Speakers

Alicia Garcia

Texas Tutoring Content and Partnership Manager

Presenting:

From Designation to Acceleration: TIA Teachers Powering HB 1416 & HB 2

Alisha Sewall

TIA Manger

Presenting:

Crawl Walk Run Strategic Roadmap for Expanding Teacher Eligibility Assignments

Allison Friedlander

Director, Talent Pathways

Presenting:

Strengthening Teacher Pathways Through PREP and TIA

Anitra Crisp

Executive Director of Middle Schools

Presenting:

Paying for Impact: Southwest ISD’s Principal Compensation Model

Ann Marie Shelton

Executive Director, Human Resources

Presenting:

Building Strong SLOs for TIA: A Model District’s Journey

Betsy Cook

Senior Partner & Founder

Presenting:

From Pilot to System: Building Enhanced TIA at Scale

Brandi Braley

Director of Innovation

Presenting:

From Observation to Impact: Developing Teachers and Strategically Staffing for Student Growth

Brenda Cadena

TIA Coordinator

Presenting:

Designing Digital Toolkits That Drive TIA Stakeholder Engagement

Brianne Brock

Special Programs Director

Presenting:

Miles ISD Road Map to Strategic Compensation and Improving Outcomes

Brittany Lancaster

Director of Administrative Services

Presenting:

TIA Data Decoded: A Year of Insights from Royse City ISD

Carla Hennessey

Superintendent

Presenting:

Trust Transparency and TIA: Engaging Stakeholders and Strengthening Teacher Observation

Chelsea Howells

TIA Specialist

Presenting:

Equip. Engage. Execute: Trust-Building Tools for Every TIA Stage

Cheri Braden

Presenting:

Mess to Masterpiece – The Art of Data Prep and Validation

Cheryl Hoover

Senior HR Consultant

Presenting:

Empower Teachers. Elevate Professional Growth. Transform Retention with TIA.

Christina Tye

Deputy Superintendent

Presenting:

Scaling Success: Real-World TIA Expansion Lessons from a Small District Perspective

Christine Perez

TIA Stakeholder Engagement Hub Lead

Presenting:

Continuous Improvement Through Shared Ownership and Action Planning

Clarita Fajutag-Corpus

Coordinator & Tx SLO & Portfolio Hub Lead

Presenting:

Evidence That Counts: Strengthening SLO and Portfolio Alignment

Colette Pledger

Assistant Superintendent

Presenting:

SLO Success: Validation, Calibration, and Practical Tools

Daniel Tice

Accountability, Assessment, and TIA Coordinator

Presenting:

Scoring Big on Teacher Growth and Texas Accountability

Danielle Hughes

TIA Data Coordinator

Presenting:

Scaling Success: Real-World TIA Expansion Lessons from a Small District Perspective

David Vizcaino

Data Analyst

Presenting:

Building a Data Culture- Using Multiple Designation Models to Understand TIA Data Validation

Diana L. Silvas

Assistant Superintendent of HR

Presenting:

From Data to Decisions: Resetting Evaluation Practices Through Systemwide Calibration

Doug DeBord

Director of Educator Recruitment and Retention

Presenting:

Lessons Learned: Data Submission in Rural Districts

Dr. Caitlin Lowery

Senior Project Analyst, K-12/Higher Ed

Presenting:

Advance. Enhance. Engage: Leveraging Stakeholders, Data, and Communication to Strengthen TIA Systems

Dr. Natalie Nichols

Presenting:

Connecting Growth, Observation, and Impact: A Mid-Year Approach to EOY TIA Success

Elizabet Palacios

Director – Office of Leadership Engagement & Educator Effectiveness

Presenting:

Designing Your Pathway to 100% Through Stakeholder Engagement

Elizabeth Veloz-Powell

Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources & Professional Learning

Presenting:

Beyond the Designation: Using TIA Tools and District Dashboards to Analyze Data

Emiliano Camarillo

TIA Lead Coordinator

Presenting:

Designing Your Pathway to 100% Through Stakeholder Engagement

Emily Pierson

Director

Presenting:

T-TESS Refresh: Strategic Updates to the Statewide Teacher Appraisal System

F. Mike Miles

Superintendent of Schools

Presenting:

How to Afford Enhanced TIA

Gabby Joseph

TIA Lead, ESC-20 Coordinator

Presenting:

Implementing TIA for CTE Teachers: Models for Success

Garrett Landry

Chief Executive Officer

Presenting:

Performance-Based Compensation as a District System Imperative, Not a Stand-Alone Program

Garrett Landry

Founder/CEO

Presenting:

NEW 2026-27 Cohort Districts: The Strategic Compensation Journey Begins

Garrett Landry

Founder & CEO

Presenting:

Strategic Compensation Cohorts: Leveraging the Power of the Collective

Gina Childers, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

Irazema Reyes

Region One ESC Student Growth Lead

Presenting:

Evidence That Counts: Strengthening SLO and Portfolio Alignment

Isiah Manalo

Senior Manager, Academics

Presenting:

T-TESS Refresh: Strategic Updates to the Statewide Teacher Appraisal System

Jacob Kirksey, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Associate Director, Center for Innovative Research in Change, Leadership, and Education

Presenting:

Aligning Instruction Evidence and Compensation for Sustainable TIA

Jacob Kirksey, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

Jaehoon Lee, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

James Gandy

Director, Center for Strategic Compensation

Presenting:

The Strategic Compensation Journey to Enhanced TIA

Jamie Kwan

Principal Director of Strategy, Operations & Reporting

Presenting:

House Bill 8 Assessment Overview

Janelle Persall

Lead Consultant

Presenting:

Creating Instructional Alignment: A Practical Cheat Sheet for T-TESS Calibration & Teacher Support

Jeff Berry, MBA

Trainer, Human Capital Management

Presenting:

Using Student Surveys to Inform Teacher Evaluations in Dallas ISD

Jennifer Heddins

Executive Coach for the Teacher Incentive Allotment

Presenting:

Building Buy In Through Stakeholder Led TIA Implementation

Jennifer Land

Chief Financial Officer

Presenting:

Designing Sustainable Teacher Incentive Allotment Systems Through Cross-Department Collaboration

Jeri Fry

Instructional Coordinator

Presenting:

Building Strong SLOs at Scale: Preparation, Calibration, and Impact

Jessica Gottlieb, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

Jessica Tovar-Hilbert

Director of Strategic Staffing

Presenting:

From Compliance to Commitment: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement for Continuous Local Designation System Improvement

Josh Tremont

Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

Presenting:

Scoring Big on Teacher Growth and Texas Accountability

Juan Duenas

Assistant Superintendent

Presenting:

Real-Time TIA Validity: Linking Individual Teacher Growth and Evaluation Results Throughout the School Year

Julia Boane

Director of Curriculum

Presenting:

Building Strong SLOs at Scale: Preparation, Calibration, and Impact

Kai Zhou

Data Scientist

Presenting:

Cultivating Consensus: Strategies for Transparent Stakeholder Engagement in TIA

Kandace Beckham

TIA Lead

Presenting:

Scaling Success: Real-World TIA Expansion Lessons from a Large District

Karim Valdez

Student Growth Lead

Presenting:

Evidence That Counts: Strengthening SLO and Portfolio Alignment

Karla Sparks

Regional Assistant Superintendent of Talent

Presenting:

Pay with Purpose: Strategic Compensation Aligned to District Priorities

Kathryn Little

LIFT Instructional Leadership Lead

Presenting:

Coaching for Growth: The T-TESS + LIFT Connection

Kelly O’Sullivan

Deputy Superintendent

Presenting:

Building Buy In Through Stakeholder Led TIA Implementation

Kendra Bennett

Regional TIA Lead

Presenting:

Trust Transparency and TIA: Engaging Stakeholders and Strengthening Teacher Observation

Kerresha Strickland

Data Analyst, Strategic Compensation

Presenting:

The Strategic Compensation Journey to Enhanced TIA

Kevin Malandruccolo

Senior Division Director of Student Assessment

Presenting:

House Bill 8 Assessment Overview

Kim Callison

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning

Presenting:

Scaling to Success: Expanding TIA to Non-Tested Content Areas

Kiwonda Riley Benjamin

LIFT Instructional Leadership Lead

Presenting:

Coaching for Growth: The T-TESS + LIFT Connection

Kriste Davis

Regional Assistant Superintendent of Talent

Presenting:

Pay with Purpose: Strategic Compensation Aligned to District Priorities

Kristen Brown

TIA Generalist/School Performance Liaison

Presenting:

From Compliance to Impact: Using T-TESS to Strengthen Instructional Practice

Kristian Coopwood

Executive Director, Human Capital Management

Presenting:

Dallas ISD: Ask Me Anything

Kristian Spencer

TIA Lead

Presenting:

Beyond Box-Checking: Building Growth-Centered T-TESS Systems

Kristin Mansell, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

Kristy Brown

Director of Performance Management

Presenting:

Crawl Walk Run Strategic Roadmap for Expanding Teacher Eligibility Assignments

Kye Robertson

TIA Specialist

Presenting:

Scaling Success: Real-World TIA Expansion Lessons from a large District

Kyle Johnson

Assistant Director of Strategic Staffing

Presenting:

From Compliance to Commitment: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement for Continuous Local Designation System Improvement

La Tricia Johnson

TIA Specialist Education Service Center

Presenting:

Advance. Enhance. Engage: Leveraging Stakeholders, Data, and Communication to Strengthen TIA Systems

Lane Sobehrad

Coordinator of Research and Innovation

Presenting:

Scaling to Success: Expanding TIA to Non-Tested Content Areas

Lani Young

Presenting:

From Chaos to Clarity—Our SLO Journey

LaShundra Rodgers

Talent Acquisition Coordinator

Presenting:

Operation Calibration

Leigh Ann Hawthorne

Director of Curriculum and Instruction/TIA Lead

Presenting:

From Practice to Payoff: Growing Teachers Through Observations and TIA

Lela Taubert

TIA Rural Cohort Lead

Presenting:

Lessons Learned: Data Submission in Rural Districts

Lezley Lewis

Executive Director, Employee Performance & Evaluation

Presenting:

Steady through Transitions: Evolving TIA with Purpose

Linda Molina

Teacher Incentive Allotment Coordinator

Presenting:

Building Strong SLOs for TIA: A Model District’s Journey

Lisa Stanley

Superintendent

Presenting:

TIA Done Right: Hard Lessons and Honest Mistakes

Lori DeMoss

Instructional Coordinator

Presenting:

The Power of Precision: Writing SLO Skills Statements That Matter

Magdalena Guzman

Regional Assistant Superintendent of Talent

Presenting:

Strategic Principal Compensation: Driving Leadership and Student Success

Maggie Boozer

TIA Leadership Consultant

Presenting:

Implementing TIA for CTE Teachers: Models for Success

Matt Escue

Data Specialist

Presenting:

Mess to Masterpiece- The Art of Data Prep and Validation

Matt Pope

CEO

Presenting:

Creating Instructional Alignment: A Practical Cheat Sheet for T-TESS Calibration & Teacher Support

Melissa Rabano

TIA Lead

Presenting:

TIA for ALL – A Small District Approach to TIA Expansion

Melissa Yoder

Director, Quality Preparation

Presenting:

Strengthening Teacher Pathways Through PREP and TIA

Michael Allen

Director of Talent Development

Presenting:

From Pilot to System: Building Enhanced TIA at Scale

Michael Strong, Ph.D.

Professor

Presenting:

Research on Designation Decisions and Efficacy of TIA

Michelle Colwell

Principal

Presenting:

TIA & T TESS: Turning Stress into Success

Micki Wesley

Deputy Executive Director

Presenting:

Prepare for the Next Era of Teacher Incentives, Evaluation, and Student Success

Neil Adam Novoa

Director, Teacher Incentive Allotment

Presenting:

All Means All: Expanding to Full TIA Eligibility

Neil Adam Novoa

Director, Teacher Incentive Allotment

Presenting:

The Role Nobody Trained You For: Leading TIA

Nicole Roberts Pratt

Vice President, Program Strategy & Impact

Presenting:

Turning Skepticism Into Support for TIA

Paige Parker

Senior Implementation Specialist

Presenting:

Data to Designation: Leveraging Metrics to Reward Top Teachers

Rachel Medrano

Assistant Director of Academic Services

Presenting:

From Data to Decisions: Resetting Evaluation Practices Through Systemwide Calibration

Rebecca Barton

Teacher Incentive Allotment Coordinator

Presenting:

Building Electronic Rosters for Accurate Data and Teacher Verification

Rebecca Bunger

Data Specialist Rural Cohort Hub

Presenting:

Mess to Masterpiece – The Art of Data Prep and Validation

Regan Monroe

Teacher

Presenting:

From Chaos to Clarity—Our SLO Journey

Ricardo Garcia

Education Consultant/Executive Coach

Presenting:

Aligning Instruction Evidence and Compensation for Sustainable TIA

Robin Fawcett

HR Director – Strategic Compensation

Presenting:

 

Robin Graves

Associate Director of Federal and Special Programs

Presenting:

Lessons Learned: Data Submission in Rural Districts

Rodrigo Portillo

Assistant Superintendent of Academics

Presenting:

Connecting Growth, Observation, and Impact: A Mid-Year Approach to EOY TIA Success

Roland Quesada

Superintendent of Schools

Presenting:

Advance. Enhance. Engage: Leveraging Stakeholders, Data, and Communication to Strengthen TIA Systems

Rose Chapa

Regional Assistant Superintendent of Talent

Presenting:

Strategic Principal Compensation: Driving Leadership and Student Success

Roshanda Betts

Director, Performance Management

Presenting:

Dallas ISD: Ask Me Anything

Roy Nieto

CEO

Presenting:

TIA Data Decoded: A Year of Insights from Royse City ISD

Sandra Kolarov

TIA Data Evaluator

Presenting:

Designing Digital Toolkits That Drive TIA Stakeholder Engagement

Saul Hinojosa

Superintendent of Schools

Presenting:

Creating an Appraisal System that Supports Teacher Growth

Scott Slater

TIA Specialist

Presenting:

Equip. Engage. Execute: Trust-Building Tools for Every TIA Stage

Scott Slater

TIA Specialist

Presenting:

Lessons Learned: Data Submission in Rural Districts

Seth Martin

Lead Visionist

Presenting:

From Compliance to Commitment: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement for Continuous Local Designation System Improvement

Shalona McCray

Chief Human Resources Officer

Presenting:

Operation Calibration

Shannon Burns

HR Consultant

Presenting:

Empower Teachers. Elevate Professional Growth. Transform Retention with TIA.

Shannon Klepac

Presenting:

Mess to Masterpiece – The Art of Data Prep and Validation

Shannon Russell

Educator Support Specialist

Presenting:

What’s New in Texas VAM: Exploring Expanded Reporting

Shannon Russell

Educator Support Specialist

Presenting:

Unpacking Texas VAM: Turning Data into Insights

Sharolyn Chitwood

Director of Employee Performance and Evaluations

Presenting:

Steady through Transitions: Evolving TIA with Purpose

Sharon Varghese

Assistant Director – Organizational Development

Presenting:

Designing Trust: How a TIA Design Team Improves Collaboration & Calibration

Sonya Niazy

Policy and Research Associate

Presenting:

Designing Sustainable Teacher Incentive Allotment Systems Through Cross-Department Collaboration

Stefan San Miguel

TIA Project Manager

Presenting:

Turning Skepticism Into Support for TIA

Stefan San Miguel

TIA Project Manager

Presenting:

Beyond the Designation: Using TIA Tools and District Dashboards to Analyze Data

Stephanie Hammer

Teacher Incentive Allotment Consultant

Presenting:

Beyond Box-Checking: Building Growth-Centered T-TESS Systems

Stephanie Jameson

TIA Specialist

Presenting:

TIA for ALL – A Small District Approach to TIA Expansion

Stephanie Mosqueda

Senior Vice President of Strategic Projects

Presenting:

Creating an Appraisal System that Supports Teacher Growth

Suzy Smith

Assistant Superintendent, Human Capital Management

Presenting:

Dallas ISD: Ask Me Anything

Tamela Baker

TIA Lead

Presenting:

From Compliance to Impact: Using T-TESS to Strengthen Instructional Practice

Tammy Whitlock, Ed.D.

Performance Management Manager, Training and Calibration

Presenting:

Using Student Surveys to Inform Teacher Evaluations in Dallas ISD

Tiffany Commerford Whitsel

Assistant Superintendent

Presenting:

From Chaos to Clarity—Our SLO Journey

Tim Persall

Lead Consultant

Presenting:

Creating Instructional Alignment: A Practical Cheat Sheet for T-TESS Calibration & Teacher Support

Tori Austin

Sr. Executive Director for Continuous Improvement

Presenting:

Cultivating Consensus: Strategies for Transparent Stakeholder Engagement in TIA

Tracy Smith

Deputy Director of Strategic Compensation

Presenting:

NEW 2026-27 Cohort Districts: The Strategic Compensation Journey Begins

Tracy Smith

Deputy Director of Strategic Compensation

Presenting:

Strategic Compensation Cohorts: Leveraging the Power of the Collective

Travis Hall

Director of Human Resources

Presenting:

Scaling Success: Real-World TIA Expansion Lessons from a large District

Trish Jarrott

TIA Data Collection Hub Lead & Director of Human Capital Management Strategies

Presenting:

Building a Data Culture- Using Multiple Designation Models to Understand TIA Data Validation

Ty Stevens

Superintendent

Presenting:

Miles ISD Road Map to Strategic Compensation and Improving Outcomes

Valerie Solis

TIA Specialist

Presenting:

Continuous Improvement Through Shared Ownership and Action Planning

Veronica Wilson

Executive Director of Elementary Schools

Presenting:

Paying for impact Southwest ISD’s Principal Compensation Model

Whitney McAnallen

Chief Strategy Officer

Presenting:

Designing Your TIA Stakeholder Engagement Plan

William Alexander

Superintendent

Presenting:

From Practice to Payoff: Growing Teachers Through Observations and TIA