Improving Professional Learning Systems for Today’s Educators: Playbook for State and Local Leaders

About the Presenters

Ji Soo Song is the Director of Projects and Initiatives at SETDA, where he oversees a portfolio of initiatives to support 40+ state education agencies in implementing promising practices on topics such as digital opportunity, edtech procurement, professional learning, sustainability, and AI. He leads SETDA’s partnerships with philanthropic groups and corporate sponsors and advises the organization’s federal advocacy strategies. Ji Soo also oversees the design and evaluation of SETDA’s signature events and represents state leaders in national and international forums, including as a designated focal point for the UNESCO-UNICEF Gateways to Public Digital Learning Initiative.

Previously, Ji Soo served as a Digital Equity Advisor and Federation of American Scientists Impact Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. He led the Department’s efforts to bridge the digital access divide, organized the National Digital Equity Summit, and supported development of the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan.

Michael Ham is a Partner at FullScale, leading policy initiatives to foster equity-driven innovation in K-12 education. He collaborates with sector leaders nationwide to create conditions that enable transformative learning and equitable access for all students. Michael’s career in K-12 education began in high-need Title I public schools, where he scaled impactful instructional practices alongside school and district leaders. His passion for human-centered systems improvement and leveraging technology evolved into leading broader systemic change efforts. As a Partner of Research, Measurement, and Policy at FullScale, he works with state and federal leaders to implement programs that scale evidence-based practices, focusing on sustainable models that prioritize equity and empower students.

Kurt Beer’s helping teachers and students. For 20 years, Kurt has supported schools’ integrations of information and instructional technologies. As a former IT professional, he loves finding ways technology can safely and responsibly improve the lives of educators. Forgive him if he slips too deep into tech talk. He just loves this stuff. Kurt supports MagicSchool’s partner operations throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, advising schools on the responsible integration of AI-powered instructional tools. In this role, Kurt helps empower teachers to accomplish their many tasks more efficiently, ultimately making their work in the classroom easier, more impactful, and more fulfilling. MagicSchool’s mission is to combat educator burnout and support thriving classrooms through innovative, responsibly designed AI tools. MagicSchool is trusted by millions of educators and thousands of schools, advancing the future of teaching and learning.

Coleen Putaansuu has worked at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in Washington State since 2006. Prior to that time, she served for 18 years as an elementary teacher and elementary principal.

Tate Toedman is a Federal Programs Specialist in the Office of ESEA Programs at the Nebraska Department of Education. Tate oversees Title II-A and Title IV-A, and is the Private School Ombudsman for ESEA programs. He is involved in approving applications and monitoring school districts and Education Service Units. He has previously served at the Kansas State Department of Education overseeing ESEA federal programs, served as the Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and as the Private School Ombudsman. He was at the Kansas State Department of Education from 2006 to 2024.

Alexis Harrigan is the Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at ISTE+ASCD.

Elizabeth Foster is the Senior Vice President of Research and Strategy at Learning Forward. She leads the organization’s research efforts for partnerships, programs, and fundraising. Elizabeth co-wrote the Standards for Professional Learning (2022) with Tracy Crow and now facilitates learning sessions about the standards and develops resources that support their implementation. She contributes to the design, facilitation, and evaluation of networks, including those focused on middle school mathematics and curriculum-based professional learning.

Prior to Learning Forward, Elizabeth was the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF), where she led a major research investigation about educator support systems that resulted in a report entitled What Matters Now (2016) and a successful three-year improvement network with Learning Forward. Her published work includes studies on teacher recruitment, preparation, and professional learning, urban teacher shortages, community college teacher preparation, professional learning communities, and the demographics of the education workforce.

Dr. Beth Holland is Managing Director of Research & Policy at FullScale. Since joining FullScale in 2020, she has expanded the organization’s initiatives, building research partnerships with districts, systems, and other organizations to engage in program evaluation as well as specific areas of interest. She is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader in the edtech and digital equity spaces, recently serving on a Technical Working Group to author the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP). Prior to joining FullScale, she completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Rhode Island, where she worked on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready to Learn Initiative, and served as the Digital Equity and Rural Project Director at the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN).