Authors & Presenters

Kaylie Bufano is the instructional coach at Hiawatha Elementary School in Essex Junction, Vermont. Prior to this position, she served as a kindergarten teacher for 15 years.

Austin Buffum, EdD, has more than 45 years of experience in public schools. His many roles include serving as former senior deputy superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District in California.

Eric Burns is the principal at Lynn Lucas Middle School for Willis ISD in Willis, Texas. His focus is coaching collaborative teams through the PLC process and designing effective RTI systems to monitor student performance. He has received accolades including being named Hardy Elementary’s Teacher of the Year in 2012 and Willis Independent School District's Principal of the Year in 2020.

Jennifer Burris, principal of Benton Intermediate School in Louisiana, has been working in education for over 20 years. She currently works with educators to implement proven practices to ensure high levels of student learning.

With over 20 years of experience in elementary education, Jeff Byrnes specializes in the implementation of professional learning communities and multitiered systems of supports at the elementary level.

David (Cal) Callaway, EdD, is the deputy head of school at the International Community School of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He has worked in international education since 1998 and has served as both a teacher and an administrator.

Kimberly Rodriguez Cano, a consultant with over 30 years’ experience, is a former transition specialist, special education coordinator, professional development director, and school improvement specialist for the Florida Department of Education, supporting educators in that state and across the United States.

Scott Carr has more than 30 years of experience as an educator and administrator at the middle school level. He was the principal at Heritage Middle School in Liberty, Missouri, for 21 years.

Heather Carter is the current secondary instructional support specialist for the Bartow County School System in Georgia. She specializes in cultivating and sustaining a PLC culture by providing support to teacher collaborative teams, leadership teams, and district stakeholders.

Bob Carter is principal of Shauna May Seneca School in Alberta, Canada. He has extensive experience leading and sustaining educational change through establishing, developing, and refining PLCs.