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Professional Standards & Practices Board for Teaching

The State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching is a 30 member board that serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education on matters related to teaching in New York State. The Board is composed of K-12 teachers and administrators, higher education representatives, public representatives, and one teacher education student.

About the Board

The State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching was established in 1998 by the New York State Board of Regents to advise the Regents and the Commissioner of Education on matters related to teaching in New York State. The Board’s mission is to advance and support quality teaching and student learning in New York State through initiating, influencing, and evaluating policy and best practice in the teaching profession. The Board is composed of 30 members and includes K-12 teachers and administrators, higher education representatives, public representatives, and one teacher education student. Members are selected to represent diverse perspectives, and serve four-year staggered terms, with the exception of the teacher education student, who serves a single two-year term as a non-voting member.

The Board has two standing subcommittees: the Professional Practices Subcommittee, which examines issues related to teaching practice, and the Higher Education Subcommittee, which handles issues related to teacher preparation.

Board Responsibilities
The Regents initial charge to the Professional Standards and Practices Board was for recommendations on the following topics, as outlined in the Regents policy document, New York’s Commitment: Teaching to Higher Standards (1998):

  • components of mentoring programs for new teachers
  • criteria and training for annual teacher performance reviews
  • certification requirements to ensure that teachers and principals are well-prepared to teach and to lead in New York
  • models and criteria for professional development
  • a Code of Ethics for teachers
  • a plan to attract and retain certified teachers in high need schools.

The Board has made significant progress toward accomplishing this initial agenda. New priorities continue to emerge as determined by Regents Reform agenda, Department initiatives, and Board-identified issues of interest and concern.

Teacher Moral Character Cases
Regarding professional ethics and moral conduct, the responsibilities of the Standards Board are set in Section 3.14 and Subpart 4-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents, Part 83 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, and Section 316 of Education Law.  The Professional Practices Subcommittee reviews and makes recommendations for action on individual cases brought to the Board under the provisions of Part 83 of Commissioner’s Regulations.

Program Policy and Regulations
The Board reviews and makes recommendations on proposed policy changes and amendments to Commissioner’s Regulations and the Rules of the Board of Regents involving all aspects of teaching education, certification, and practice.  In New York State, a teacher is defined as “any individual who is required to possess a certificate to work in a public school”. This includes classroom teachers, school and district administrators, and pupil personnel service providers.

Apply for Membership

The Office of Higher Education maintains Applicant Registry, a process used to fill vacancies on the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching. We invite applications from individuals who are interested in helping to shape teaching policy in New York State and who qualify for appointment in one of the following categories:

  • Teacher in a NYS school, either classroom teacher or pupil personnel service professional
  • Representative of a NYS college or university that prepares teachers (not an adjunct)
  • School administrator, either at the building or district level
  • Public member, representing business, parents, school boards, or other community groups involved in education
  • Student matriculated in a teacher preparation program at a NYS institution, either full-or part-time)

Important Features:

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Higher Education, at 518-486-2978, or by E-mail at pspb@nysed.gov.

Board Members

 

2023-2024 PSPB Board Members

 

Patricia Bonfe, Teacher

H.W.Smith K-8

Syracuse, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2026

Kathleen Briggs, Teacher

Lake Placid Elementary School

Lake Placid, NY

Term Expires: December 31, 2027

Elizabeth Brynes, Teacher Education Student

Siena College

Loudonville, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Brooke Burnett, Teacher

Ithaca City School District

Ithaca, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Heather Buskirk, Public

Citizen Math

Scotia, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Natasha Cooke-Nieves, Higher Education

American Museum of Natural History

New York, NY

Term Expires: September 30, 2027

Ricardo Colon, Teacher

UFT Teacher Center Instructional Coach PS/IS 30

Brooklyn, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Juanita Dyer, Teacher

Syracuse City School District

Syracuse, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Demise Farrelly, Higher Education

Kingsborough Community College

Brooklyn, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Kathleen Ferguson, Teacher, co-chair, P-12

Jessie T Zoller Elementary School

Schenectady, NY

Term Expires: March 31, 2027

Steven Gamache, Public

Deputy Director of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources in NYS

Albany, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2027

Virginia Goatley, co-chair, Higher Education

SUNY Albany

Albany, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Julie Gorlewski, Higher Education

University of Buffalo

Buffalo, NY

Term Expires: September 30, 2027

Amy Hysick, Public

New York State PTA

Albany, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Glenn Jeffers

New York State United Teachers

Albany, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2027

Katie Kurjakovic, Public

UFT English Language Learner Specialist

and Assistant to Vice President for Education for the United Federation of Teachers

New York, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Edwin Lamboy, Higher Education

The City College of New York

New York, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Katie Lobato, Teacher

Plattekill Elementary School

Plattekill, NY

Term Expires: November 30, 2026

Wen Ma

LeMoyne College

Syracuse, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Angelina Maloney, Administrator

Brunswick/Brittonkill CSD

Troy, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Dwight Manning, Public 

New York, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Derek Pope, Teacher

Commack High School

Commack, NY

Term Expires: November 30, 2026

James Skoog, Administrator

Westorchard Elementary School

Chappaqua, NY

Term Expires: September 30, 2027

 Pilar Sokol, Esq., Public

New York State School Boards Association

Latham, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Elizabeth Waite, Teacher

Union–Endicott Central Schools

Endicott, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2024

Cindy Walter, Administrator

TST BOCES

Ithaca, NY

Term Expires: December 31, 2024

Keith Wiley, Teacher

Houghton Academy, PS 69

Buffalo, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Patrick Wong, Teacher

International HS at LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, NY

Term Expires December 31, 2027

Coretta Wright, Administrator

Schools Without Walls

Rochester, NY

Term Expires: June 30, 2027

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subcommittee Member List
Professional Practices Sub-Committee 2023-2024
Representation Membership Institution/Position
Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second) Patricia Bonfe Syracuse CSD, Art Teacher 

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second)

Kathleen Briggs

Lake Placid Elementary School – Music Teacher

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second) Brooke Burnett Ithaca CSD - 3rd grade Teacher

Co-chair  (Ex-Officio, non-voting member of subcommittee)

Kathleen Ferguson

Schenectady CSD– Instructional Coach

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second

Katie Lobato

Plattekill Elementary School - TESOL Teacher

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second)

Derek Pope

(Sub-Committee Co-Chair)

Commack High School - Mathematics Teacher

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second)

 

 

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second)

Keith Wiley

Buffalo Public Schools – Mathematics Teacher

Practicing Teacher (elem, middle or second)

Patrick Wong

NYC School District – Mathematics Teacher

Administrator

 

Administrator

Angelina Maloney

 

James Skoog

Superintendent – Brunswick Brittonkill Central School District

Principal - Westorchard Elementary School

Administrator

Coretta Wright

Rochester CSD - Principal 

Representation of institution that prepares teachers

Natasha Cooke-Nieves

American Museum of Natural History

Public

Heather Buskirk
(Sub-Committee Co-Chair)

Citizen Math

Public (Additional member than required in sub-committee membership) Amy Hysick

NYS PTA

(Public) 

Glenn Jeffers

NYSUT

 

Higher Education Sub-Committee 2022-2023
Representation Membership Institution/Position

Co-chair (Ex-Officio, non-voting member of subcommittee)

Ginny Goatley

SUNY-Albany Professor, Dept. of Literacy Teaching and Learning

Post-Secondary Institution (that prepares teachers)

Julie Gorlewski

(Sub-committee Co-chair 

University of Buffalo

Post-Secondary Institution (that prepares teachers)

Edwin Lamboy

CUNY - The City College of NY- Interim Dean, School of Education

Post-Secondary Institution (that prepares teachers)

Wen Ma

LeMoyne College

Post-Secondary Institution (that prepares teachers)

 

 

Post-Secondary Institution (that prepares teachers)

Denise Farrelly

Kingsborough Community College

Administrator

Cindy Walter

TST - BOCES

(Practicing Teacher) (middle and/or second))

Ricardo Colon

New York City Department of Education

Practicing Teacher (early childhood and/or childhood)

Juanita Dyer

Syracuse CSD - 6th grade Science Teacher

(Practicing Teacher) (middle and/or second)

Elizabeth Waite

(Sub-Committee Co-Chair)

Union-Endicott Central School – Mathematics Teacher

Public Representative

Katie Kurjakovic

United Federation of Teachers

Public Representative Dwight Manning New York, NY

Public Representative

Pilar Sokol

NYS School Boards Association – Deputy General Counsel

Public Representative

Steve Gamache

Legislative Commission on Rural Resources in New York State

Student Representative

Elizabeth Brynes

Student- Siena College

Member Biographies

Patricia Bonfe
Membership Category: Teacher
H.W.Smith K-8
Syracuse, New York

Ms. Bonfe earned a Bachelor of Science from Buffalo State College in Design, and a Master of Science in Art Education K-12 certification. She has been employed by the Syracuse City School district since 1994. For the first six years, she worked exclusively in Pre-K through fifth grade teaching the visual arts. In 2000, she began working at the middle school level teaching Studio Arts and Visual Literacy. During that time, she also taught for Syracuse City School District Adult Education at the Justice Center on a part-time basis. She is currently teaching at H.W. Smith K-8 in Syracuse and is driven by her passion to use the arts to have students acquire the communication life skill of Hard Arguments/Soft Words in the form of critique. 

Ms. Bonfe has trained and served for many years in the Teacher Mentor Induction Program. She has served numerous years on School Leadership Teams, is a member of the Coordinating Committee of Professional Development for the district, and has been very active in the Syracuse City School District Fine Arts program, including curriculum development and student learner outcomes. She has collaborated with Syracuse University Visual Arts professors and her students to create a permanent ceramic installation at the Dr. Martin Luther King library. She was an Adjunct Professor at LeMoyne College Visual Arts department.

Ms. Bonfe is active in the Syracuse Teachers Association, serving as a building representative. She belongs to Tully Central School District Parent Teacher Association and is a member of the Everson Museum of Art. Outside of school, she volunteers in her community, is politically active in women's rights issues, and is renovating a 175 year old farmhouse with her husband. She is a world traveler and is happiest when spending time with her family, including her daughter, son and grandsons, dog, cats and chickens too

 

Kathleen Briggs
Membership Category: Teacher
Lake Placid Elementary School
Lake Placid, New York

Ms. Briggs earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Teaching Reading from SUNY Plattsburgh. She has been employed by the Lake Placid Central School district since 1989. For the first ten years, she worked at every level teaching general and vocal music. In 1999, she began working exclusively at the elementary level teaching general music to grades K-5 and instrumental music to grades 4 and 5. She directs both a band and a chorus and is co-editor of the yearbook. She has collaborated with colleagues who teach third and fifth grade to create an integrated curriculum including music, art, and social studies. She has been a mentor to new teachers and served on many different committees. 

Ms. Briggs is active in the Lake Placid Education Association, serving as a building representative and as co-president. She has represented Zone 6 (Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties) for the New York State School Music Association and has recently serves as the Secretary to the Beta Mu chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.

Outside of school, Ms. Briggs volunteers at events in the community and has served on the Board of Trustees to the EM Cooper Wilmington Library, holding offices of secretary, vice president, and president. She also directs a community hand bell choir. She is currently serving as secretary of the Board of Directors of the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.

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Elizabeth Byrnes

Membership Category: Student

Siena College

Loudonville, NY

Elizabeth Byrnes grew up in Wantagh, New York and attended Wantagh School District  from kindergarten through 12th grade. During her time in Wantagh, she participated in a variety of activities that enriched her educational experience. These included volunteering at Camp A.N.C.H.O.R. for children and adults with disabilities, serving as the President of the Key Club, and serving as the President of Wantagh's chapter of the National Honor Society.

Upon graduating with a Capstone Diploma in 2020, Ms. Byrnes went on to Siena College where she is double majoring in English Education and History and is a member of the Standish Honors Program. She has always known that she wanted to work in the field of education and has an interest in moving onto administration later in her career to create change from a policy standpoint. Ms. Byrnes also has a pointed interest in the field of special education due to her work with Camp A.N.C.H.O.R. She helped with the founding of the Education Club and serves as the Vice President at Siena and is an Orientation Leader, helping to mentor freshmen as they begin their college journeys. Ms. Byrnes is excited about all she will learn on her path to becoming an educator. 


Brooke Burnett
Membership Category: Teacher
Ithaca City School District
Ithaca, New York

Brooke Burnett is a 3rd grade teacher at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. She has been with this school district for 17 wonderful years, starting out as a 5th grade teacher, then 3rd grade, then as a teacher on special assignment. Her niche is 3rd grade and she is happy to be back in her favorite place. 

Ms. Burnett received her Liberal Arts degree from Corning Community College. She was a dual major at Elmira College for Childhood Education and Social Studies. She then earned her master’s degree at Elmira College in General Education.

Ms. Burnett has served as the Chair and Co-chair of the Ithaca Teachers Association Social Justice Committee for several years. She worked with students at Ithaca College to develop the Student to Student mentoring program. This program matched college students of color with elementary students at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. The elementary students and their siblings spent Saturdays learning and playing with college students. Many of the former elementary students still have relationships with their college student mentors, now as adults. She currently mentors future teachers of color at SUNY Cortland for the C.U.R.E. program. She also helps lead all the student teachers from SUNY Cortland placed at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. She often works with Southside Community Center and GIAC (local community centers) to help with literacy. 

When she is not working with students, Ms. Burnett is spending time with her goddaughter, reading, enjoying nature and any excuse to go get coffee or tea!


Heather Buskirk
Membership Category: Public
Citizen Math
Scotia, New York

Heather Buskirk is the Director of Professional Learning for Citizen Math and a National Board-certified teacher. In her work at Citizen Math, she develops and implements professional learning opportunities for math teachers looking to bring real world conversations into their math classrooms.

Ms. Buskirk spent over 12 years in the classroom as a high school physics teacher and instructional coach where she explored project-based learning first in her own classroom and then as a coach and facilitator for the professional learning of others. She was an integral part of designing and teaching at Hamilton Fulton Montgomery BOCES Pathways in Technology (HFM PTECH), a project-based and career focused, early college high school in Johnstown, New York.  She was also a NYS Master Teacher and served on their delegation to the TeachNY Advisory Council, the Common Core Task Force, and the State Education Department's National Board Certification Work Group. 

Ms. Buskirk became a Knowles Science Teaching Fellow in 2004. She continues to work with the Knowles Teacher Initiative as a Senior Fellow and a member of their Board of Trustees.  After earning her National Board Certification in 2010, she became a candidate support provider and served on the committee to revise the National Board's Standards for Accomplished Science Teaching. 

Throughout her work, Ms. Buskirk champions teachers as agents of educational improvement and providing access to high quality educational experiences for all students. She earned a B.A. in astronomy-physics and her M.A. in teaching with a physics certification from the University of Virginia.


 

Natasha Cooke-Nieves

Membership Category: Higher Education

American Museum of Natural History

New York, NY

 Dr. Natasha Cooke-Nieves is the Senior Specialist at the American Museum of Natural History’s Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program. As the first residency-based graduate program offered by a museum, Dr. Cooke-Nieves is a professor and clinical supervisor who teaches the Applied Learning in Informal Science Settings and Methods & Assessments in Student Science Research courses to pre-service teachers as well as advises and supervisors the MAT residents in their partner school placements.

Dr. Cooke-Nieves is a graduate of Columbia University, Teachers College (Ed.D), the College of St. Rose (SBL, SDL), CUNY: Brooklyn College (MSEd), and Vassar College (BA).  At the start of her educational career, she was a Science Coach and Teacher at PS/MS 282, implementing hands-on learning and launching a science fair and family night. Afterwards, she was a Science and Math Instructional Specialist for the Children First Network in NYC, providing professional development for schools by empowering instructors and administrators with effective tools to accelerate student achievement.  During this time, she also was an adjunct lecturer at Brooklyn College where she taught elementary science education, biology, and chemistry courses to pre-service teachers. 

Dr. Cooke-Nieves currently serves on the Science Content Advisory Panel (SCAP) at NYSED and in the past was an item writer for the elementary state science exam. She is an active member of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), serving on the Election Committee. 

In 2004, she earned National Board Certification and in 2010 was given the prestigious Milken Educator Award. As an educational researcher and teacher educator, Dr. Cooke-Nieves is committed to connecting cultural institutions to teaching and learning. She has presented at conferences and published her qualitative research related to culturally responsive and sustaining teacher preparation, pre-service observation tools, mentoring, and informal science institutions. And when not working at AMNH, she loves visiting other museums!

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Ricardo Colon
Membership Category: Teacher
New York City Department of Education
New York, New York

Ricardo Colon is a United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Teacher Center Instructional Coach for PS/IS 30 in New York City.  He attended Hamilton College and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  His formal journey into the profession of teaching started in 2007 when he was accepted into the NYC Teaching Fellows Program.  He received his master’s degree in childhood education that also led to a Bilingual Education extension from Brooklyn College.  

Mr. Colon’s first position was as a Dean of Students, but he found his niche teaching in a dual language 5th grade setting with students of varied instructional and linguistic needs. It was within this setting in which Mr. Colon and his students had the honor of being videotaped and highlighted on EngageNY, a New York State Education Department (NYSED) resource website used for professional development.   

In 2014, Mr. Colon served on the NYSED Commissioner’s Advisory Panel where he and other educators from New York State gathered to address concerns facing teachers in their respective cities and counties. This panel inspired him to pursue the avenue of teacher development and coaching.  In 2018, he joined the UFT Teacher Center, which is a comprehensive professional development program that promotes educator excellence and academic achievement for all students.  Through the UFT Teacher Center, he has had the honor of facilitating citywide professional development to teachers to hone their craft in Advanced Literacies and the four Hallmarks, while also having a school-based site to provide development to the teachers within the PS/IS 30 school building.  

Mr. Colon’s work today is driven by his passion to have students acquire the language necessary to be advocates of their own learning, communities, and self.  This desire creates his lens for professional development based on promoting language through culturally responsive teaching that is research based and focuses on both social-emotional needs and the biological science of brain development.

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Juanita Dyer
Membership Category: Teacher
Syracuse City School District
Syracuse, New York

Juanita Dyer has been teaching 25 years in the Syracuse City School District (SCSD).  She is an alumni of the District and graduated from Corcoran High School where she was involved with the Yearbook Committee and Student Government. After graduating from high school, she worked as a bank teller, telephone operator, and machinist at R.E. Dietz, before returning to school to become a teacher.

In 1990, Ms. Dyer attended Education Opportunity Center (EOC) and completed college preparatory courses. She received an Associates in Humanities from Onondaga Community College (OCC) in 1992. In 1994, she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.S. in Reading in 1996 from SUNY at Oswego.

Ms. Dyer has taught grades 2 through 5 at Bellevue Elementary from 1996 to 2005.  From 2005 until 2016, she taught ELA, math, social studies, AIS, AVID, and science. In 2016, she began teaching at Grant Middle School where she has taught 6th grade math and 7th grade science. In addition, she has been teaching summer school for the past 22 years. 

Currently, Ms. Dyer is teaching 6th grade science as a SyraFuse Fellow Cohort 3, Urban Educator Mentor. She is a STA building representative, 6th Grade Team Leader, AVID Site Team member, Science NYSSLS member, PAR Panel member, and a School Leadership Team member who hosts practicum and student teachers. She also is an after school coordinator and teacher.  She is a member of the SCSD Coordinating Committee of Professional Development (CCPD) that provides professional development to SCSD staff. Currently, she is enrolled in Engaged Classroom PD and Jim Knight’s Coaching Institute.

 


Denise Farrelly

Membership Category: Higher Education

Kingsborough Community College

Brooklyn, NY

Denise Farrelly, Ed.D., is the Education Program Director and an Assistant Professor of Education within the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Kingsborough Community College. She mentors preservice teachers in culturally and linguistically diverse public schools across Brooklyn, NY, focusing on reflective supervision as a professional development approach. Prior to her career in higher education, she was an elementary school teacher in New York City public schools. She holds a NYS permanent K-5 teacher certification with an extension in gifted education.

Her central research focus is the development, implementation, and measurement of classroom pedagogies that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for community college students. Her most recent peer-reviewed journal publication presents a 6-week learning module aimed at deepening students' understanding of cultural humility. Her secondary research focus is digital computing practices that promote social pedagogy and professional preparation for preservice teachers. Her recent publication provided a mixed-methods analysis of students’ perceptions of ePortfolio usage to deepen reflective practices and advance professional development.

 

Kathleen Ferguson

Membership Category: Teacher, co-chair PSPB

Instructional Coach

Schenectady, New York

Katie Ferguson is a National Board-Certified Early Childhood Generalist and an English Language Arts Instructional Support Coach at Paige School in Schenectady City School District. She grew up in Schenectady and proudly graduated from Mont Pleasant High School in 1992. Her college of choice was SUNY Oneonta, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Upon returning to Schenectady, Katie attended Sage Graduate School to achieve her Masters of Science in Education, became certified in Special Education, and began her career in teaching.

Katie has had a passion for teaching since she joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet School of Math, Science, Technology, and Invention as a first grade teacher in 1998. During this time Katie was recognized for her extensive work with videoconferencing through Project VIEW. In 2007, Katie became a part of the Jessie T. Zoller Elementary School community as a 2nd grade teacher where she was lucky enough to join the teachers in participating in a grant which enabled her to learn and grow as a literacy educator and to lead professional development in literacy. In May 2010, Katie was awarded Teacher of the Year by the Schenectady City School District, which led to her being selected as the 2012 New York State Teacher of the Year. In her role as New York State Teacher of the Year, Katie has had the opportunity to speak at colleges across the state as well as nationally, lead professional development at numerous conferences, and was fortunate to have several television appearances including Connect NY with Susan Arbetter and the WMHT American Graduate Project. She was also named an NEA Pearson Global Learning Fellow and received the California Casualty Award for Excellence. Recently, Katie was fortunate to participate in a talk with teachers from around the nation, hosted by Gerard Robinson called “The Culture of Educating Our Youngest Students”, and to post a blog titled “Live, Work, and Play with our Littlest to Build Community” on the CultureFeed website. She made the leap from second grade teacher to an ELA Instructional Support Coach in September, 2022.

As a teacher and instructional coach dedicated to advocating for other teachers and their students, Katie has also had the privilege of collaborating with teachers from around the state on both the New York State Teacher of the Year Council and (previously) on the Commissioner’s Advisory Council at the New York State Education Department. In her spare time, she likes to volunteer for Kitten Angels, read, paint, and spend time with her family.

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Steve Gamache

Membership Category: Public

Deputy Director of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources in the New York Senate

Albany, New York

Steve Gamache grew up in the Capital Region and is a product of New York schools. Attending Fordham University, he studied English and continued to the College of Saint Rose, where he earned a master’s degree in adolescent education. In 2010, he moved to New Orleans to begin his teaching career, where he taught high school and middle school ELA for eight years. He also taught for an additional two years in a Boston middle school.

In New Orleans, Gamache worked in two turnaround schools, both of which advanced from an F to a C on Louisiana’s state report card in just two academic years. At the second turnaround school, he was a member of the school’s leadership team where he helped make decisions about school culture and academic programming, conducted school walkthroughs and observations, led academic coaching and professional development sessions, and helped foster the use of data in the school’s teaching practices. As a result of his own students’ academic growth and his work in developing other teachers, the Louisiana Department of Education awarded him the Milken Educator Award in 2019.

In 2020, he moved back to the Albany area with his wife, Diana, teaching middle school ELA for two years in his hometown of Troy. In 2022, after twelve years in the classroom, Gamache switched careers to his current role as deputy director of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources in the New York Senate. In this position, he works with individuals and groups from New York’s rural communities across a host of issues that include housing, education, and environmental causes.


Virginia Goatley

Membership Category: Higher Education, co-chair PSPB

Professor, Department of Literacy Teaching and Learning

University at Albany

Albany, New York

Dr. Virginia Goatley is the Interim Dean of the School of Education and a Professor in the Department of Literacy Teaching and Learning at the University at Albany-SUNY.  With a goal to prevent reading and writing difficulties for children, her recent research focused on teacher preparation and professional development that supports effective classroom practice, including the accreditation and assessment of teacher preparation. In collaboration with colleagues at the Child Research and Study Center, she was co-investigator for two recent federally funded grants through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), focused on the early literacy coursework in teacher preparation programs.  From 2011-15, she was a co-investigator on a graduate level clinically rich teacher preparation grant funded by the New York State Education Department.  In her role as a member of the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Research Panel, she participated in efforts to use research as a framework for improving classroom practice and the policies that influence it.

Dr. Goatley is currently a Board member (Treasurer) of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a Board member of the Literacy Research Association, and current Board member of the New York State Association of Teacher Education. She was a committee member for the International Literacy Association’s Standards for Specialized Literacy Professionals (2017) and chair of the Standard #3 Assessment and Evaluation sub-committee.  She recently completed a term as the co-editor of the Journal of Literacy Research, a publication of the Literacy Research Association.  Her publications have appeared in several journals including the Journal of Educational Research, Language Arts, Language and Literacy Spectrum, Reading Research Quarterly, Reading and Writing Quarterly, and The Reading Teacher. She is a co-author of The Literacy Specialist: Leadership and Coaching for the Classroom, School, and Community (Guilford Press, 2020)

After teaching first grade and preschool, she received her M.S. in Reading Instruction and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology/Literacy from Michigan State University.  A faculty member at the University at Albany since 1995, Dr. Goatley also served as the Associate Dean for Professional Studies (2003-08) and Vice Dean (2008) in the University at Albany School of Education.  In 2011-12, she was the Director of Research for the International Reading Association.

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Julie Gorlewski
Membership Category: Higher Education
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Teacher Education
University of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

Julie Gorlewski is professor in the department of Learning and Instruction, and the senior associate dean for teacher education and academic affairs in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. In this role, she oversees elementary and secondary teacher certification programs as well as a range of master’s and doctoral programs, coordinates accreditation initiatives, conducts research, and fosters collaborative partnerships with schools in order to enhance school experiences for P-12 learners.  Her graduate studies were completed at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, where she earned a Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education and an Ed.M. in Elementary Education. She completed her B.S. in Secondary English Education at Buffalo State College. Dr. Gorlewski is a scholar educator with New York State Permanent Certification in Secondary English Education and Elementary/Early Childhood Education.

Her teaching experiences span Pre-K through graduate school, and include interdisciplinary initiatives such as literacy, instructional technology, and STEM education. In higher education, she has served as an assistant professor and program director, as well as an edTPA liaison. In P-12 schools, she taught secondary English for more than a decade at a school where she established the English as a Second Language program, served as chair of P-12 English language arts, was Coordinator of Instructional Technology, and served as founding director of a high school learning center. Over the course of her career, Dr. Gorlewski has cultivated a wealth of knowledge about teacher education and development and has led numerous research initiatives related to teacher development, curriculum and assessment, and student learning.

As an educational researcher and teacher educator, Dr. Gorlewski is committed to connecting theory and practice to prepare teachers to engage in critical pedagogies that are culturally sustaining. She has published 11 books related to instructional practice, teacher education, and educational policy; two of these texts were selected for Critics Choice Awards by the American Educational Studies Association. She has authored over 20 peer reviewed manuscripts and 14 book chapters and delivered over 35 invited talks and made over 45 peer-reviewed presentations at national and international conferences. From 2013-2018, Dr. Gorlewski served as editor of English Journal, the flagship publication of the National Council of Teachers of English. She has also served as co-director of the Equity and Social Justice Conference Series (2007-2016) as well as the regional Conference on College Composition & Communication, held in Richmond, VA in 2017. 

Numerous groups and organizations have cited Dr. Gorlewski for her contributions to education. She was selected as a fellow for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Social Context in Education group, and from 2016-19 served as a section co-chair of AERA’s Curriculum Studies Division. She received the People Make a Difference award from the Cheektowaga Action Partnership, the Provost Award from the State University of New York at New Paltz, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the English Education Department at Buffalo State College.

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Amy Hysick
Membership Category: Public
New York State PTA
Albany, New York

A lifelong resident of the central NY area, Amy Hysick is certified in both biology and chemistry and proudly teaches science at her alma mater, Cicero-North Syracuse High School in the North Syracuse Central School District. She attended Binghamton University to earn both her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching. 

While searching for a teaching position, Ms. Hysick worked in an environmental chemistry and microbiology laboratory. She performed chemical analyses on water, soil, and air samples; analyzed municipal drinking water; performed mold investigations and created mold remediation plans; and implemented a protocol for Anthrax detection. Though she loved her role as the technical director of the microbiology laboratory, she still longed for the classroom.  

Ms. Hysick’s teaching adventures began in the fall of 2004, where she embraced the role of lead learner in her classroom. She reads books about pedagogy constantly, goes to professional development sessions often, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Learning, Instruction, and Innovation through Walden University. In her classroom, growth mindset and mastery learning are the priority, and mistakes are opportunities to learn. 

Ms. Hysick has been honored as the 2015 North Syracuse District Teacher of the Year, the 2017 NY State Teacher of the Year, 2018 California Casualty Teacher of Excellence, and 2019 PAEMST NY State Finalist. She has served on the NYS PTA’s Board of Directors for three years as the Education Coordinator, now serves as the Wellness Coordinator, and will continue to be a strong advocate for all of NY’s children.

 

 

Glenn Jeffers
Membership Category: Public
New York State United Teachers
Albany, New York

Glenn Jeffers currently works for New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) as an Assistant in the Research & Educational Services (R&ES) department. He works on a wide range of federal and state educational policy issues with expertise in NYS certification requirements, teacher preparation, and professional learning for P-12 educators.  

In his position at NYSUT, Mr. Jeffers regularly provides input to New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of Higher Education on certification policies and practices, as well as serving as a point of contact at NYSUT for both the statewide network of teacher centers and the NYS teacher of the year program. He is a parent representative on the policy board of the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center and a board member for State University of Albany at Albany’s Academy for the Advancement of Teaching, Leadership, and Schools. 

Prior to joining NYSUT, Mr. Jeffers worked at NYSED in the Office of College and University Evaluation as a member of the Teacher Education team. He gained extensive experience in NYSED’s approval processes for teacher and leader preparation programs, as well as serving on accreditation teams for numerous national accreditors: Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE), Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). 

Mr. Jeffers began his career at the College of Saint Rose working as an Assistant Registrar and subsequently in various administrative positions for the college’s Education Department. He was also an adjunct for the Educational Psychology and Political Science departments


Katie Kurjakovic
Membership Category: Public
United Federation of Teachers
New York, New York

Katie Kurjakovic serves as the English Language Learner Specialist and Assistant to the Vice President for Education for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). She works with New York City PreK-12 educators around topics of curriculum, instruction, and professional learning.  She  facilitates a UFT focus group of New York City teachers that meets monthly to address issues that concern English Language Learners (ELLs) and their educators.  

Ms. Kurjakovic also serves as chair of the Committee on English Language Learners for New York State United Teachers (NYSUT).  Katie has participated in several New York State Education Department (NYSED) initiatives, including the Next Generation Learning Standards (NGLS) Review Committee for Early Childhood and the New York State Board of Regents Early Childhood Workgroup’s Blue Ribbon Committee Focus Group on Strengthening Early Childhood Teachers and Leaders.  As a member of NYSED’s Professional Learning Team, she provided recommendations for the NGLS rollout and revisions to New York State’s professional learning regulations. 

Prior to joining the UFT in 2017, Ms. Kurjakovic taught English as a new language for 25 years at P.S. 11, a linguistically rich K-6 school in Woodside, Queens. She provided stand-alone as well integrated instruction for multilingual learners, including students with disabilities.  She has provided professional learning at the school level as well as presenting at city, state and national conferences. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and holds an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Hunter College.

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Edwin Lamboy
Membership Category: Higher Education
Interim Dean: The City College of New York School of Education
New York, New York

Dr. Edwin M. Lamboy received his B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, his M.S.Ed. from Lehman College (CUNY), and his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. He has been at The City College of New York (CCNY) since 2008, where he has served as Secondary Spanish Education Program Director, Secondary Education Department Chair, and School of Education Interim Associate Dean. Currently, he serves as School of Education Interim Dean. Previously, he taught at Montclair State University, where he directed the Spanish Basic Language Program for seven years, and at the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Lamboy’s publications include four books: Caribbean Spanish in the Metropolis: A Study of the Spanish Language among Cubans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans in the New York City Area (2004); Temas (2006), a textbook used to teach elementary Spanish; Spanish in Bilingual and Multilingual Settings around the World (2012); and Spanish across Domains in the United States: Education, Public Space, and Social Media (2020). Additionally, he has published several articles on Spanish in the United States, the teaching of Spanish to heritage learners, and Puerto Rican identity. As Director of the CCNY Secondary Spanish Education Program, he advises undergraduate and graduate candidates pursuing grades 7-12 Spanish Initial certification. Also, he was responsible for developing and registering the graduate program, which attracts candidates of many different academic backgrounds. His teaching experience includes Methods of Teaching Spanish in Secondary Schools, Teaching Writing and Reading in Spanish, Spanish Grammar and Its Pedagogy, Curriculum Design in Secondary Spanish, Teaching Heritage Learners of Spanish, and several Spanish linguistics courses.

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Katie Lobato

Membership Category: Teacher

Plattekill Elementary School

Plattekill, New York

With a B.A. in Inclusion Elementary and Special Education from Niagara University in 2001, Katie Lobato began her career as a middle school teacher of Spanish as a foreign language in Hyde Park. In 2007 with her M.S. in Education from SUNY New Paltz, Ms. Lobato switched to the field of TESOL and currently teaches English as a New Language in the Wallkill Central School District.  Ms. Lobato has over 20 years of classroom experience with a focus on collaborative co-teaching in grades K-8.  As a Mentor Teacher, Ms. Lobato has led professional development opportunities, designed ENL curriculum, and continues to help coordinate district wide ENL parent and family events. She has also served as a cooperating teacher for future TESOL educators.

As a member of the Ulster BOCES Title III Consortium team, Ms. Lobato has been a presenter for designing successful Student Learning Academies. She has developed curriculum and project- based learning experiences to help meet the needs of English Language Learners at both the elementary and secondary levels.  Ms. Lobato serves on a variety of school and district committees and is an advocate for bringing the spotlight to culturally and linguistically relevant teaching practices district wide.  Ms. Lobato has been an active member of the NYSUT Subject Area Committee for English language Learners since 2014.

With a passion for volunteer service, Ms. Lobato serves as a liaison for Spanish speaking families in the community. She dedicates countless hours teaching families how to gain access to programs and resources. As a dedicated advocate for all students, her goal is to continue to improve resources and enhance understanding of our diverse learning community.

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Wen Ma
Membership Category: Higher Education
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, New York

Wen Ma received his Ph.D. in English Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and he is currently Department Chair and Professor of Education at Le Moyne College. In this role, Dr. Ma directs the inclusive childhood, inclusive adolescent, and TESOL education programs both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. For the past 18 years, he has not only taught a dozen education courses required for state certifications, but also taken student-centered approach to heart by mentoring his students to publish scholarly works, present at national conferences, or lead school Professional Development projects. Through participating in Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) accreditation processes, he also became knowledgeable in meeting accreditation standards, building quality data system, as well as following clinically rich practices. Invested in the field of education, he has served multiple leadership roles, including President of Chinese American Educational Research, Sectional Co-chair for the National Reading Conference, and Co-Editor of the Literacy, Language and Learning book series.

Dr. Ma’s research interests span reading and writing across the curriculum, culturally responsive pedagogy, and holistic teacher education. In the past two decades, he has produced more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and made numerous international and national presentations. A persistent theme in his scholarship is literacy and content literacy learning by English language learners across grade levels, subject areas, and sociocultural and linguistic boundaries. His publications appeared in journals such as Journal of Research in Education, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Journal of Literacy Research. In addition, he published six edited volumes on global perspectives on teacher education, for which he collaborated with and supported over 100 rising scholars from around the world. Now he is working as PI of an interdisciplinary NSF grant to train secondary STEM teachers for New York State.

Dr. Ma is passionate about training a new generation of teachers needed to teach and inspire our nation’s diverse learners, while committed to creating sustainable EPP-District collaborative partnerships in the post-pandemic educational landscape. His cross-cultural educational, linguistic, and professional backgrounds have enabled him to attain, teach and apply educational theories and practices from an international perspective, which in turn add to his skill set as an unconventional thinker and educator.

 


Angelina Maloney
Membership Category: Administrator
Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
Troy, New York

Dr. Angelina Maloney is a superintendent in the Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District in Rensselaer County, New York.  She has been in the field of education for over 20 years, starting as a chemistry and physics teacher as well as teaching middle school science and University in the High School classes.

Dr. Maloney received her Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She earned her Doctor of Education Leadership degree from Sage College, and Advanced Study of Educational Administration from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She received her M.S. in Curriculum Design and Instructional Technology from University at Albany and her B.A. in Chemistry Education from The College of St. Rose.

Dr. Maloney is on the Council of Delegates for The New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) and an Executive Board Member for Member of Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA).  Additionally, she is on the President of The College of St. Rose Alumni Association. She is also active with the Sage College, serving students and supporting the Doctor of Education Leadership program as an executive coach and adjunct professor.

When she is not working with students, Dr. Maloney enjoys spending time with her family in their home in Speigletown, NY.  She is also an active New York State EMT who volunteers with her local fire department and serves on the Board of Commissioners.  

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Dwight Manning

Membership Category: Public

New York, New York

Dr. Dwight C. Manning, a first-generation college graduate, has over twenty years of experience as a teacher, teacher educator, and administrator. He holds Lifetime Teacher Certification from the Texas Education Agency and taught middle school band in the Garland Independent School District. While still in graduate school, he was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia and rose to the rank of tenured Associate Professor and Graduate Faculty. In 2008, he won a competitive Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. In 2010, he relocated to New York City to accept a position as Senior Lecturer and Music Education Program Director in the Arts and Humanities Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. He was appointed to the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching in 2016.

Dr. Manning served as Associate Director for Assessment, Outreach and Programming Support, in the Office of Teacher Education at Teachers College, where he supported teacher candidate preparation of certification assessments; served as liaison between internal offices and state and local education agencies; managed international programs; and engaged in research presentations disseminating institutional findings in wider educational contexts.

Dr. Manning earned a bachelor’s degree in education (cum laude) at the University of Texas at El Paso; master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma; and his doctorate degree at the University of North Texas. His research, peer-reviewed articles, and critical editions appear in four languages in professional journals and in library holdings worldwide. He has served on conference selection committees and presented at professional conferences of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), American Educational Research Association (AERA), European Educational Research Association (EERA), and New York State Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and New York State Association of Teacher Educators (NYACTE-NYSATE).

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Derek Pope

Membership Category: Teacher

Commack High School

Commack, New York

Derek Pope is a teacher at Commack High school, where he has taught multiple levels of mathematics, including International Baccalaureate courses, for the past twelve years. For the past three years he has also worked as an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University, where he teaches courses in methods for teaching mathematics to undergraduate and graduate students. Besides working with pre-service teachers in this capacity, he has hosted student teachers and observers, and worked as a mentor.

Mr. Pope is a National Board Certified Teacher as well as a NYS Master Teacher. In the beginning of his career he was a Teaching Fellow for the Knowles Teaching Initiative and continues to work with them as a Senior Fellow. As a classroom teacher, Mr. Pope is passionate about using various tools to teach his students to understand mathematics conceptually. He recently published an article in NCTM’s Mathematics Teacher journal highlighting one example of how technology can be used to help students understand mathematics more deeply. Beyond the classroom, Mr. Pope has led professional development experiences in his district, notably using the method of “lesson study” as a tool for professional growth. Mr. Pope holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Seton Hall University and an M.A.T. in Mathematics from Stony Brook University.

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James Skoog

Membership Category: Administrator

Chappaqua Central Schools

Chappaqua, NY

 Jim earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Master of Science in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Administration from SUNY at New Paltz.  To begin his career, he taught in Newburgh City Schools for nine years, teaching second grade, third grade, and instructional technology.  During that time, Jim also worked as a math consultant for a publisher that created elementary math curriculum and materials.

 Mr. Skoog transitioned to school administration after taking a job as a middle school assistant principal at Highland Middle School in Highland, N.Y.  In that role, he served on the county-wide school improvement council and on the instructional council for the district.  After one year, he left Highland Schools to take a job as an elementary school assistant principal in the Chappaqua Central School district in Westchester County.  Five years later, Jim became the principal of Westorchard Elementary School in the district, where he has been for the last 16 years.

 He is currently the president of the Chappaqua Administrators Association and has also served as a fellow for the Educational Policy Fellowship Program in Washington, DC.


Pilar Sokol
Membership Category: Public
Deputy General Counsel
New York State School Boards Association
Albany, New York

Pilar Sokol, Esq. is deputy general counsel to the New York State School Boards Association.  She holds a B.A. in history from the College of the Sacred Heart in Santurce, Puerto Rico and a J.D. from Albany Law School, in Albany, New York where she was a member of the Albany Law Review.  First joining the Association in 1989, she returned following a two-year absence to work in private practice representing school districts.  Prior to joining the Association, Ms. Sokol clerked for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department.  Before attending law school, she worked on Wall Street, primarily in the area of investor relations.

Ms. Sokol is the editor of the Association’s School Law publication, and a frequent lecturer for the Association and other organizations on legal issues related to public education. She also writes for the Association publications on targeted topics, such as “ESSA in New York: A Guide for the Implementation of the School Accountability Provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act” and “COVID-19 and Public Education in New York: Some Frequently Asked Questions”.

In addition, she has been a member of the New York State Education Department’s Title I committee of practitioners for over 15 years.  Ms. Sokol is a current member of the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching. Throughout the years she also has served on many other Department workgroups, such as the ESSA Think Tank, the APPR Task Force, and the Race to the Top Sustainability workgroup, among others.  Ms. Sokol is a member of the Council of School Attorneys of the National School Boards Association where she serves as an officer of the Council’s board of directors and as a member of the Council’s Special Education Task Force.  She is also a member of the board of directors of the New York State Association of School Attorneys.

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Elizabeth Waite
Membership Category: Teacher; co-chair Higher Education subcommittee
Mathematics Teacher
Union-Endicott Central School District
Endicott, New York

Ms. Waite has been a mathematics teacher in New York State since 1990.  Her current position is a teacher of AP Calculus and Geometry at Union-Endicott High School. Prior to teaching at Union-Endicott, she was a mathematics teacher at Binghamton High School and East Middle School in Binghamton, New York. She also spent three semesters as an adjunct professor of mathematics at SUNY Broome.

Ms. Waite has experience teaching all levels and types of mathematics, ranging from 7th grade math to AP Calculus. She has taught math to students in co-taught classrooms, classrooms consisting entirely of English language learners, classrooms with adult learners, and classrooms filled with students on an accelerated math pathway. Throughout these diverse experiences, she has had the opportunity to teach using traditional schedules, semester block schedules, and double period lab-based schedules.

Over the years, Ms. Waite has been an active leader in mathematics education, volunteering in numerous positions for the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State (AMTNYS). She has served on the AMTNYS Executive Board many times, and since 1997 her service to AMTNYS has included a multitude of capacities, such as presenting workshops to other teachers, coordinating the Annual Fall Conference in 2012, and serving as President for the 2015-2016 academic year.

In addition to volunteering in the state level professional organization for mathematics teachers, in the past she has worked with the New York State Education Department on various projects including being a member of the Math Content Advisory Panel for the Common Core, reviewing Algebra 1 modules, working on the Integrated Algebra Format Committee, and being involved in the review process for several Regents exams.  She is the teacher presenter on a video curriculum module for College Board AP Calculus and is the co-author of a Barron’s Geometry book.  Ms. Waite is a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma society promoting leadership of women in education and is a recipient of the Yale Outstanding Educator Award. She is a current member of the New York State Standards and Practices Board for Teaching.

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Cindy Walter
Membership Category: Administrator
Assistant Superintendent for Instructional and Career Education TST BOCES
Ithaca, New York

As the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional and Career Education at TST BOCES in Ithaca, New York, Ms. Walter oversees the career and technical education of 8 school districts across the region, the PTECH high school, and Adult Education, the regional professional development team, and other shared services. She is passionate about helping all individuals use their intelligence to find their purpose and contribution to society and the workplace. She believes we all have a genius within us and sometimes we need a little help finding it!

Ms. Walter believes in the importance of teachers understanding the science behind teaching and being monitored on how to be impactful for students as a whole.  She is a mother of 4 children with all different intelligences and a wife to a husband who is in the trades. Through her experience as a mother, wife, teacher, special education coach (bringing best practices to all students), literacy coach, regional staff developer, elementary principal, director of trades programs, executive director of all career programs (including PTECH and adult education) and now a leader of leaders and program developer, she has developed a deep understanding of the impact of teaching and learning.

It is vital to reach all students and staff to tap into their given intelligence. Intelligence should not be defined one way! If she could have an impact on one thing over the course of her career, it would be to impact teaching and learning for ALL students (and growth for all staff) to help them find the career and skills sets they were meant to utilize. This impact starts with engaging students in the essential elements of instruction to spark their interest in learning. Ms. Walter is a continuous learner, a coach and a mentor to help others become the best they can be.


Keith Wiley

Membership Category: Teacher Buffalo Public Schools
Mathematics Teacher

Houghton Academy
Buffalo, New York

Keith Wiley has taught 7th and 8th grade Mathematics at Houghton Academy for 16 years. Prior to that he was in venture capital and investment banking. In response to growing concern with helping Buffalo’s inner-city students pass the New York State Math A Regents exam, Mr. Wiley began tutoring high school students in preparation for the exam. His 100% success rate was noticed by parents, students and members of the Buffalo Board of Education. Mr. Wiley has experience teaching all levels of Mathematics from 7th grade to college Calculus. He has taught in co-teaching environments, 8th grade advanced algebra classes, single gender classes and semester block schedules.

In 2013, Mr. Wiley led Houghton Academy students, with an 85% poverty rate, in the Buffalo City School Middle School Math League competition and toppled one of the top ranked schools in the nation, City Honors. This tremendous accomplishment was recognized and featured on the front page of the Buffalo News Sunday September 22, 2013 edition entitled. “An Underdog Story of Academic Glory.” Four years later, on May 19, 2017, Houghton Academy won the League Championship again. Over the past seven years, Mr. Wiley has served as an Adjunct Professor at Medaille College, teaching Math Methods for undergraduate and graduate teaching candidates. He has won numerous awards including the Buffalo News 2014 Outstanding Citizen Award.

Mr. Wiley has a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Canisius College, a M.B.A. in Finance from Canisius College; and a Secondary Math certificate from Canisius College.

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Patrick Wong
Membership Category: Teacher
International High School at LaGuardia Community College
New York, New York

Mr. Wong received his B.S. and M.A.T. in Mathematics from Stony Brook University and is dually certified in Mathematics and Special Education. He has been a mathematics teacher at the International High School at LaGuardia Community College for the past thirteen years. He was the Course Coordinator Assistant who supervised teaching assistants and helped improve the quality of the remedial program in the Math Department. 

Prior to becoming a high school teacher, Mr. Wong had taught introductory level math courses at Stony Brook University, including Elements of Problem Solving and Calculus courses to high school students and incoming freshman. He also worked closely with the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program.

Mr. Wong is passionate about helping students who come from diverse backgrounds. At his current school, where all students are English language learners, he has held different leadership positions such as Coordinator of Student Activities, Junior Portfolio Coordinator, and Personnel Committee Chair. As a veteran math teacher in the school, he also shares his expertise and best practices with his colleagues and new teachers.  He also has provided professional development workshops to faculty members. Mr. Wong is currently a Master Teacher in the Math for America fellowship. 

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Coretta Wright
Membership Category: Administrator
Schools Without Walls
Rochester, New York

Coretta Wright is the Principal of School Without Walls (SWW) High School in Rochester, NY. In its 50-year existence, Coretta is only the fourth Principal the school has ever had. In her 25 years of service as a teacher and administrator at both the middle and high school levels, she has served on numerous boards and committees including the Careers in Administration and Supervision Panel, which oversees mentors and professional development for new administrators. For the past three years, she has also served on the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) Governmental Relations Committee helping to influence politicians on educational matters.

Ms. Wright holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Hampton University. After working in the business field for a short period, she realized that her heart was not in it, so she made the decision to return to school and become a teacher. She received her Masters in Education from SUNY Brockport in 1999 and a Masters in Educational Administration in 2002.

In the company of very few, Ms. Wright has had the unique experience of working in both traditional and non-traditional schools where beliefs about best instructional practices and student assessment vary greatly. SWW has a philosophy that de-emphasizes the use of high stakes standardized testing. Having spent many years in traditional schools where Regents exams and other high stakes exams are used as measurements of student learning and graduation readiness, Ms. Wright has the knowledge and perspective to be able to discuss best practices and teacher training from multiple lenses. She regularly facilitates professional development for her staff assisting them in improving their practice

Schedule and Meeting Rooms
Professional Standards & Practices Board for Teaching 2023-2024
Date Meeting Room Breakout Room

 September 21, 2023

Virtual Meeting

 

October 5-6, 2023

EB 5 A/B

EB 311

December 14, 2023

Virtual Meeting

 

February 15, 2024

Virtual Meeting

 

March 14, 2024

Virtual Meeting

 

April 18, 2024

Virtual Meeting

 

May 20-21, 2024

EB 217

EB 150