Stephanie M. Johnson, NBCT
Stephanie Michelle Johnson (she/her) is an esteemed educator with eighteen years of service in the South Carolina public school system. Currently serving as a Reading Interventionist at HB Rhame Elementary in Columbia, SC, Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her work.
As a National Board Certified Teacher in Early/Middle Childhood Literacy, Stephanie exemplifies a steadfast commitment to educational excellence. Her leadership extends beyond the classroom, evidenced by her eight-year tenure on the Executive Board of The South Carolina Education Association. She played a pivotal role in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force in 2023, contributing to shaping policy aimed at enhancing the teaching profession for student learning. Stephanie is also a graduate of the South Carolina Department of Education Foundations in School Leadership Program and was recognized as a Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching state finalist in 2010.
Stephanie serves as the NEA Director for the National Education Association, the largest labor union representing public school teachers and support personnel in the United States. She is actively involved in NEA, previously chairing the Women’s Issues Committee and contributing significantly to committees focused on racial and social justice, leadership, and education policy.
Stephanie’s contributions to education have garnered notable recognition, including the 2024 Veteran Teacher Award, the 2017 Award for Distinguished Alumni from the University of South Carolina College of Education, and the Fulbright for Global Classrooms Award in 2023, which enabled her to travel to Uruguay. She is among a select few teachers nationwide to receive the 2017 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and the NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.
Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in Executive Leadership from Gardner-Webb University. Her commitment to literacy led her to earn an Early Literacy Assessment and Strategies for Reading endorsement from Clemson University.
Kevin Gilbert
Assistant Superintendent
Howard County Public School System (Howard County, MD)
Dr. Kevin F. Gilbert (he/him), has been in education for 24 years and currently serves as an Assistant Superintendent for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) in Howard County, Maryland. Prior to his arrival in HCPSS, he served as the coordinator for teacher leadership and special projects with the Clinton Public School District in Clinton, Mississippi.
Dr. Gilbert has worked as a social studies teacher, coach, bus driver, and an administrator with the Clinton Public School District, Rankin County School District (Flowood, MS), and the Hinds County School District (Raymond, MS). Other professional experience includes serving on the National Education Association’s (NEA) Executive Committee from 2013-2019, and president of the Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE) from 2007-2013. Other leadership positions include serving as vice president for governance for the National Council of State Education Associations, chair of the NEA Committee on Human and Civil Rights, and co-chair of the NEA task force on Discipline and the School-to-Prison Pipeline.
He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a doctorate in education leadership from Mississippi College.
Jessica Cuthbertson, NBCT
Consultant
Jessica (she/hers) has over 15 years of teaching experience in Colorado K-12 schools. While most of her teaching focuses on middle school ELA, she enjoys supporting students of all ages and abilities. Jessica believes literacy is a powerful tool for social justice, equity, and advocacy. She recently has taken a break from the classroom to homeschool her son, an English language learning originally from Ethiopia. Jessica earned her M.Ed from University of Colorado at Denver and was a magna cum laude graduate in communication and sociology from Regis University.
Kristoffer Kohl, NBCT
Consultant
Kris (he/his) is a sixth grade teacher and PBIS and MTSS coach in Southern California. He previously led a variety of initiatives at CTQ designed to elevate and spread the expertise of accomplished teachers in districts and states across the country. As part of CTQ’s global endeavors, Kristoffer worked with educators from several high-achieving nations to develop a series of recommendations for how public education might evolve in the US to meet the demands of the 21st century. He runs a household circus in Irvine, CA with his wife Meredith and two children, Holden and Evelyn.
Jon Eckert
Lead Consultant, Research
Jon is the Copple Professor of Educational Leadership at Baylor University. His research includes teaching effectiveness, teacher compensation, and collective leadership development. His publications include Capitol Hill white papers, peer-reviewed journal articles, pieces for Education Week and the Kappan, and Leading together: Teachers and administrators improving student outcomes and The novice advantage: Fearless practice for every teacher. He served as a Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education in both the Bush and Obama administrations, was a teacher outside of Chicago and Nashville for 12 years, and earned a doctorate in educational leadership, policy, and organizations from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College.
Alesha Daughtrey
President
Alesha (she/her) sees complex challenges as opportunities for collective learning and leadership and for rethinking how schools and systems can serve each learner equitably and effectively. Her work at Mira Education accelerates the organization’s impact as a design and implementation partner to teams and organizations throughout P20 education. Originally trained as a high school ELA teacher, Alesha’s passion for systems led to a decade of work in community organizing and engagement, policy, and philanthropy, all of which inform her approach to engaging diverse leadership teams in innovation efforts. Since joining Mira Education in 2009, she has co-developed professional learning and support models for teachers and administrators, researched conditions and practices for effective school leadership and educator retention, and co-led partnerships with more than 100 teams leading sustainable change in their schools, districts, and other organizations. Alesha holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Duke University and a B.A. in English and secondary education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Lori Nazareno, NBCT
Design Lead
Lori (she/her) leads efforts that include designing and implementing collective leadership structures, rethinking how students engage in their learning, and redesigning how time in school is structured. She has 25 years of teaching experience and is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence (EA) Science. Prior to joining Mira Education, she designed and helped bring into form the Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy, a collaboratively led school where she served as co-lead teacher for three years.
Candace Dewith
Bookkeeper
Candace (she/her) provides support to the finance and administrative team. She comes to Mira Education from Florida where she worked in construction accounting, payroll, and contracts. Prior to Florida, she worked in her home state of California conducting audits and leading training and development in a retail environment. She graduated from Mira Costa College in Oceanside, CA, and holds an associate degree in mathematics.
Shelly Moore Krajacic, NBCT
Shelly Moore Krajacic (she/her), an English and drama teacher from Ellsworth, Wisconsin, was elected to the National Education Association’s (NEA) executive committee in July 2015 for a three-year term. Shelly, a National Board Certified Teacher, is a third-generation Wisconsin educator with 17 years of classroom experience. Prior to her election to NEA’s Executive Committee, Shelly served in numerous national, state, and local leadership capacities. She has been especially active in her local NEA affiliate. She was also a candidate for the Wisconsin State Senate in 2011.
In addition, she is a member of the board of directors for the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and served on NEA’s Board of Directors for six years. The NEA Executive Committee consists of nine members — three executive officers and six members elected at-large by the representative assembly. The committee is responsible for setting general policy and maintaining the interests of the NEA.
Shelly earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. She received a master’s degree in English education from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, where she previously served as an adjunct instructor.