Luva Alvarez: My name is Luva Alvarez. I am the site/alumni coordinator for the Greater Rochester PLTI. I was born in Brooklyn, NY but have resided in Rochester for 20 years. I am a believer, connector, mom, wife, parent advocate, PLTI ALUM, Girl Scout Leader, Boy Scout leader, Eagle Scout mom, Mom of three Black Scholars, Lover of life, and a PARENT WHO LEADS. I am passionate about parents being engaged and empowered. I love spending time with my family and of course watching all those Chicago Fire & Chicago P.D shows. My favorite quote is “Her greatest power is believing in herself”.

Elizabeth Maxwell: I am a parent leader, a mother of three, and a passionate cradle to career advocate. I started advocating for the disability community in 2004, in 2019 I began my journey as an Early Intervention Advocate for childhood education. As my younger children have entered k-12, I have continued to Advocate for the needs of k-12 and Early Intervention. I enjoy helping other parents become confident in their voice to share their struggles, successes, and barriers. Empowering and uplifting parents is important to me.

Dr. Joellen Maples: Dr. Maples earned her B.A. in English, an M.A. in curriculum and instruction, an Ed.S. in English education, and her Ph.D. in English education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. At Fisher, she has served as an assistant/associate professor in the Literacy program and in the Inclusive Education Department before being appointed as interim dean/dean. In those roles, she provided numerous trainings in local school districts in the areas of culturally responsive teaching, critical literacy, and online teaching and learning. In her role as dean, Maples’ work largely focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has overseen program curriculum revisions for culturally responsiveness, implemented a teacher pipeline to diversify the local teaching workforce, and also planned campus summer programming for local city school district students. Her research interests include exploring effective strategies for facilitating democratic dialogue and critical literacy through the reading of young adult literature and online discussion about literature. She has published in prominent NCTE journals such as Voices from the Middle, The English Journal, and English Leadership Quarterly.

Cedrick-Michael Simmons: Cedrick is the Director of Equity at Greece Central School District. He is a graduate of Greece Arcadia High School and Ithaca College, and he recently earned his PhD in sociology from Boston College. As the Director, Cedrick works with educators and students to remove barriers to ensure that all groups of students have the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. Their focus areas are professional learning about instructional equity, cultivating trust in our commitment to diversity and retention, and expanding opportunities for students to support equity work. Cedrick is also the Lead Facilitator for the Regional Equity Network, which recently hosted a summer institute that featured Zaretta Hammond as the keynote speaker.

Wendy Y. Perez: Wendy Y. Perez is a Senior Research Associate at the NYU Metro Center. She has a Ph.D. in Education from the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Pomona College and a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include using critical frameworks and asset-based approaches to urban education, education policy, higher education, family engagement, and Latinx K-16 pathways. Wendy has conducted research for UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access as well as for the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. She is the proud daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants. She has the privilege of raising her four-year-old son with her husband who is a middle school teacher in East Los Angeles.

Tina Carney: Tina Carney is a parent and advocate for meaningful family engagement, struggling/striving learners including those who are dyslexic, early intervention, and racial equity. Tina is the Program Assistant for PLTI's Teacher Diversity Project and Coordinator of Education Success Foundation's Student Success Project. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, building and connecting community, and eatin’.

Ms. Kathleen Graupman is in her 9th year as Greece Central School District Superintendent where she is committed to improving student achievement and closing equity gaps. Superintendent Graupman leads a team of more than 3,000 educators and support staff members who are committed to building a culture of high standards and engagement. With almost 11,000 students in 18 schools, Greece is the largest suburban district in Monroe County and one of the most diverse. Guided by the REACH Greece Strategic Plan, she and the executive leadership are motivated by a vision of equity and access for all. Throughout her career, Ms. Graupman has maintained a relentless focus on building relationships to help students succeed. She is passionate about developing the capacity of all employees, building strong community connections, and promoting the good. Ms. Graupman believes all Greece graduates should be actively involved in their communities and ready for success in college, career, and life. A product of the Greece Central school system herself, Superintendent Graupman is connected to the community and invested in its success. She is active in numerous community organizations including the NYS Commission for Diversity and Inclusion, Monroe County TogetherNow Board member, Greece Rotary Board member, the Roc2Change Steering Committee, and the Monroe 2 BOCES Foundation Board. Ms. Graupman holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from SUNY Geneseo and earned her Masters in Education from SUNY Brockport. She holds NYS Permanent Certification as a School Administrator and Supervisor and in School District Leadership and a NYS Permanent Teaching Certification in Elementary Education.

Links: 

Black in the Burbs  

Brighton CSD   

Carthage College (Wisconsin)  

East Rochester CSD  

Fairport CSD  

Farrash Foundation  

Gates-Chili CSD  

Gates-Chili CSD PTO   

Geneva CSD  

Greece Central School District  

Greece CSD SEPTA (Special Education Parent Teacher Association)  

W.K.Kellogg Foundation  

KONAR Foundation  

Monroe County (NY)  

NPLI  

NYSED  

NYU Center for Policy Research  

PECAN (Roc the Future)  

Penfield CSD  

PLTI Rochester  

RCSD East HS Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI)  

RCSD PLAC  

Regional Equity Network 

Roc the Future  

Rochester City School District  

St. John Fisher University School of Education   

Strive Together Network  

The Children’s Agenda  

Urban League of Rochester  

Wheatland-Chili CSD 

 

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