About the Presenters

Rachel Gil has been part of the Santa Ana Unified School District community as a secondary English teacher, literacy coach, TOSA, GATE coordinator, and TIPS new teacher mentor/PLC for 20 years. Supporting teachers and teams in implementing effective instruction and assessment practices is her passion. Rachel has extensive experience working as a department chair, TOSA, literacy coach, and instructional coach supporting effective teaching practices in secondary settings.

Because of her varying leadership roles, Rachel has helped facilitate and coach cross-curricular teams in transforming school culture and instruction. She has experience teaching students and supporting teachers within school settings that present complex instructional and behavioral challenges. Rachel specializes in providing support and training in UDL, student-centered curricular design, academic interventions, and personalized learning approaches. Rachel has her MA in curriculum and instruction from Vanguard University and currently supports teachers as an adjunct professor in the Graduate Program of Education at Vanguard University.

Katie Weisberg started her career as a sixth-grade humanities teacher in a project-based context and found herself gravitating toward students at the margins—those who learned differently, those who spoke languages other than English, and those whom other teachers “warned” her about before they joined her class. These were the students who fueled her desire to reimagine the industrial system of schooling that is perfectly designed to get the results it currently gets: serving some while alienating and marginalizing others. After working as a special education teacher and dean of students, Katie directed special education programs for the High Tech High network of K-12 charter schools in San Diego.

Inspired by the change that is possible at the system level when teams are energized by shared purpose, Katie directed the High Tech High GSE’s Master’s in Educational Leadership program, where she partnered with current and future school leaders to cultivate the dispositions, mindsets, and skills that are necessary for advancing equity and deeper learning in complex school systems. Katie is currently a Director of Strategic Partnerships at Learner-Centered Collaborative where she has the honor of supporting teams of educators as they reimagine schools and cultivate shared purpose. On the weekends, Katie geeks out on her Airbnb side hustle, loves to hike with her partner and their two dogs, and bakes endless varieties of cookies and sourdough bread.

Marlon Styles, Jr. is currently a Learner-Centered Collaborative Partner and a recognized inspirational speaker and educational leader. In 2017, he was named a Top 30 Digital Trailblazer by the Center for Digital Education. Under his leadership at Middletown City Schools, the district was awarded the ISTE Distinguished District Award in 2019. He testified before the United States Congress in 2020 to advocate for access and opportunity for all students. K-12 Dive recognized him as the Superintendent of the Year in 2020 for his advocacy and leadership to close equity gaps on a national stage. Marlon’s mission is to inspire educators to see themselves as empowered Unifiers capable of creating the types of learning experiences today’s modern learners need to thrive.