MGI Staff

Penny is Co-Director of the Middle Grades Collaborative and Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Maine. Prior to that, she was professor of middle level education at the University of Vermont where she taught future middle grades educators and conducted research on schooling for young adolescents. She has taught at the Institute since 1998. Penny has served as Principal Investigator on numerous grants, bringing over $13 million dollars to Vermont schools to improve the learning and lives of middle grades students. A former middle level English and Social Studies teacher, Penny was appointed to the National Middle School Association's Research Advisory Board and was President of the American Educational Research Association's Middle Level Education Research Group. She is co-author of six books on effective middle grades practice. Penny previously served as advisor to the New Zealand Ministry of Education, researching effective schooling policies for middle years students. Outside of work, she spends time with her family, enjoys kayaking in Vermont and Maine, and loves to travel internationally.

James is Co-Director of the Middle Grades Collaborative and Professor of Education at Saint Michael's College. He has been teaching at the Middle Grades Institute since 2004. Prior to coming to Vermont, James was a middle and high school science teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area where he earned his doctorate in educational policy and organization from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, James teaches courses in middle grades organization, environmental education, and educational policy and research. He works extensively with Vermont teachers on personalized learning as a pedagogy for teaching social justice and sustainability. His research investigates the intersection of school reform initiatives and teacher implementation of those reforms in middle and high schools. James also serves as co-editor of the Middle Grades Review. When James is not involved in education, he enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, and tending to his small organic farm.

Dr. Kristie W. Smith is a long-time middle grades educator and current Assistant Professor of ELA Education, Middle Grades, at Kennesaw State University.  Kristie’s professional background includes nearly two decades of middle school teaching, instructional coaching, and professional development leadership. In her university work, Kristie has served both the Tift College of Education (Mercer University, Atlanta) and the Lounsbury College of Education (Georgia College and State University) as a middle grades/middle grades literacy education adjunct. Kristie’s professional appointments include assistant professorships at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Gardner-Webb University and Columbus State University. She is also an active member of AMLE, AERA, and NCTE. Kristie currently serves as a council member of the Middle Level Education Research SIG of AERA and as the CMLA, East Faculty Advisor for the Chapter-at-Large. Kristie’s scholarship passions include creative teaching practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, literacy education as equity, and 21^st century teacher development through culturally responsive, socially just frameworks

Lucie brings 30 years of experience in educational technology working with Vermont students and educators in K-12 and higher education. After more than 2 decades of classroom teaching, Lucie is now a freelance educator advancing digital equity and promoting creativity and innovation. Lucie is affiliated with the University of Vermont’s Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education and College of Education and Social Services. Several years ago, she gave up her apartment and moved into a 1983 vintage bus and now travels around the United States in search of creative convergences, bringing back the best of what she discovers to Vermont schools to support teachers in implementing best practices in maker-centered learning, design thinking, and more equitable learning opportunities. She looks forward to providing space for creating and making at this summer's Middle Grades Institute.

Jessica is Assistant Professor of Middle Level Education at the University of Vermont, where she also coordinates the Middle Level Education undergraduate and graduate programs. Her research centers on supporting middle school teachers in advocating for and creating developmentally responsive learning environments for all young adolescents. Her current research and teaching projects are focused  on social justice education, personalized learning, and proficiency-based learning as liberatory practices that can promote equity in the middle grades. In partnership with middle school teachers, Jessica has been co-developing a “hands-joined learning” framework for personalizing project-based learning as well as a social justice curriculum for 6^th grade Humanities. She has taught in Michigan, Maryland, France, and Hawaii and tries to maintain the aloha life by playing the ukulele every chance she gets.

John is the Director of the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education at the University of Vermont. He spent his career developing and researching 1:1 laptop initiatives to re-engage middle level learners for equitable learning and successful postsecondary access. His earlier work included supporting teachers to design and facilitate curriculum reform in Vermont middle schools, focusing on technology integration, student-led curriculum, and middle grades philosophy and practice. John has been involved with the Middle Grades Institute almost two decades, first as a student, and since as an educator and researcher. His current research interests include the role of student voice in school change and how technology can promote equitable learning for young adolescents. John also enjoys traveling, paddling on Lake Champlain, biking in Vermont’s mountains and valleys, and risking life and limb trying to keep up with his son on the snowy slopes of the Greens and the Rockies.

Katy is back as a a fifth grade teacher at Stowe Elementary. Prior to teaching at Stowe Katy was a professional development coordinator at the University of Vermont, Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education where she conducted research about adolescent education and partners with schools to help them personalize learning, engage students, and participate in action research. She is the author of four books about education including most recently: Real and relevant: A guide to service and project-based learning (2017), and is a co-author of Personalized Learning in the Middle Grades (2019) as well as several chapters and articles. Katy was a classroom teacher for 17 years and regularly presents at state and national conferences. She is passionate about promoting student and teacher voice, engaging early adolescent students, sharing the power of service learning, and creating inclusive communities where joy, courageous conversations and kindness are the norm. She lives in central Vermont with her husband and two daughters and loves being outside with family and friends, listening to music, and jumping into Vermont ponds and lakes.

Susan brings with her years of experience exploring the intersection between educational technology and student-centered pedagogies. She has been a Professional Development Coordinator for the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education for the last 10 years. In addition she teaches courses in the University of Vermont's Educational Technology sequence and serves as the Digital Learning Lever Group Leader for Vermont Learning for the Future. Before becoming part of the Tarrant team, Susan was the Library Media Specialist and former English teacher and English Department Chair at Harwood Union Middle High School. There she frequently collaborated with fellow teachers facilitating professional development opportunities including workshops and summer graduate courses focused on innovative technologies. In 2007, she received the Milken Educator Award.

Emily is a Professional Development Coordinator at the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education after nearly two decades working as an educator, including five years as a sixth grade teacher, and three years as the Curriculum Specialist at Shelburne Farms. While at Shelburne Farms, Emily co-wrote Cultivating Joy & Wonder, an early childhood curriculum guide on sustainability. Emily’s current interests include designing concept-based interdisciplinary curriculum, mindfulness in the classroom, and creating rejuvenating professional development experiences for fellow educators. Emily is a national certified facilitator for The Origins Program’s Developmental Designs workshops, and served as a Visiting Lecturer in Education Studies at Middlebury College where she taught community-connected courses on elementary methods and Education for Sustainability. Emily lives at the top of a mountain in Ripton, Vermont, with her husband and many Wild Things, including three children, three chickens, a dog, a cat, and various other untamed critters.

Life is a Professional Development Coordinator at the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education. He has worked in various roles in K-12 education, including classroom teacher, assistant principal, math department head, state agency administrator, and school board teacher representative. As a middle and high school math teacher, and a Math Curriculum Director, he sought to help students become socially conscious quantitative thinkers. Life served as the Director of Statewide Mathematics Initiatives at the Massachusetts Department of Education for eight years, where he led a dedicated team that amplified and advocated for the equity-focused work of urban math educators. Life’s doctoral dissertation examined the association between teacher knowledge and student growth. He believes in distributed leadership, student empowerment, and actively disrupting anti-oppressive systems. Life enjoys wandering the woods, a friendly pick-up soccer game, or most especially, sticking close to home with family and friends.

Rachel is a Professional Development Coordinator for the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education at the University of Vermont. Prior to working with Tarrant, Rachel was a middle school literacy and social studies teacher at Manchester Elementary-Middle School. As a teacher, Rachel loved exploring new content and new methods with inquisitive young adolescents. She thinks middle schools are the most dynamic learning centers in the state. Rachel is passionate about supporting teachers and helping them overcome obstacles; it’s her mission to break down the barriers that teachers face in implementing change. She is interested in student reflection and portfolio based assessment. Rachel is curious about inquiry and project-based learning. When she is not reading, researching and supporting teachers, Rachel loves to play. She balances her life shuttling three busy children with yoga, exercise, and being outdoors.

Monica is Associate Professor of Education at Castleton University. She earned her Master's Degree in Education from Castleton and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont. A middle level educator for many years, she currently works with pre-service and practicing teachers in Castleton’s teaching licensure and leadership programs. Her research interests include best practices for young adolescents, international teacher education, equitable practices, educational technology, and positive, active engagement in leadership. Monica has been President of the Vermont Association for Middle Level Education and Vice-President of Changing Perspectives New England. She lives in Brandon, Vermont, with her delightful family, and she enjoys yoga and the great outdoors.

Meg teaches humanities to 7th and 8th grade students at Shelburne Community School in Shelburne, Vermont, where she has taught since 1994. Meg cherishes the opportunity to co-create meaningful learning experiences with students and colleagues, with a particular lens on opportunities that foster community and instill social justice and equity. Meg is passionate about middle level education, as demonstrated by her years in the practice, her commitment to partnering with students and colleagues, and her engagement in professional organizations that promote middle level practices. She is a long-time board member of the Vermont Association for Middle Level Education, a participant and practitioner at the Middle Grades Institute, and a regular contributor to PLP Pathways. She holds her national board certification as a middle level generalist. Meg lives in Richmond, Vermont with her patient husband Mark, two active sons, Evan and Sam, and an adoring cat named Thea.

Joe is a social studies teacher at Brattleboro Area Middle School. He is a member of a four-person teaching team. During a two year loop the team focuses on providing project oriented, place-based learning experiences for its students. Joe received his undergraduate degree from Saint Michael’s College and his graduate degree from Castleton State College. Joe is active in the Brattleboro Historical Society and serves on the editorial board of the professional journal, Middle Grades Review. He works with his students to produce a weekly radio show based on local history for WTSA FM. The shows are archived as podcasts on the Brattleboro Historical Society Soundcloud channel. Joe also collaborates with students and historical society board members to create a weekly local history articles for the Brattleboro Reformer. He lives with his family in West Brattleboro, Vermont.

Mary has been involved with the Middle Grades Institute for 25 years. From her first year as a participant, to faculty, director, and faculty again, she continues to share her passion for middle level students and their education. Mary taught middle school students at Mount Abraham for 20 years as well as many years teaching undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Vermont. Although she continues to stay involved in middle level education in various ways, you will also find her traveling and spending quality time with 5 special grandchildren in Idaho and Vermont. She feels blessed to have worked with wonderful students and colleagues over her 40-year career. Mary enjoys volunteer work with several organizations in Addison County, and directs a folk group at her church. Another passion is music, so be sure to bring your musical instruments and voices to the Institute - - her guitar will be strumming!

Don is a humanities educator in his 16th year at Main Street Middle School in Montpelier, Vermont. Don is working hard to create an innovative, integrated, and dynamic learning environment for all students. His attempts to make education relevant include the development of curriculum tied to sustainability, social justice, integrated literacy, and technology. In addition to his classroom duties he is a co-director of PLP Pathways, adjunct instructor at Saint Michael's College, and a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. When not working on his craft, Don can be found spending time with his family enjoying Vermont's outdoor, cultural, and community offerings. He is an avid angler, reader, and runner who believes that, "It's not where you start, it's where you finish."