Just ASK Consultants

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Paula Rutherford

Paula, President of Just ASK Publications & Professional Development (Just ASK) and an ASK Group Senior Consultant, lives in the Washington, D.C. area. She is the author of multiple books including Why Didn’t I Learn This in College?, The 21^st Century Mentor’s Handbook, Instruction for All Students, Leading the Learning: A Field Guide for Supervision and Evaluation, Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners, and Active Learning and Engagement Strategies. She is a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning. Paula is also the developer of the New Teacher Professional Development Kit and the Mentoring in the 21st Century^® Resource Kit.

Paula’s presentations of note include Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners^® and Mentoring in the 21^st Century^® Institutes in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Dallas. She is proud to have been a member of the faculty of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Principals’ Center Summer Institutes at UCLA for the past 16 years. Paula has led pre-conferences at Learning Forward’s (NSDC) Conferences, ACSA’s Annual Conferences and Leadership Summits, the Kentucky Association of School Administrators’ Annual Conference, and keynotes at the Dallas Public School Mentoring Symposium, the Virginia Staff Development Council’s Annual Conference, and the Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Leadership Conference hosted by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Texas. Her work this past year included The International School of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia and Educare, the Singapore Teachers Union, Singapore.

Paula holds a Master of Education with an emphasis on Special Education from the University of North Florida, and has completed post-graduate course work in administration and educational leadership at the University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, and George Mason University. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from the University of Oklahoma. She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Education by MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois, as well as the Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Education by the College of Education at the University of Oklahoma. She has been a history and social studies teacher, a physical education teacher, a kindergarten teacher, a special education teacher, coordinator of special education programs, a school administrator, and professional development specialist in school districts across the country. Contact Paula at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Michael DiSalvo

Mike, an ASK Group Associate, lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He retired in June 2012 from Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), Virginia. Mike’s most recent position was Technology Integration Specialist at T.C. Williams High School. Prior to that, he was an instructional technology resource teacher and math teacher in ACPS and Easton, Massachusetts. Mike was also the Lead Mentor at Hammond Middle School in ACPS where he annually recruited and trained cadres of over 20 mentors who in turn supported 20 to 25 new teachers each year.

Mike made a presentation titled TIPS to NETS*T: Bringing Professional Development Together at the 2011 ISTE Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this session, he explained the development of TIPS (Technology Integration Practical Strategies) and how ACPS developed a summer workshop that uses face-to-face, blended learning, online learning, and collaborative teams. He and Kyle Dunbar made a presentation titled Targeting Student Results with NETS*T at the 2010 ISTE Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. As a certified NETS*T (Educational Technology Standards for Teachers) evaluator, Mike and two colleagues have led two cohorts of ACPS teachers to NETS*T certification and three hours of graduate credit from James Madison University.

In 2011, Mike completed the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Graduate Certificate Program in School Administration and Supervision. Watch a digital story produced by Mike as part of his work in that program on YouTube. He earned a Master of Education in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Boston University. Contact Mike at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

John Elwell

John, an ASK Group Consultant, lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts. John works with districts in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York where he leads the workshops Leading the Learning^®, Instruction for All Students™, and Why Didn’t I Learn This in College?^® John also does on-site coaching of principals and represents Just ASK at state and national conferences. His work in K-12 education includes 19 years as principal of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, Hamilton, Massachusetts, followed by two years as interim principal of Newburyport High School, Newburyport, Massachusetts. Prior to becoming a principal, he was an assistant principal for three years and teacher of mathematics for 14 years in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. John has served as a member of multiple New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) evaluation teams and as an Executive Board member for the Massachusetts Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Arts in Mathematics Education from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Contact John at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Sarah Hartman

Sarah Hartman, an ASK Group Consultant, lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Sarah and Janet Greet, Director of Professional Development in Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia made a presentation at the Learning Forward (NSDC) Annual Conference in Atlanta. Sarah is currently is on the staff of Buckland Mills Elementary School in PWCS. Before returning to school-based work, she was Director of Consulting Services for Just ASK.

Prior to joining Just ASK, Sarah was a Professional Development Specialist in Prince William County Schools (PWCS), Manassas, Virginia. In this position, Sarah facilitated the design process for a new division-wide standards-based supervision and evaluation system, supervised the Just ASK Certified Local Training (CLT) Program of 30 CLTs who taught Why Didn't I Learn This in College?^® (aka Teaching and Learning in the 21^st Century) to all new teachers in PWCS, and led the redevelopment of the PWCS mentor program based on Mentoring in the 21^st Century^®. She also coordinated programming and state funding for the PWCS schools identified as underperforming by the Virginia Department of Education and collaborated in the creation of multifaceted professional development supporting the organizational development of ten thousand employees. Sarah earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education at Purdue University. She has also served as a board member of the Virginia Staff Development Council. Contact Sarah at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Harriet Hopkins

Harriet, an ASK Group Associate and School Scheduling Associate, lives in Oakton, Virginia. She recently retired from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queens College and a Master of Education and a Doctor of Education from the University of Virginia. Prior to retiring she was Special Projects Administrator for FCPS. Harriet was also Director of National Programs and Station Support for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS); Director of Staff Development for Alexandria City Public Schools, Virginia; Coordinator for Elementary Programs, Area III, and Principal, Churchill Road Elementary School in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia. Additionally, Harriet, a renowned expert in the area of parallel block scheduling, has worked with numerous school districts in Michigan, Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland, New York, and Washington, made multiple conference presentations and co-authored two articles with Lynn Canady: “Parallel Block Scheduling: A Means of Reducing Class Size and Increasing Uninterrupted Instructional Time for Classroom Teachers,” published in the 1997 ASCD Curriculum Handbook, and “Integrating the Curriculum with Parallel Block Scheduling,” which appeared in Principal in March 1997. Contact Harriet at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Brenda Kaylor

Brenda, an ASK Group Senior Consultant, lives in Northglenn, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. She is working with school districts in Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, and Texas. A focus of her work is helping districts create long term, multifaceted professional development programs. In addition to leading the workshops Leading the Learning^®, Instruction for All Students™, Why Didn’t I Learn This in College?^®, Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners^®, and our Mentoring in the 21^st Century^® Institutes, Brenda leads the workshops Training for Results, Becoming an Effective Coach, and Creating a Culture for Learning^®. She was the project coordinator and a presenter for the Just ASK Creating a Culture for Learning^® Summits in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Prior to joining Just ASK, Brenda was the Director of Professional Development in St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont, Colorado. Before assuming that position, she was Director of Professional Development in Brighton Public Schools, Colorado. Brenda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Adams State College, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and Professional Certification in Educational Administration from the University of Denver.

Brenda is an active member of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), and has worked extensively with their Academies. Articles by Brenda have been published in JSD, the journal of Learning Forward (NSDC), and in Colorado Staff Development Council publications. She is a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning and the editor of Results-Based Professional Development Models originally published by St.Vrain Valley School District and now available online at www.justaskpublications.com.Brenda is fluent in Spanish. Contact Brenda at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Heather Clayton Kwit

Heather Clayton Kwit, an ASK Group Associate, lives in Webster, New York, a suburb of Rochester. She is the principal of Mendon Center Elementary School in Pittsford Central School District, New York. Previous principalships include two schools in the Greece Central School District, New York. In 2005 Longridge Elementary School where she was principal was recognized by the NY State Department of Education as a high performing/gap closing school and as a high achieving school for English Language Learners. Earlier Heather was a teacher and curriculum leader for English Language Arts in the award-winning West Irondequoit Central School District where she did extensive professional development work in the areas of standards-based planning, differentiation, and ongoing assessment.

Heather is a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning and author of the Just ASK e-newsletter Making the Common Core Come Alive! Her book Great Mini-Lessons for Teaching Genre Writing was published by Scholastic in 2001.

Heather earned a Master of Science in Special Education from Nazareth College, Rochester, New York and a Bachelor of Science in Education from West Virginia University. She holds certifications in New York state as a school district administrator and supervisor, elementary education, and special education. Contact Heather at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Julie McVicker

Julie McVicker, an ASK Group Senior Consultant, lives in Longmont, Colorado. She works with school districts in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas where she helps districts develop long-term, multifaceted professional development plans that include our Mentoring in the 21^st Century^® Institute and our workshops Why Didn’t I Learn This in College?^®, Instruction for All Students™, and Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners^®. She is a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning.

Prior to joining Just ASK, she was the Director of Priority Schools in St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont, Colorado. Her responsibilities in that position include coordinating the K-5 Literacy Department, supervising elementary principals, working with schools on closing the achievement gap, and leading systemic change. Earlier, she was principal of elementary schools in St. Vrain Valley School District, Adams County School District, and Burlington School District, Colorado. She has also served as a District Migrant/ELPA Education Coordinator, Gifted and Talented Coordinator, and staff developer. Bilingual education and ESL strategies are areas of focus in Julie’s work. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, and Master of Arts at Western State College, Gunnison, Colorado. Contact Julie at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Bruce Oliver

Bruce, an ASK Group Senior Consultant, lives in Burke, Virginia. He is the author of Just for the ASKing!, the highly acclaimed monthly e-newsletter published on the Just ASK website. Over 15,000 educators subscribe to this newsletter. He is also a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning. Bruce uses the knowledge, skills, and experience he acquired as a teacher, professional developer, mentor, and middle school principal as he works with school districts in Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. He works at the district and school level with leadership on establishing professional learning communities and leading in a standards-based environment. Areas of focus for instructional staff include teaching and learning in a standards-based environment, making assessment a learning experience, meeting the needs of diverse learners, and new teacher induction.

Bruce has made multiple presentations at the Virginia ASCD and VSDC Conferences. He delivered keynote addresses at two Creating a Culture for Learning^® Summits in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and the Bremen County Public Schools District 228, Illinois, Opening of School Institute. He also made two presentations at the AMLE (National Middle School Association) Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. He is scheduled to make the keynote address as the VASCD Fall Conference in September 2012.

He holds a Master of Arts in Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from the College of William and Mary. Subscribe to Just for the ASKing! Contact Bruce at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Ronni Reed

Ronni Reed, an ASK Group Associate, lives in Holmdel, New Jersey, ideally located near both New York City and the Jersey shore. She retired June 30th, 2011, from her position as Staff Development Leader in the Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold, New Jersey. In that position, Ronni planned and delivered professional development for over 325 staff members, developed and oversaw the District’s induction and mentoring program, and wrote and implemented the District’s Equity Plan/NCLB Grant.

Additionally, Ronni has been president of the New Jersey Staff Development (Learning Forward), and president the New Jersey Career Development Association; she has served on four New Jersey State Advisory Boards on teaching, mentoring, alternate route, and transforming schools. Other professional development responsibilities have included the design and implementation of a New Jersey State model for delivery or survival/life skills and chair of the Monmouth County Professional Development Board overseeing 54 district professional development plans.

Ronni earned a Master of Art in Counseling from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Temple University. She holds certification in elementary education, student personnel services, and supervision. Contact Ronni at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Sherri Stephens-Carter

Sherri, an ASK Group Associate, lives in the Denver, Colorado area. She recently led multiple sessions on using data to inform practice at the Just ASK Creating a Culture for Learning Summits^® in Las Cruces, New Mexico and worked with Westminster Elementary School, Adams County School District 50, Colorado, on a long term professional development project. This fall, she is working with ECOT, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, an online school headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, on using data to inform instructional decisions. Sherri recently retired from St. Vrain Valley School District in Longmont, Colorado, where she was Executive Director, Assessment and Curriculum. Since her “retirement” she has served as interim principal of Carbon Valley Academy Charter School in Frederick, Colorado, and coordinator of charter schools for St. Vrain Valley School District. She is a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning.

Sherri holds a Master of Education from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado. Sherri’s professional experiences include not only extensive leadership in assessment but eight years as Mathematics Coordinator in St. Vrain. Sherri was most recently the interim principal at the Carbon Valley Academy Charter Schools in Frederick, Colorado. Additionally, she served as President of the Colorado Association of Educational Evaluators, served on the Colorado Standards Committee that developed the math standards for Colorado, and taught graduate courses at Adams State College, Colorado State University, and the University of Colorado, Denver. Contact Sherri at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Louise Thompson

Louise, an ASK Group Senior Consultant, lives in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to teaching multiple sections of Instruction for All Students™, Leading the Learning, Why Didn't I Learn This in College?^®, and Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners^®, Louise coordinates ASK Group work in New England and has been instrumental in helping schools in Massachusetts revise their supervision and evaluation systems. She was also instrumental in guiding the International School of Beijing and Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia as they built in-house capacity. Louise was the featured speaker at the University of Massachusetts/Darmouth’s 2010 School Leaders Institute: Navigating the Way. She has presented on numerous occasions at the Harvard Principals’ Center Summer Institutes and made presentations for the New Zealand Principals’ Summer Institute and the Principals’ Institute at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Louise worked extensively with the Ministry of Education in Singapore.

Prior to joining Just ASK, Louise was the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and Director of Guidance for Brookline Public Schools, Massachusetts. Earlier in her career, she was an instructor for Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, and Director of Guidance and Director of Elementary Summer School for Dubuque Community Schools, Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from MacMurray College, a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Illinois, and a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University. She also holds an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from MacMurray College. Contact Louise at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

Theresa Doherty West

Theresa, an ASK Group Consultant, lives in Falls Church, Virginia, s located in the Washington, D. C. metropolitan area. She retired from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Virginia, in June 2011. Her most recent position in FCPS was the principalship of McNair Elementary School, which she assumed in July 2008. Prior to that, she was the director of Cluster III and principal of Glen Forest Elementary School, another FCPS school. Under Theresa’s leadership, both McNair and Glen Forest made AYP after having failed to do so in previous years. She is a true turn-around specialist.

Theresa was presented the prestigious Robert R. Spillane Leadership Award at the FCPS 2010 Leadership Conference. This award honors outstanding FCPS employees who, through their leadership, “keep the main thing the main thing,” making a significant impact on the academic achievement of students. She was also a FCPS Certified Local Trainer (CLT) and co-led Just ASK’s Leading the Learning^® workshop series for practicing principals.

Earlier administrative positions include serving as assistant principal at Glasgow Middle School, FCPS, Virginia, and student activities director at George Mason High School, Falls Church City Public Schools, Virginia. Besides her work as a school and district level administrator, a teacher of Spanish, ESL, civics, math, and a professional developer, she brings to her consulting work many years of experience working with children of poverty, extensive cross-cultural experience including eleven years living overseas, and bilingual Spanish/English fluency.

Theresa made a presentation titled “ Leading the Learning and Creating High Expectations for Student Achievement” at the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Annual Conference in Houston, Texas. She also made multiple presentations at the Just ASK Creating a Culture for Learning^® Summits in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Most recently she and Maria Eck, current principal of McNair Elementary School, FCPS, made a presentation at the VAESP Conference titled “Taming Those Difficult Conversations.” Theresa served as a principal mentor for NAESP and has worked with schools in Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. During 2012-2013, she will be mentoring new principals in FCPS.

Theresa is a co-author of Creating a Culture for Learning, a text that districts are using to build productive learning communities. The book features an in-depth look at the work she led at McNair Elementary School.

Theresa earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy and a Master of Arts in Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a bilingual/bicultural emphasis from California State University at Chico, California. Contact Theresa at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-940-5434.

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