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Advisory Workgroups

PLAN Pilot Advisory Input Process

NYSED has convened an assembly of experts reflective of the diversity of New York State’s school community, to advise program staff on the design and implementation of the pilot.  

Charge and Role

Members of PLAN Pilot Advisory Workgroups are being selected from a diverse pool of Advisors with expertise and experience relevant to the key elements of the pilot program.   

The Advisory Workgroups are charged with collaborating to make recommendations on various aspects of pilot design and implementation, including but not limited to school readiness and onboarding processes, pilot network design, and creating professional learning experiences.  Read the full charge here.  Workgroups are being convened as needed to delve into particular issues related to the pilot’s design and implementation.   

Throughout the process, information will be exchanged with experts from model network organizations and a panel of New York State education stakeholder organizations.  

Active Workgroups

  • Assessment Technical Advisory: Members of this workgroup are charged with providing project staff with expert advice on matters related to assessment development, administration, and use, such as task models, scoring/evaluation rubrics, moderation studies, and issues of inter-rater reliability and validity. 
  • Pilot Networks: Members of this workgroup are charged with providing project staff with advice on the matching process for pilot schools and mentor schools to be formed into networks across the state, and how to implement PLAN's vision for a network approach to supporting schools and educators in adopting, adapting, and implementing approaches to PBLA.
  • Professional Learning: Members of this workgroup are charged with providing project staff with advice on professional learning experiences and activities that should be developed for educators in interested schools as they begin exploring PBLA, including advice on the formation and launch of communities of practice (CoPs) and professional learning communities (PLCs) around PBLA, strategies for supporting assessment literacy throughout school communities, and the coordination plans for contracted professional learning providers to operate PLAN technical assistance centers (TACs).
  • Research: Members of this workgroup are charged with providing project staff with advice on continuous program improvement and pilot implementation, based on the Year 1 evaluation; quantitative and qualitative data collection needs and research questions for the ongoing evaluation and future studies relate to the PLAN Program; design and implementation of research methods and processes in the New York education context; and curating the research section of the PLAN website.

Future workgroups will be formed as needed, including a Student Focus Group.  

Completed Workgroups

  • School Readiness (2022-23): Members of this workgroup were charged with providing project staff with advice on what makes a school "ready" to undertake the transformational change to PBLA, to help inform the PLAN Pilot application and selection criteria.

Last updated 11/2023

PLAN Pilot Advisors

..................Name.................... Title Affiliation

...........Term.............

Heather Adams Assistant in Research & Educational Services New York State United Teachers 2022 - Present
Katrina Allen-White Principal Syracuse City School District 2022 - Present
Richard Altabe Principal Hebrew Academy of Long Beach 2022 - Present
Jo Anne Antonacci District Superintendent Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES 2022 - 2024
Kathryn Bailey Assistant Director, Professional Learning & Innovation Center (PLIC) Broome-Tioga BOCES 2022 - Present
Roseann Bayne Assistant Superintendent CiTi BOCES 2022 - 2023
Danielle Bouton-Wales Director of K-12 STEM and Secondary Instruction Saratoga Springs Central School District 2022 - Present
Shannon Budin Professor / Assistant Dean for Assessment & Accreditation, Teacher Education Unit Buffalo State College 2022 - 2024
Tara Caraco Administrative Coordinator of Instructional Services Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES 2022 - Present
Alan Cheng Superintendent New York City Department of Education 2022 - Present
Veronica Coleman Principal A School Without Walls 2022 - Present
Alexandria Connally Director of Equity, Inclusion & Innovation Nyack Public Schools 2022 - Present
Jill Cook Literacy Specialist Office of Special Education Educational Partnership, Mid-Hudson Regional Partnership Center 2022 - Present
Stephen Cudzillo International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program Coordinator Hilton Central School District 2022 - Present
Jennifer Dardzinski Department Chair of Liberal Arts & Sciences / Assistant Dean of Instruction Five Towns College 2022 - Present
Monique Darrisaw-Akil Superintendent Uniondale Union Free School District 2022 - Present
Marnie DeJohn International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator / Science Department Chair Queensbury High School 2022 - Present
Ronli Diakow Director of Data Analytics, Research & Innovation, Office of Assessment New York City Department of Education 2022 - Present
Amy DiMeola Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Sayville Union Free School District 2022 - Present
Tracey Edwards Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator Western Suffolk BOCES 2022 - Present
Emmanuel Esperance, Jr. Director of Recruitment and Admissions College of Staten Island of the City University of New York 2023 - Present
Howard T. Everson Professor City University of New York Graduate Center 2022 - Present
Kim Fontana Superintendent Pawling Central School District 2022 - Present
Nicia Fullwood Head of School Brooklyn Emerging Leaders Academy Charter School 2022 - 2024
Liana Gertzer Science Teacher Clarkstown High School North 2022 - 2024
Jonah Martinez Goldstein Research Associate Brown University 2022 - Present
Simone Gonyea Principal Onondaga Nation School Leadership - Haudenosaunee Educators/Education 2022 - Present
Matthew Gonzalez Executive Director of Inquiry, Social Studies & Sciences Yonkers Central School District 2022 - Present
Julie Gorlewski Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Teacher Education University at Buffalo, The State University of New York 2022 - Present
Amy Gotham Special Education Teacher Lake Placid Middle High School 2022 - Present
Crystal Griffith Director of Workforce Development The Business Council of NYS 2022 - Present
Gail Grigg Special Education Coordinator Rochester Academy Charter School 2022 - Present
Martha Group Superintendent Vernon Verona Sherrill Central School District (Sherrill City School District) 2022 - Present
Tracy Gyoerkoe Western NY Field Associate NYS Career & Technical Education Technical Assistance Center 2022 - 2024
Stanley Harper Superintendent Salmon River Central School District 2022 - Present
Susan Hart Principal LaFayette Central Schools 2022 - Present
Jennifer Hayden Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Waterloo Central School District 2022 - 2024
Sonia Hood Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Elwood Union Free School District 2022 - Present
David Jacob Regional Science Education Coordinator Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES 2022 - Present
Brittany Jensen Transition Specialist Office of Special Education Educational Partnership, Mid-West Regional Partnership Center 2022 - Present
Katie Jones Director of School Improvement Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES 2022 - Present
Laura Kelley Chief Academic Officer Syracuse City School District 2022 - Present
Lisa Kissinger Academic Administrator, Social Studies Shenendehowa Central School District 2022 - Present
Leah Lembo Education Policy Analyst New York State United Teachers 2022 - Present
Jacqueline Levine Director of Curriculum & Instruction Putnam Valley Central School District 2022 - Present
Roma Liani Director of STEM, Science Department Chair & Physics Teacher Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science 2022 - Present
Carrie Lipenholtz Principal Commack High School 2022 - Present
Joe Luft Chief of Educator Development New York City Department of Education 2022 - Present
Stephen Marositz Associate Superintendent for Teaching & Learning Archdiocese of New York 2022 - 2023
Laurie Midgette Founding Principal-CEO Cultural Arts Academy Charter School 2022 - Present
Claire Miller Vice President of Education Policy & Chief of Staff Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities (CICU) 2024 - Present
Diane Nickerson School Founder & Director Castle Island Montessori 2023 - Present
Alan Oliver Principal Massena Central School District 2022 - Present
Vincent M. Papandrea Director, Office of Admissions John Jay College of Criminal Justice 2023 - Present
Jerry J. Parisi Director of Special Education Salamanca Central School District 2022 - Present
Amy Perepletchikov Director of Design & Content, Office of Assessment New York City Department of Education 2022 - 2024
Linda Perry Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Corning Painted Post Area School District 2022 - Present
Patricia Ramos Director of Admissions & Recruitment City University of New York, Queensborough Community College 2022 - Present
Sharon Rencher Senior Executive Director, State/Federal Education Policy & Planning New York City Department of Education 2022 - Present
Ed Rinaldo Staff Development Director Madison-Oneida BOCES 2022 - 2024
Saida Rodriguez-Tabone Executive Director of Operations for CSA Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) - NYC 2022 - Present
Paul Romanelli Superintendent West Islip Public Schools 2022 - 2024
Sara Said Social Studies Teacher Claremont International High School 2022 - Present
Ray Sanchez Superintendent Public Schools of the Tarrytowns 2022 - Present
Jonah Schenker District Superintendent Ulster BOCES 2022 - Present
Keith Schenker Principal Mt. Pleasant Central Schools 2022 - 2024
Maria Sommer Assistant Superintendent Sullivan BOCES 2022 - 2024
Chris Sperry Director of Curriculum & Staff Development, Project Look Sharp Ithaca College 2022 - 2024
Lisamarie Spindler Superintendent Florida Union Free School District 2022 - Present
Greg Traugh Automotive Instructor Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES, Otsego Area Occupational Center 2022 - Present
Craig Tucker CTE Instructor Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES, Northern Catskills Occupational Center 2022 - 2024
Sarah Vakkas Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Greater Southern Tier BOCES 2022 - 2024
Ron Woo Executive Director NYS Statewide Language Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network 2022 - Present
Jennifer Wu-Pope World Language Teacher Half Hollow Hills School District 2022 - Present
Jessica Yawney-Kohler Director of Guidance Connetquot Central School District 2022 - Present
Martha Young K-12 Instructional Coach Newburgh Enlarged City School District 2022 - Present