Antonio Washington worked as a mathematics tutor, Alternative Program Technical Lead, Site Co-Lead, and Dropout Prevention Specialist at Birmingham City School’s Department of Recovery and Prevention. After spending four years at Birmingham City Schools developing strategies and processes that helped the program grow from an average of 60 at-risk students to over 500 students, Antonio decided to pursue education as a new career and entered into University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alternative Masters Program (Secondary Mathematics). He infuses the latest research and developments (and Technology) into student engagement, learning, and teaching to help clients prepare students for college and careers in the 21st Century. Antonio believes that “all students” deserve to reach their full potential and education lays the foundation for this journey; therefore, he works tirelessly with students, parents, schools, communities, employers and all stakeholders to ensure each and every student has a quality education despite any and all obstacles! Antonio has a Bachelors of Science from Morehouse College, a Bachelors and Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Masters of Arts in Education: Secondary Mathematics from University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Gene Cliburn has over 30 years’ experience in the field of education as a classroom teacher and administrator. During this time, Cliburn has witnessed enormous changes in the ways instructional content is delivered and student learning is assessed. Seeking to embrace change and use it effectively, Cliburn’s doctoral studies have focused on the rapidly changing field of Instructional Technology. Mr. Cliburn began his career as a teacher of English and intellectually gifted students, spending 14 years in the classroom. After moving into the role of principal, schools under Cliburn’s leadership received awards for high academic performance and for eliminating the achievement gap between socioeconomic groups. Cliburn has also served as an assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum, where he supported administrators and faculty across elementary, middle, and high school levels in continuous improvement in instruction. Cliburn is passionate about teaching and learning, believing that a strong educational foundation is key to one’s success in life.
Valencia brings a unique perspective to education. She has over ten years’ experience working as a teacher and guidance counselor in various school settings. Her experience includes working in preschool, elementary, middle and high school. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Education degree in School Counseling from Long Island University.
Gary C. Booker is a native of Atlanta, Georgia with a lifelong interest in science, engineering and mathematics. He received a Bachelor of Science in Space Studies from American Military University and is an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer. He has an interdisciplinary background that includes STEM Instruction, civil and industrial engineering, aeronautics and community development. Gary believes in teaching mathematics to connect with the personal passions and interests of each student.
Sheryl has a BSc in Secondary English Education and an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction together with 15-years of experience as a teacher, assistant & high school principal, and as assistant director at the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, a school innovation division at University of Indianapolis. Sheryl also served as principal of Ben Davis University High School, an Early College program partnered with Vincennes University in Indiana, the first school to earn the state’s Model Site for Excellence designation as an Early College model. In addition to teaching across the grades, Sheryl will provide support for individual learning needs and develop our Early College program.
Nina P. Kozlova graduated from Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University, having majored in Physics and English. She has taught both ESL and Science in Russia and the US. She believes curiosity, sense of humor, integrity and compassion to be the best character traits. "A day without learning something new is a day wasted”, is her motto.
Jessica Phillip is a senior at Emory University who will be graduating with a BSc in Chemistry and a minor in Computer Science. She's an avid believer that it is far more important to know how to think and not what to think. Most importantly, according to Jessica, taking a deep breath every once in a while should always be a priority.
Dr. K P Prakash, has unique expertise in the nexus between content and technology with over 16+ years of visible achievements in cross-functional teams with a demonstrated history of working in e-learning and IT industries from start-up to acquisition. He began his career as a Mathematics Instructor. Visualizing that technology could greatly impact and transform the way students learn, he made a career move into education technology and has been working to leverage technology to help students, teachers, schools, and districts ever since. Prior to his Product Architect role, Dr. K P Prakash served as Delivery Head, Project Manager, and E-Learning Specialist. In these positions, Dr. K P Prakash spearheaded development of new products and services and led the content development and software (learning management system) development teams very effectively that support Grade Results' growth strategy. He is skilled in Strategic Planning, Business Analysis (PMI-PBA), Product, and Project Management (PMI-PMP) from inception to launch of a SaaS education company with the latest technologies. He has strong entrepreneurship and edupreneurship professional with an industry adaptable focus in Information Technology, EdTech, and Communications.
Yenfeng Liang has over seven years’ experiences in teaching Mandarin Chinese language, culture and art through pre-k to adult level students. She’s passionate about teaching, and enjoys working with students from multiple backgrounds and discussing various topics. Her teaching philosophy and goals are based on the belief that teaching should be student-centered and should be made with consideration of students’ academic as well as socio-emotional needs. As like the analects of Confucius said “有教无类，因材施教” which means "No Child Left Behind, Ability-Driven Education." For her classes and immersion programs, her objective as a teacher is to motivate her students toward a level of independence where they develop a desire to learn and think for themselves. Moreover, as a teacher, she would like to show her care to every student in the class, and there are a great way for all her students to socialize and learn about the Chinese culture and Mandarin Language.
