Authors & Presenters

Gayle Karhanek, an author and a consultant, was director of student services at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, from 1979 to 2004.

Janel Keating is superintendent of the White River School District in the state of Washington. She is a former elementary and middle school teacher, elementary principal, director of student learning, and deputy superintendent.

Jed Kees has been an educator for over 22 years, and a school-based administrator for 15 years. Jed has a passion for middle level education, and is currently the principal of Onalaska Middle School in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Diane Kerr is an educational consultant and former assistant principal at Mason Crest Elementary School in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Virginia. During her tenure as a coprincipal at Mason Crest, the school earned the distinction of becoming the very first recipient of the coveted DuFour Award, which recognizes top-performing PLCs around the world.

Deanne Kildare Opatosky has more than 20 years of experience in education. As an educational advisor, she facilitates extensive professional development initiatives for novice and experienced teachers in urban and suburban communities throughout New Jersey. Backed by data and other metrics, Deanne’s work has significantly and positively impacted student achievement for the districts she serves.

Dennis King, EdD, has focused on school improvement throughout his career, first as a practicing school administrator and now as an educational presenter. His 28 years in education include teaching in an alternative school, an urban high school, and two suburban school districts where he also served as a district administrator.

Jane A. G. Kise, EdD, is the author of more than 25 books and has extensive experience in leadership development, executive coaching, instructional coaching, and differentiated instruction.

George Knights is director of professional learning communities and K–12 assessment for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District in southern California. He has been a principal, an English teacher, and an activities director.

Stephanie Kraft currently serves as an assistant principal of White River High School, which has been a Model PLC in Washington State since 2016. Previously, she served as a high school and middle school social studies teacher.

As an author and a leader in the field, Sharon V. Kramer, PhD, emphasizes the importance of creating and using quality assessments as a continual part of the learning process. Dr. Kramer served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction of Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in Illinois.