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Comprehensive Professional Development Solutions
Empowering Educators, Improving Education
UPCOMING CONFERENCE: PRESENTER BIOS
Saturday in the City Program: Summer 2022
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2023 conference info!
Dr. Erica Vernold Miller, founder and CEO of Professor Patty Cake ® Consulting, L.L.C., has worked in the field of education for over two decades. Throughout her career she has held numerous teaching and school leadership positions in California, North Carolina, and New York. Currently in addition to the work she does at Professor Patty Cake ® Consulting, L.L.C. , Dr. Miller also serves as an adjunct professor at SUNY Cortland and student teacher supervisor at Keuka College.
Previously, she served as a Visiting Professor and the Syracuse Residency Director for the New York University (NYU) Steinhardt Teacher Residency Program as well as served as the CAEP Accreditation Coordinator, Student Teaching Coordinator, the Inclusive Early Childhood, (IECE) and Inclusive Elementary Education (IEE) Program Director, and an Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education at Cazenovia College. Before working in higher education, she held a variety of positions in P-12 education, including but not limited to: special education teacher, early childhood teacher, principal, and nonprofit executive director.
Her award-winning research and expertise primarily focuses on inclusive educational practices, child development, multicultural literacy, nontraditional family structures, social justice, resiliency theory, educator burnout prevention, and intellectual downplaying behavior.
Since establishing Professor Patty Cake ® Consulting, L.L.C., she has published several new academic articles, presented at numerous conferences, and conducted workshops for parents, preservice teachers, teachers, school administrators, and the general public in locations across the United States and abroad. Through such work, she has helped countless educators expand their teaching repertoires and better meet the needs of their students.
Those who have worked with Dr. Erica Vernold Miller have praised her depth of knowledge and dedication to the field of inclusive education. Described as: ENTHUSIASTIC, DYNAMIC, and KNOWLEDGEABLE; Dr. Vernold Miller's engaging personality and expertise have helped make Professor Patty Cake ® Consulting, L.L.C. the go-to company for comprehensive professional development solutions that empower educators and improve education. When she's not working, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her family. More information about her can be found Here.
Dawn Wilczynski is an educator and an independent professional developer and consultant. She considers herself a practical practitioner who thrives on confirming and challenging educators’ thoughts about what is possible in the world of teaching and learning and works closely with classroom teachers, principals, and district administrators to re-examine long held beliefs and to process necessary changes for transforming their teaching practices. Dawn loves to build capacity in future-focused individuals and teams, guiding educators toward deeper understanding between pedagogy, curriculum, and learning outcomes. More than anything, Dawn is a teacher at heart, with a wealth of experience teaching learners of all ages.
Over her 35 years in education, Dawn has taught and held district-level administrative positions supporting PK-12 students and staff through many visionary initiatives. Some of her areas of expertise include organizational strategic planning; recognizing, nurturing, coaching, and developing talent and leaders; understanding curriculum design and instructional best
practices; developing grading pedagogy, understanding, and policies; building literacy initiatives within all grades and content areas; developing social-emotional practices for relationship building; and utilizing data to make informed decisions.
Finding practical solutions to education’s complex problems is Dawn’s passion, but when she isn’t working, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, and spending time with her family, friends, and three dogs.
You can also find her on LinkedIn- Click Here
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Michelle Costello is an educational consultant/coach who works with teachers and administrators all over the country. Michelle believes that the best professional development happens when educators collaborate to research current evidence-based practices, expand their knowledge and understanding of pedagogy, and set a course of data-driven action for real-time, practical implementation along with embedded coaching and feedback support.
Using a residency model approach, Michelle leads teachers and administrators though a gradual release cycle of improvement. Her expertise in the areas of literacy, special education, crisis intervention, trauma-informed environments and RtI/MTSS have awarded her opportunities to speak and lead workshops nationally.
Michelle holds a BS in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in Reading, CAS in building and district leadership administration, and is certified in Life Space Crisis Intervention. She currently works as a Learning Experience Coordinator for MeTEOR Education and as an Independent Education Consultant.
Previous experiences include a range in all PreK – 12 levels as a Building Principal, Associate Principal, District Instructional Coach, Reading Specialist, Interventionist, MTSS Coordinator, and CSE Chairperson. She enjoys teaching, writing, and reading but can also be found playing pickleball or boating with friends and family along with her goldendoodle Briar.
You can also find her on LinkedIn- Click Here
