3 Reasons Your Directions Aren’t Working (And What to Do Instead)

About the Presenters

Jonnecia Alford-Simmons is an educator dedicated to fighting for student achievement every day. She has served in many leadership roles as Assistant Principal of Instruction, multi-classroom leader, real-time teacher coach, new teacher development coach, and math instructional lead in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Within the roles she has served, she discovered that coaching teachers is her passion. Jonnecia believes when given the appropriate support, every student can excel academically. She is highly skilled in developing teams on the use of observation/feedback cycles, real-time teacher coaching, and data-driven instruction. Her teachers consistently obtained high student growth in engagement and achievement. She currently serves as the Director of Advanced Teaching Roles & Instructional Coaching in Gaston County schools, where she supports teachers and coaches to achieve excellence. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing kickball, and spending time with her family.

Elizabeth Glover is a native of Pennsylvania. She graduated from The University of Maine at Fort Kent in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and French. She taught the four-year-old class at the Goddard School for a year before moving from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in 2003, where she accepted a fourth-grade teaching position at Tryon Elementary. She taught fourth grade for seven years, then looped with her class to fifth grade in 2010, which is the same year she earned her National Boards. In 2022, she became a Content Teacher serving grades K-5 at Tryon for three years. In 2025, she became an Advanced Lead Teacher for grade five at Bessemer City Central. Elizabeth has served on many committees, demonstrating leadership within her school and district.

Elizabeth has five sisters and 12 nieces and nephews. She is married to Travis, a fireman in Charlotte, and they have a daughter, Annie Mae, and a son, Bill, whom they fostered to adopt in Lincoln County. Her hobbies include traveling, riding her bike, playing soccer with her son, collecting quotes and puzzles, and spending time with her family and friends.

About the Moderator

Jaclyn Surratt is a champion for great schools. As an experienced educator and school leader, Jaclyn is committed to turning around schools in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and across the country. She served as a founding teacher, director of curriculum, instruction, and school culture, and head of school at a successful charter school and has coached school staff to achieve an “A” rating on the Ohio Report Card. Jaclyn also served as the Director of Real Time Teacher Coaching for TFA’s Northeast Ohio Region. She currently consults with Cleveland-area schools and districts to promote best practices in teaching and creating a positive school culture. Jaclyn’s passion, experience, and focus on results have driven her to success working with teachers and students in districts and charter schools. She holds a Master of Education from Arizona State University. Jaclyn loves reading and spending time with her husband and three kids.