Jessica Walsh is the K-12 ELA Instructional Specialist for Indian Prairie School District 204,the fourth largest district in Illinois, serving 28,500 students from suburban Chicago. Before starting this role in 2017, she taught 7th grade English Language Arts in District 204 for 11 years. She holds a masters degree in Reading Instruction from Concordia University – Chicago. Jessica is a strong advocate for equity in education and literacy access for all, which is why she proudly supports the work of The Educator Collaborative. She is a Google for Education Certified Educator and Trainer.  Follow her on Twitter @storiestoldinsf and #FutureReady204.

Shawna Coppola is a member of TheEdCollab. An educator for over twenty years, Shawna has worked as a middle school language arts teacher, a children’s librarian, and a literacy specialist/coach. In addition to working with students, Shawna is an author of books for teachers and has led courses and workshops for K-12 educators through the University of New Hampshire’s NH Literacy Institutes as well as their Professional Development and Training program and has spoken at a variety of local, regional, and national conferences. Follow her on Twitter @ShawnaCoppola.

Bedashruti Mitra Basu is an associate member of TheEdCollab. She is a corporate-law-specialist turned educator specializing in early childhood education.  Originally from an obscure tiny dot in the map of central India, she now calls Singapore her home. She earned her M.Ed. from the Monash University earlier this year. Mitra believes that teaching and learning is a mutually reciprocal lifelong process. An ardent believer in the power of books to transform lives, her firm conviction is that every child can read, provided the right book and the right catalysts come their way; conversely, every child can write, because reading and writing are two sides of the same coin. Follow her on Twitter @bedashruti.

JoEllen McCarthy is a TheEdCollab Book Ambassador. She is an educator for 20+ years, a lifelong learner and literacy specialist who spends her days teaching and learning alongside students, teachers and administrators to support literacy instruction, as well as student-centered collaborative coaching cycles. She is the author of a book for teachers and spreads her enthusiasm for literature through an exploration of mentor texts that emphasize reading and writing connections. Follow her on Twitter @JoEllenMcCarthy.

Abby Gillis is an associate member of TheEdCollab. An ELA educator with 18 years experience working in secondary classrooms in Woburn, Massachusetts. She spent 15 years as a high school ELA teacher before transitioning into her current role as her district’s 6-12 ELA Curriculum Coordinator where a major focus has been training and supporting teachers in writer’s and reader’s workshop through modeling, coaching, and co-teaching. Follow her on Twitter @MrsGillisELA.