Authors & Presenters

Allyson J. Burnett is an author, a consultant, a facilitator, and a trainer specializing in developing a schoolwide interdisciplinary approach to meet the Common Core Standards for literacy at the secondary level.

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.

Brian K. Butler is an educational presenter with over 30 years of experience who has worked with thousands of schools throughout the U.S.A., Australia, and Canada, presenting on the Professional Learning Communities at Work^® and Response to Intervention at Work^™ models. Brian is a retired principal who last served at Mason Crest Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia in 2017. Under Brian’s leadership, Mason Crest received Solution Tree’s first annual DuFour Award in 2016.

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.

Margarita Espino Calderón, PhD, is professor emerita and senior research scientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. She has conducted research, training, and curriculum development for teaching K–12 English learners.

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.

Carol E. Canady is a literacy advisor with various school districts across the eastern United States. Her passion is to help educators reduce student failure by institutionalizing practices that accelerate reading achievement.

Robert Lynn Canady, EdD, is a professor emeritus at the University of Virginia. He has taught grades 6–12 and served as principal of elementary, middle, and junior high schools.

Paul Cancellieri is a National Board Certified eighth-grade science teacher at Rolesville Middle School in Rolesville, North Carolina. He has worked at several middle schools in the Greater Raleigh Area, earning Teacher of the Year honors twice. Paul’s focus is on grading and assessment, emphasizing best practices for fair and accurate measurement of student mastery.