NIET Announces 2024-2026 Educator Advisory Board

Photo: Somerset Elementary, Somerset ISD, TX 

Ensuring all students have access to great teachers and learning opportunities in every classroom lies at the heart of NIET and our work with partners. As a nonprofit dedicated to quality education, we rely on the expertise of our partners across the country to support innovation and improvement and are honored to announce new members of our NIET Educator Advisory Board.

The Educator Advisory Board contributes to the success of NIET’s work in classrooms across the country. These Advisory Board members come from all across the country and collectively add to the knowledge, innovation, and strategy to advance NIET’s mission to build educator excellence to give all students the opportunity for success. 

"I am excited to work with this group of distinguished leaders on our Educator Advisory Board,” said CEO Dr. Joshua Barnett. “Understanding the needs of educators and students is crucial to our mission and this group’s knowledge will inform NIET’s continued development of highly impactful tools and materials to support every educator and every student.”  

The newly appointed Educator Advisory Board includes leaders from different positions and locations nationwide to help inform our work.

2024-2026 Educator Advisory Board

• Chris Coffelt, Superintendent, Central Decatur Community School District, Iowa
• Lizette Esparza, Superintendent, Gadsden Elementary School District #32, Arizona
• Meagen Flores, Academic Facilitator, Harmony Elementary School, East Central Independent School District, Texas
• Dr. Shawn Foster, Superintendent, Orangeburg County School District, South Carolina
• Bethany Gibson, Principal, Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Perry Township Schools, Indiana
• Sam Jordan, Grant Director, Alaska Council of School Administrators, Alaska
• Lilla Toal Mandsager, Executive Director for Continuous Improvement, South Carolina Department of Education, South Carolina
• Amanda Merrill, Master Teacher, Encanto Elementary School, Osborn School District #8, Arizona
• Karli Saracini, Assistant Commissioner of Educator Effectiveness & Licensure, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas
• Jenna Sharp, Principal, Clinton Elementary School, Clinton City Schools, Tennessee
• Dr. Quentina Timoll, Superintendent, University View Academy, Louisiana

Photos and biographical information about the Educator Advisory Board can be found on NIET's website.

About NIET

NIET is a nonprofit with 25 years of experience working with schools, districts, states, and universities to build educator excellence and give all students an equal opportunity to succeed. NIET’s initiatives including The TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement, teacher and leader development, school improvement, rubric and observation systems, and educator preparation, have impacted more than 350,000 educators and 3.5 million students across the U.S. At the core of NIET’s work is the belief that all students deserve to be taught by an effective teacher. We have found that teacher leaders are a powerful lever for improving educator effectiveness and ensuring all students have opportunities for success.