Educational Leadership Webinar Series: Leading Beyond COVID

Superintendents in residence present three panel discussions for school leaders

Topic 1: Educational equity and access

Date and Time of Virtual Event: December 10, 2021, 10-11 a.m.

The first webinar will focus on ways in which educational equity and access guide the decisions that school leaders make to ensure that all students receive access to a high-quality education and opportunities to succeed.

Participants will share information about the disparities and barriers that often impede equity. The panelists featured have knowledge, expertise and experience in advancing equity in multiple places/spaces.

Moderator: Superintendent in Residence Talisa Dixon, EdD, superintendent and chief executive officer of Columbus City Schools

Panelists:

Dionne A. Blue, PhD

Dionne Blue is the chief equity officer for Columbus City Schools, where she is responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive and collaborative vision for diversity, equity and inclusion for the largest school district in Ohio. She focuses on improving student access and opportunities and addressing the systemic barriers that produce disproportionate student outcomes.

Aside from professional development for teachers and staff, she also is responsible for ensuring equity and inclusion within district policies, practices and processes, including within curriculum development, instruction, talent development and family/community engagement.

Prior to her current role, Blue served as chief diversity officer for Indiana’s third-largest public school district, as well as a program officer in the nonprofit sector where she helped plan and orchestrate professional development and technical assistance for teachers and leaders of small schools around Ohio.

As a previous higher education professional turned K-12 administrator, Blue has developed a unique perspective on ways to build more cohesive systems to help all students be more successful, from preschool through postsecondary education. Her work has influenced teachers, K-12 administrators and staff to broaden their definitions of, and approach to, equity inside and outside of the classroom.

An alumna of the college, Blue earned her PhD in the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program. Her master’s is from Washington State University, and her bachelor’s is from Spelman College. Blue has written a number of publications and serves on various boards, including the National Endowment for Financial Education.

Donna Y. Ford, PhD

Donna Ford is a Distinguished Professor within the college specializing in special education. She is known for her research about gifted education and culturally responsive, multicultural, urban education.

Specifically, her work focuses on (1) the achievement gap, (2) recruiting and retaining culturally different students into gifted education, (3) multicultural curriculum and instruction, (4) culturally competent teacher training and development, (5) African American identity and (6) African American family involvement in children’s schooling. She consults with school districts and educational and legal organizations on these topics.

During her academic career, Ford served on the faculty at the University of Kentucky, the University of Virginia, then at Ohio State. She was recruited by Vanderbilt University, where she spent 15 years and held two endowed chair positions before returning to her present appointment at Ohio State.

Ford has given more than 2,000 presentations and has published more than 300 articles, book chapters and books. Her two most recent books, published by Taylor and Francis in 2021, are Multicultural Gifted Education and Recruiting and Retaining Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education.

Ford earned all three of her degrees at Cleveland State University. In addition to her faculty role in the college at Ohio State, she is also a faculty affiliate at Ohio State’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Center for Latin American Studies.

Bennyce Hamilton, EdD

Bennyce Hamilton, EdD, is the director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio. She coordinates professional development opportunities for school staff and administration and leads the district’s justice, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. 

As the former regional director of Diversity and Multicultural Services and deputy Title IX coordinator at Miami University, she coordinated educational, cultural and social programs for faculty, staff, students and community members. As Title IX coordinator, she also was the first responder for victims of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, sexual harassment and stalking for the regional campuses.

Hamilton holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kentucky State University. She also holds a master’s degree in education and is certified to teach English to grades seven through 12, and a doctorate in education (literacy), both from the University of Cincinnati.

“Diversity begins with appreciating oneself and all that makes us unique” is a concept that Hamilton believes. Out of that self-appreciation, we become open to dialoging with others to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of our differences, she says. One of her favorite sayings comes from Nikki Giovanni: “Once you know who you are, you don’t have to worry anymore.”

Topic 2: Social and emotional supports for students during the pandemic

Date and Time of Virtual Event: January 11, 2022, 10-11 a.m.

This event will focus on the unique challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on students’ social and emotional well-being. The session will feature panelists with knowledge and expertise who represent diverse perspectives. They will frame the challenges and issues, present data and share effective strategies and resources for educators and families.

Moderator: Superintendent in Residence and alumna of the college Marie Ward, PhD, Director of the Fairfield County Educational Service Center

Panelists:

Jonathan Dalton, PhD

Jonathan Dalton is a licensed psychologist, public speaker and author who founded the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change (CABC) in Rockville, MD, which is a private treatment center dedicated to using evidence-based treatment for patients with anxiety disorders.

He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Villanova University, a master's degree in psychology from The Catholic University of America and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Fordham University with a specialization in child and family psychology.

He completed two years of pre-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine - Kennedy Krieger Institute, and advanced postdoctoral training at the Maryland Center for Anxiety Disorders at the University of Maryland.

He specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with a particular focus on anxiety-based school refusal. He frequently consults with school systems across the country, provides training to other mental health professionals and presents to community organizations.

Missy McClain, BA

Missy McClain is a graduate of Kent State University and is the coordinator for the Community Education Program, Department of School Health Services, at Akron Children's Hospital.

Over the last 15 years, McClain has had the privilege to travel, train, collaborate with and learn from thousands of students, school staff and community leaders from all over Ohio. She utilizes a mix of personal experiences and lessons from the road to bring practical resources to any adult looking to make a difference in the life of a child.

McClain is most dedicated to her advocacy for trauma-informed school environments, social and emotional learning in schools and restorative practices and justice as an alternative to exclusionary discipline.

Sarah Ward, MS, CCC/SLP

Sarah Ward holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology and has more than 25 years of experience in the treatment of executive dysfunction. She is an internationally recognized expert on executive function and presents seminars on the programs and strategies she has developed with her co-director, Kristen Jacobsen, at Cognitive Connections LLP in Concord, Massachusetts.

Their 360 Thinking Executive Function Program received the Innovative Promising Practices Award from the national organization Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

Ward also holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. She has presented to more than 1,600 public and private schools and organizations worldwide.

Topic 3: Diversifying the teacher workforce

Date and Time of Virtual Event: January 20, 2022, 10-11 a.m. EST

Moderator: Superintendent in Residence John Marschhausen, PhD, Superintendent, Dublin City Schools; and incoming Superintendent in Residence Melvin J. Brown, EdD, Superintendent, Reynoldsburg City Schools

This third and final event will focus on the recent call to action from states and school districts across Ohio and the nation to diversify the teacher workforce. The session will feature a panel composed of researchers, policymakers and educators who will offer multiple perspectives on the issue. They will share data, identify barriers and possible solutions and explore promising practices and models, such as developing pipelines, grow-your-own initiatives and student incentives.

The college’s Superintendents in Residence Program is a fellowship opportunity that brings Ohio superintendents from urban, rural and suburban school districts to share knowledge with the college, develop active research agendas and share learning that benefits current college students and school communities.

Panelists:

Krista Maxson, PhD

Krista Maxson began her career at Shawnee State University, completing 16 years and serving in multiple roles that ranged from mathematics professor and chair to associate provost. Prior to joining the Ohio Department of Higher Education in the fall of 2019, she served four years as vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, the state’s designated liberal arts college.

Maxson currently serves as associate vice chancellor for P-16 Initiatives in the Ohio Department of Higher Education, overseeing college access and readiness. This includes Ohio’s Federal GEAR-UP grant, Dual Enrollment (College Credit Plus), Educator Preparation program review and accountability and other education initiatives linked with the Ohio Department of Education and P-12 schools.

With a hiring freeze implemented due to the impact of COVID-19, Maxson assumed the responsibilities of the director of Educator Preparation for 20 months starting in January 2020. In this role, she led the effort to revise the state’s Educator Preparation program review process.

Maxson expresses her admiration for the education professionals in the state of Ohio and truly enjoys working with such dedicated and hardworking educators committed to providing the students in Ohio with exceptional education professionals.

Maxson has a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and a bachelor’s in mathematics from the University of Oregon.

Samantha L. Strachan, PhD

Samantha Strachan serves as interim department chairperson, program coordinator of secondary education and associate professor of science education at Alabama A&M University. Her current research is focused on improving African American students' participation in the teaching profession. Her work also focuses on pedagogical practices in science classrooms.

In addition to publishing her work, Strachan serves as project director of the M.A.L.E. (Males for Alabama Education) Initiative, a state-sponsored program, and as co-principal investigator on a grant funded by the National Science Foundation. She has presented her research at several professional education conferences, both nationally and internationally. She is a two-time Jhumki Basu Scholar, a 2018 Association of Teacher Educators Clinical Fellow and the 2019 recipient of Alabama A&M University’s Excellence in Faculty Advising/Mentoring Award.

Strachan has a Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education from Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD), a Master of Secondary Education in Biology from Alabama A&M University (Normal, AL) and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mount Allison University (New Brunswick, Canada).

Sharee Wells, MA

Sharee Wells was recently selected as the new superintendent of Whitehall City Schools. She had been serving as assistant superintendent of curriculum for Hilliard City Schools.

Wells’ prior experience includes serving as the director of professional learning at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio and in several capacities for the Columbus City Schools, including as executive director of high schools, secondary school curriculum director and K-12 curriculum supervisor.

Wells is known for her skills in data driven decision-making, organizational leadership, innovative problem solving and facilitation of professional development and the improvement process.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Spanish Education K-12 from Ohio University and a Master of Arts in Educational Policy and Leadership from the College of Education and Human Ecology at Ohio State. She is on track to complete her EdD in leadership studies in April of 2022.