Classroom Culture Founder:
Meredith Alaina, Ed.D, native New Yorker and Classroom Culture founder, has a background in education that spans twenty-five years with a foundation in nonprofit management and English classroom instruction in The Bronx and Brooklyn, NY. Meredith is currently an online adjunct professor at a New England based university and a Learning Specialist at an independent school in Washington, D.C., where she implements innovative instructional strategies for students in grades 9-12. In 2015, Meredith co-published a collection of essays and interviews called Why the SUN Rises: the faces and stories of women in education. The book highlights women in education via vibrant photos and honest essays on why they teach. Meredith has also presented at national education conferences offering workshops to new teachers on anchoring their pedagogy to meet the learning differences of all students. Additionally, Meredith is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. An organization founded in 1922 by seven Black women educators. Meredith lives the mission of her founders each day through her work with Classroom Culture.
Moderator:
Vivett Dukes has a long history of disrupting the status quo. Deeply committed to upholding the dignity of our children, she works to eradicate the school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline that disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities. A career educator as well as wife, mother and grandmother, she has taught English Language Arts in urban middle and high schools within the New York City Department of Education and across Long Island. As an educational consultant, and as a community organizer, she has traveled across the country giving voice to the underserved. Vivett is currently a manager of educational partnerships in New York for Center for the Collaborative Classroom and she teaches undergraduate pre-service English teachers at State University of New York at Stony Brook
Panelists:
Lloyd Knight began his career as a student teacher and has worked at nearly every level, including classroom teacher, curriculum resource teacher, and assistant principal. Mr. Knight is a trained peacekeeper, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Shaw University in North Carolina, and earned his Master of Arts degree in education leadership from DePaul University in Chicago. Additionally, Lloyd Knight wrote and published The 3 Phases of School Culture on March 9, 2022. This book opened as the number one book in the world for 90-Minute Instructional Manuals and Education Administration Kindle Releases for the first two weeks of release. Mr. Knight currently serves as the the principal of Chicago International Charter School.
Sophia James, a native New Yorker, holds a Master of Science in Educational Psychology from the School of Education, State University at Albany. Sophia was selected to participate in the 2021-2022 Coro Leadership New York cohort and also selected to be among the eighty-five 4.0 Essentials, Sophia currently works in the Office of Academic Policy and Systems at the New York City Department of Education, which is responsible for the development, implementation, and tracking of K-12 City & State academic policies, including NYC student promotion requirements and New York State graduation requirements. Sophia worked prior in the Office of Early Childhood Education at the Archdiocese of New York, assisting in the implementation of curriculum, assessments, and professional development, and strengthening partnerships across 70+ schools. She has also served as Chief of Staff to New York State Assembly Member Michaelle Solages, the first woman of Haitian descent to be elected to the State Assembly, and led Inner Force Tots, one of the largest single site early education agencies in New York City, as theirDirector of Community Affairs.
Kristen N. Briggs is the Managing Director of Program with The Ability Challenge (ABC), a Maryland-based national non-profit that supports schools and Districts with strengthening their support for diverse learners through equitable whole-school improvement. As MD of Program Kristen supports the CEO with setting the vision for ABC’s program design and implementation with schools, district and state education agencies, with a focus on expanding our service models, scaling our work and developing our internal organizational infrastructure. Kristen’s passion and skill set for supporting schools and districts with navigating complex change through strategic planning and improvement was fostered through her experience as an educator and school and network leader.
Jamar Brownlee is a fourth-grade math teacher at KIPP West Philadelphia Elementary Academy. He is currently enrolled as a doctoral student at Rowan University where he will soon obtain his Ph.D. in Urban Education. Jamar desires to create spaces for Black and Brown individuals to be more visible in education while challenging and changing the oppressive systems that hinder the success of students and faculty alike. He is known for his rigorous and differential instruction and prides himself in his ability to motivate his young learners to advocate for their learning and become socially mobile. Jamar is one of the 2022 Harriet Ball Award Teaching in Excellence recipients and has used his successful praxis to mentor other educators on the importance of culturally relevant teaching, family engagement, and educating without an ego. Furthermore, he believes in the power of representation and strives to create experiences that affirm and validate the intersecting identities of the students he serves as well as the colleagues he works with.
