Cohort I Coaches
Heather Clifton has spent more than 30 years in the public schools as a teacher, curriculum and professional development specialist, and elementary school principal. Since 1994, she has served schools and other organizations in both the public and private sectors as a consultant and facilitator in various aspects of school reform, organization development, and professional development. Heather's strong belief in the importance of collaboration has influenced her efforts to assist staffs at all levels to understand and experience the benefits of establishing a culture of professionalism as a learning community. Her work and training in the areas of conflict, change, and balanced leadership has enabled her to understand the context of situations, assess needs, and offer coaching and consultation interventions to bring about positive results.
Maria V. Diaz is a consultant to the New York City Department of Education and TeachScape. Previously, she served 32 years as a middle and high school teacher, staff developer, as well as an elementary and middle school assistant principal and principal. Maria has also served as director of funded programs in a New York City school district, in addition to being the deputy superintendent and director of program review for the Office of English Language Learners. Her responsibilities have included coaching teachers and administrators to focus on an agenda of academic rigor and equity. Maria is an adjunct professor at Long Island University and at Bank Street College of Education. Her academic preparation includes a doctorate in educational leadership.
Chrysann McBride has recently been able to devote her work in education to full-time consulting, after 32 years in public education. She is also a training associate for the Center for Cognitive Coaching. Before her consulting work, Chrysann was the executive director at the Department for Learning and Educational Achievement with Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado. Her work involved oversight and development of PreK-12 curriculum, assessments, and staff development with teachers and principals. She also developed a comprehensive instructional coaching program for teacher development and school improvement. Chrysann's experiences with developing programs and working with large systems to bring about instructional change have been challenging and rewarding. Her career includes service as a teacher, curriculum developer, staff developer, principal, and central administrator. Her educational background includes a degree in elementary education with endorsements in early childhood from Indiana State University, and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of Evansville. She earned her administrative license at the University of Denver.
Linda W. Robinson taught elementary, middle, and high school, and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where she was named Distinguished Alumna. After serving as an elementary assistant principal, Linda spent 19 years as a middle school principal. During her tenure, she transformed the traditional junior high to a high-performing middle school, and the school became a mentor to other campuses moving into school reform. Linda recently concluded 8 years of service to the National Middle School Association (NMSA), including its presidency. She helped write the newest edition of This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents and worked with NMSA to develop the School Improvement Toolkit. Linda is chair-elect of the steering committee for the National Adolescent Literacy Coalition. As a newly-retired educator, Linda is using her expertise in school leadership to work with schools in leadership development leading to student success.
