About the Presenters

Dr. Kimberly Hinton, Director of Coaching for The Network for College Success (NCS), The University of Chicago, has worked for over 20 years as a teacher, school leader, transformational coach, and continuous improvement expert. She is passionate about advancing the work of schools in becoming places of liberation for young people. Prior to joining NCS, she worked as an educator in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system for over 15 years as a teacher, science coach, and school administrator. Dr. Hinton is committed to urban education and has a strong belief that given the resources and opportunity, every student can be successful. She believes that the entire school community (administrators, teachers, parents, and students) working together collaboratively is the best way to improve outcomes for students.

Shannon Shambaugh is a National Board Certified educator with over two decades of experience. Shannon is dedicated to creating learning environments that build upon student assets and foster student agency. As an Equity Advancement Specialist for Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington, Shannon collaborates with principals, instructional coaches, and teachers across 38 schools to implement systems that dismantle barriers to success by building culturally responsive learning partnerships through a focus on student and family voice. Additionally, Shannon is a certified Courageous Conversations About Race trainer, facilitating transformative dialogues on race to drive essential change in educational communities. She is committed to designing and implementing professional development that shifts school culture away from dominance and compliance and towards a culture of dignity and belonging for all.

Rachel Banas is the Director of Operations and Student Services at West Buffalo Charter School in Buffalo, NY. Rachel has been in the education field for over 16 years, as a teacher, student support coordinator, and elementary principal. She has a passion for student success across every developmental area, with a focus on social-emotional learning. Rachel works closely with students, families, and staff through the Social-Emotional Learning and Student Support Teams to maximize programming and interventions that create a positive learning environment for all students.

Dr. Sarah Gripshover holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University, where she led a series of studies using the principles of cognitive development to design education materials for preschoolers. She joined PERTS in 2014, where she is now the Director of Research. She currently works with educators and researchers to understand how schools can transform student experiences. Dr. Gripshover’s research has been published in Psychological Science, Child Development, and Developmental Psychology.