SXSWEdu Panel Session submission

1. SXSWEdu Panel Session:
Multiplying Student Success:
Tech x Teacher Prep x Disruption

2. The Panel Abstract
In very different ways, these panelists are leaders who are challenging the
status quo in order to change the way that we assist the teaching profession
to help students both today and into the future. They understand that a
continued rise in teacher attrition is a huge problem for us all, and that
solutions to that problem come in the form of a smart intersection of tools
and technology, support, education and mentorship. Successful teachers help
us on the path to student success, and leadership in learning takes on new
meaning when this group talks about what it will take to get us there and
why.
• What motivates the best teachers, and what makes them truly excel?
• How do we apply ed-tech as part of the solution in a fully integrated and
intelligent way?
• How can we improve ed-tech access in ALL schools, including those in
high-need neighborhoods and regions?
• What do students need now, as opposed to the past, and how can we
bridge the gap?

3. The Speakers
Panelists
Arthur Levine
President
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Jessie Woolley-Wilson
Chair, President and CEO
DreamBox Learning
John Katzman
CEO and Founder
Noodle Education, Inc.
Kaya Henderson
Chancellor
District of Columbia Public Schools

4. Dr. Arthur Levine is the sixth president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship
Foundation. Before his appointment at Woodrow Wilson in 2006, he was president and
professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He also previously
served as chair of the higher education program, chair of the Institute for Educational
Management, and senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
At the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, Dr. Levine has spearheaded the creation of the
Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships, which not only recruit and prepare outstanding
STEM graduates and professionals to teach in high-need secondary schools, but also
seek to change the way universities prepare teachers. These fellowships, based on Dr.
Levine’s noted reports for the Education Schools Project, focus on a year-long clinical
experience in high-need classrooms, along with rigorous academic preparation and
three subsequent years of mentoring.
Dr. Levine is the author of dozens of articles and reviews on such subjects as digital
learning, education reform, and the evolution of higher education, as well as trends
among college students. His most recent book is Generation on a Tightrope: A Portrait
of Today’s College Student (with Diane Dean, 2012). The recipient of numerous honors,
including Carnegie, Guggenheim, and Rockefeller Fellowships, he is a member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences and currently sits on the board of the
Educational Testing Service and Say Yes to Education.
Dr. Arthur
Levine
Panelist

5. Jessie Woolley-
Wilson
Panelist
Jessie Woolley-Wilson is Chair, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning®, the
company that developed the Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ platform heralded as a
“game changer” in the eLearning sector by nationally renowned academic and
technology pundits. Jessie brings nearly two decades of experience in K-12 e-learning
and education technology to DreamBox Learning. Throughout her career in the
education industry, Jessie has held several leadership roles in general management,
sales and marketing, operations, and business development.
Before joining DreamBox Learning, Jessie was President of the K–12 Group at
Blackboard where she led the company’s growth and development for the virtual and
blended online learning market. Prior to Blackboard, she was President of LeapFrog
SchoolHouse, the schools division of LeapFrog Enterprises, where she established
SchoolHouse as a leader in education technology and one of the fastest growing
educational software producers in the United States.

6. John Katzman
Panelist
John Katzman is Founder and CEO of Noodle Education, Inc. John’s innovative ideas
about education have led him to found three companies: The Princeton Review, 2U,
and Noodle itself.
Before serving as Executive Director, he founded and worked as the CEO of 2U, an
edtech company that partners with prestigious universities to offer online degree
programs. In 1981, John founded The Princeton Review and served as its CEO until
2007. He also serves on the Board of several for- and non-profit organizations, and is
the author and co-author of five books and numerous articles.

7. Kaya
Henderson
Panelist
Kaya Henderson is Chancellor of DC Public Schools. She has served in this role since
June 2011.
Her education career began as a middle school Spanish teacher in the South Bronx.
After serving as a teacher, Kaya went on to work as a recruiter, national admissions
director, and DC Executive Director for Teach for America.
In 2000, Kaya began her work with The New Teacher Project, where she became the
Vice President for Strategic Partnerships. She came to District of Columbia Public
Schools as Deputy Chancellor in 2007. During her time as Deputy Chancellor, she
oversaw the district’s human resources and human capital work. In this position, she
served as chief negotiator for the groundbreaking 2010 contract between DCPS and the
Washington Teachers’ Union, and led the development of IMPACT, a new and innovative
professional development and assessment system designed to ensure that an effective
teacher is leading every classroom in DCPS. Kaya’s work in developing human capital at
DCPS has served as a model for other school districts throughout the country.
As Chancellor, Kaya is committed to holding all students to high expectations, providing
them with access to high quality teachers and leaders, and creating the most rigorous
and innovative instructional environments to ensure their success.
She has shared the successful strategies developed at DCPS with other districts and
countries in national and international conferences.
Kaya holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown’s School of
Foreign Service and a Master of Arts in Leadership.