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Meet the CCR Consultants
The Thought Leaders
Douglas Fisher Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College. He has served as a teacher, language development specialist, and administrator in public schools and non-profit organizations, including 8 years as the Director of Professional Development for the City Heights Collaborative, a time of increased student achievement in some of San Diego’s urban schools. Doug has engaged in Professional Learning Communities for several decades, building teams that design and implement systems to impact teaching and learning. He has published numerous books on teaching and learning, such as Assessment-capable Visible Learners and Engagement by Design.
Nancy Frey, Ph.D., is a Professor in Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She has been a special education teacher, reading specialist, and administrator in public schools. Nancy has engaged in Professional Learning Communities as a member and in designing schoolwide systems to improve teaching and learning for all students. She has published numerous books, including The Teacher Clarity Playbook and Rigorous Reading.
Certified Consultants
Olivia Amador-Valerio, Ed. D. is currently a principal with the Chula Vista Elementary School District with thirteen years of experience. As a bilingual teacher, reading and language arts specialist, and earned doctorate in Educational Leadership, she has dedicated her career to improving student achievement for English Learners focused on collaborative conversations, designated and integrated English Language Development , and providing coaching and mentoring services for school staffs. Certified with the Visible Learning in Literacy model and the Gradual Release of Responsibility framework, she provides clients with a personalized professional development experience connected to high impact practices linked with the areas of concentration.
Lisa Cebelak is a national education consultant whom facilitates professional development onsite and provides follow up implementation visits in various areas such as curriculum, instruction, and assessments. In her former district, Lisa was an instructional coach specializing in secondary literacy coaching.
Kim Elliot Padgitt is a National Board Certified Science Teacher at Health Science High & Middle College. She earned a master’s degree with a focus on Reading and Language Arts from San Diego State University and is a Leading Edge Certified Teacher in online and blended learning. Kim has extensive experience making science content accessible to diverse student populations, including English Learners.
Toni Faddis, Ed. D. is a Corwin author and fulltime Professional Learning Consultant. Prior to joining Corwin as a fulltime consultant, Toni was a district leader, principal, and teacher in diverse communities in Southern California. Her background in bilingual education and as a Reading Recovery teacher assist her with establishing relationships with teachers, administrators, and learners. Toni also mentors and coaches current and aspiring school leaders in the Educational Leadership Department at San Diego State University.
Karen Flories is currently a Professional Learning Consultant for Corwin. Prior to this role, she was the Executive Director of 6-12 Educational Services for Valley View School District 365U, in Romeoville/Bolingbrook, Illinois that serves 18,000 students. Her focus was on helping guide leaders and teachers in adjusting their practices to address student needs related to the importance of teacher clarity, creating a sound assessment design system, and effective analysis of data to drive change. Those shifts had a positive impact on reading and math performance at the 6-12 level, with consistent growth seen for the past four years.
Lisa Forehand has worked in Santa Diego Unified School District for 23 years, where she has taught K-5 for the last 17 years. She has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with a CLAD, a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, a Reading Specialist Credential and an Administrative Credential-all from SDSU, where she studied with Dr. Doug Fisher, Dr. Nancy Frey & Dr. Diane Lapp.
Diane Lapp is a Distinguished Professor of Education at San Diego State University, where her research and instruction focuses on issues related to struggling readers and writers, their families, and their teachers.
Hilda Martinez was named the 2019 San Diego Unifed School District Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
Aida Rotell is a nationally recognized consultant whose primary aim is to engage all learners through reading and writing. She worked to create a bilingual program designed to build literacy skills in both Spanish and English, and often uses collaborative learning to build the social and academic language skills of her students. She is also an administrator at Health Science High and a lecturer in the teacher education department at San Diego State University.
Marisol Thayre is a presenter and author whose special interests include Close Reading and Text-Dependent Questions; she currently conducts trainings on the Gradual Release of Responsibility, Differentiation, Collaboration, and Assessment.
Javier Vaca is a U.S. History teacher at Health Sciences High & Middle College, where he works daily alongside Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey. Javier went to undergraduate school in Florida and completed his teaching credential and graduate degree at San Diego State University. He’s also a published author, with works appearing in a range of professional journals including ILA’s Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.
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