AACTE Annual Meeting 2027

Danielle Kristine Toussaint is the founder of Purple Haus, a creative intelligence and strategic communications advisory firm that partners with visionary leaders advancing new frontiers in economic mobility, health, environment, education, workforce, technology and philanthropy to achieve breakthroughs in business and society. Over her twenty-year career, she has unlocked over $250 million in corporate and philanthropic investments to organizations where she managed external affairs, communications, development, and partnership efforts. A seasoned nonprofit executive and entrepreneurial leader, she has been Chief External Affairs Officer for NewSchools Venture Fund, Communicator in Residence for Ascend at The Aspen Institute, and Managing Director of Marketing and Communications for both iMentor and KID Museum. She has also been a fractional executive at high-growth, tech-enabled workforce development and mental health social ventures. Her book, Dare to Think Purple , shares leadership insights and inspiring stories from social entrepreneurs and impact-driven executives and her articles and speeches have been featured in outlets such as Huffington Post, Forbes.com, Business Insider, and TEDx. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies from Yale University and an M.S.Ed from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Dr. David Rock is currently Dean of the School of Education at the University of Mississippi. As an educator, David taught mathematics in Florida and Mississippi at the middle and high school levels. He has served as a professor and coordinator of Secondary Education at The University of Mississippi and the chair of the Department of Education at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. David also served as the Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions at Columbus State University in Columbus, GA. He has conducted a multitude of educational workshops and seminars at local, state, and national conferences in which his goal is to increase interest and enthusiasm of the teaching and learning of mathematics. While his love is mathematics, his passion is the use of technology to enhance education. David has published numerous articles and co-authored 16 books including Teaching Secondary Mathematics (2024) and Scratch Your Brain Where It Itches (2001, 2006, 2008). David’s passion for technology and previous programming experience led to the development of the online Math Contest [http://themathcontest.com] which encourages students to solve challenging mathematics problems from across the globe.

Seema Tejura has over 18 years of experience leading students, teachers, and leaders towards literacy success. She has served as chief academic officer, reading director, literacy coach, and reading specialist for urban school districts in Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. She founded The Literacy Architects in 2018 to bring knowledge about evidence-based reading instruction to educators across the country. Seema holds Masters Degrees in the Reading Specialist and Education Leadership fields and is also a certified reading specialist, Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner, and Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP). The Literacy Architects offers implementation-focused professional development on structured literacy routines to teachers, leaders, and higher education professors. They have partnered with school districts, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to train educators in the science of teaching reading. Several times a year, they host a community of practice for literacy professors that takes participants on a seven-week collaborative journey of revising their course syllabus by exploring resources and learning about successes and challenges in the K–12 space.

Jane S. Bray, Ed.D., is currently an Executive Coach with Academic Impressions and previously served as dean at Old Dominion University.

Ann E. Larson, Ph.D., serves as dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences at the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.

Wanda Blanchett, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University and has also served as Provost and Graduate Dean.

Monika Shealey, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University.

Michael Dantley, Ph.D., is CEO of Med Consulting and formerly served as dean of the College of Education at Miami University.

Caitlin is a Science of Reading Specialist and Ph.D. student in Middle Tennessee State University’s Literacy Studies program. She has held various positions in rural and urban school districts, including elementary classroom teacher, literacy interventionist, gifted and talented teacher, RTI coordinator, strategic planning board member, and Title Services program coordinator. Caitlin prioritizes evidence-based best practices within the MTSS framework, while making research both accessible and approachable to educators. Her belief that literacy is a civil right and a prerequisite for survival and success within our society influences her work designing and delivering professional development and social media content for The Literacy Architects.