Welcome

Jouanna Crossland-Wells, M.S. has served in public education for over 20 years in Ohio and Colorado. She began her career as a Math Intervention, Reading, and Social Studies teacher in Middle School after receiving her Bachelor's degree from the University of Akron. During her second year of teaching, Jouanna earned a "Best Practices" award for creating engaging lessons centered on her students' lives and for working to develop authentic, caring relationships with students and families. She has also served as a district teacher evaluator, student teacher supervisor, assistant principal, and currently as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction at a local High School. In her current role as Director of Curriculum and Instruction, she serves as the DEI Coordinator for her school, developing collaborative sessions based on student and staff needs. Jouanna is a Ph.D. Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Denver, where her research studies include teachers' coaching experiences and seeking to understand how to humanize these coaching interactions for teachers. Her passion for creating spaces for humanizing interactions remains a focus of all the workshops she facilitates. Jouanna's approach empowers participants' voices and includes targeted inquiries that are honored in the space. People are encouraged to engage fully and vulnerably in the challenging conversations. 

Aaron J. Griffen, Ph.D. is a P-12 Practitioner-Scholar with over 21 years of experience in public and charter as a middle school English teacher and assistant principal in Houston, Texas, as a high school principal at in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and as a Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Throughout his career, he has worked exclusively and purposefully in Urban-defined schools and districts. His experience includes working to provide equitable supports and outcomes for culturally different learners, who receive Second Language Learner services, Special Education services, and Gifted and/or Talented services, including serving in schools that remain majority children of color and low Social Economic Status (SES). He is an author, speaker, consultant and panelist, with an active research interest and publishing agenda in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Culturally Responsive U Instructional Leadership, Multicultural Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Lobbying, and Urban Policy and Analysis. Three new books authored or co-authored by Dr. Griffen, The Power of the Praying Principal; Challenges to Implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs in Organizations, and RACE Mentoring and P-12 Educators: Practitioners Contributing to Scholarship, are due out in the coming school year. 

Isalene A. Rose, M.Ed. is an intervention specialist who works closely with school personnel to help develop and implement strategies to promote equitable inclusivity to a diverse population of students. She has over 10 years of experience in public and charter schools working in various co-teaching models in the elementary and secondary school settings. Isalene has worked collaboratively with the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) with the true belief that data driven, targeted support being vital to educating the entire child through academic, behavior, and social-emotional development. As a member of various leadership committees, Isalene provides insight on daily classroom systems and practices that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Isalene's Industrial Manufacturing Systems Engineering background has also served as an integral piece to her quest of knowledge, development of best practices, and drive of excellence for all.