About the Presenters

Brent Mitchell, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, holds an educational specialist degree in educational administration from the University of Central Arkansas, a dual master’s degree in educational leadership and teaching and curriculum from Harding University, and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Brent began his teaching career in 2000 as a fifth-grade educator at Martin Luther King Elementary in Little Rock, Arkansas. He advanced to the role of assistant principal in the Little Rock School District in 2005. In 2008, Brent was appointed Principal of Fuller Middle School in the Pulaski County School District in Little Rock, Arkansas. His administrative journey continued in 2011 when he became the Director of Academics and Operations for Lighthouse Charter Schools. Later, he moved to Lewisville, Texas, where he served as Assistant Superintendent for Ignite Community Schools.

During his seven-year tenure in Lewisville, Brent made significant strides in the education sector. He successfully opened two new schools, facilitated the removal of three schools from the school improvement list, and earned state distinction awards for two campuses. He also established numerous after-school programs and partnerships that benefited children of color in the community.

Brent currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Support Services for the Ferguson-Florissant School District in Hazelwood, MO. In this role, he oversees 9,600 children across 23 campuses, ensuring the smooth operation of support services that are crucial for the district’s educational mission.

Anthony Salcito, Chief Institution Business Officer, leads Varsity Tutors for Schools and is responsible for Nerdy’s efforts to support institutions as they work to transform learning opportunities for students and educators across a range of offerings. Prior to joining Nerdy, Anthony served as Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft. In this role, he was responsible for driving Microsoft’s education engagement and relationships globally, including long-term partnerships with schools, universities, and other public sector customers. Throughout his Microsoft career, he helped launch many of the company’s cornerstone education programs and is recognized as a champion for teachers and a global education thought leader.

Hillary Knudson bridges policy and politics, focusing on strategy, advocacy, and research across the PK-12 education system. She strives for system-level change that promotes equity in opportunity and success for all students. Her experience in federal and state education legislation and implementation spans over a decade. Serving as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Tennessee Department of Education, Hillary co-authored Tennessee’s plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and oversaw the implementation of multi-million dollar strategic initiatives connected to early literacy, high-quality instructional materials, and school improvement efforts across the state. Prior to TDOE, Hillary worked as a K-12 policy staffer for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee supporting the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act through the legislative process and final passage.

Hillary’s current portfolio supports PK-12 organizations—including national non-profits, philanthropic foundations, private equity firms, and edtech companies—in navigating the complexity of education policy and market dynamics to identify opportunities at the local, state, and federal levels. Hillary earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and child development from Vanderbilt University and her master’s degree in education policy and organizational leadership from Stanford Graduate School of Education. She currently lives in Oakland, California, and enjoys cooking without a recipe, exploring the Bay Area’s food scene, and searching for the perfect cold brew coffee.

Linda Jacobson is a California-based senior writer for The 74, covering Congress, policy, courts, early education, and more. Prior to The 74, Linda spent three years at Education Dive, writing and editing a blend of news and features with a special focus on school and district leadership. Continuing a longtime focus on early childhood education, she also ran a monthly column on research, policy, and practices related to young children.

Linda began covering schools for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; she has also worked as a reporter and associate editor at Education Week and served as Assistant Director of the Education Writers Association. Linda was a first-prize winner in the National Awards for Education Reporting, the winner of an Eddie Award for a School Library Journal package on news and media literacy in schools, and a 2018 fellow with the Center for Health Journalism at USC.