduates from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.