Julie Kern Schwerdtfeger holds a MA in Education from UC Berkeley, a BA in Education from Brown University, and a CA Multiple Subject K-8 teaching credential. She has over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher at UCLA Lab School, the laboratory school of the School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA, teaching every subject and grade level from kindergarten through 6th grade. She also served as the math outreach coordinator for UCLA Lab School and taught in the Teacher Education Program at UCLA. Additionally, she served as assistant principal at Larchmont Charter School, Hollygrove. She is currently a Math Instructional Coach with the UCLA Math Project and is proud to continue teaching and learning about children’s mathematical thinking alongside her colleagues and children in PK-6 classrooms throughout LAUSD.

Joyce Friedman has over 40 years of teaching experience in public and independent schools, most recently serving as a K-6 classroom teacher and literacy coach at UCLA Lab School, the laboratory school of the School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. She has also served as a reading methods instructor for graduate students in the Teacher Education Program at UCLA and led seminars for undergraduate students in education. She has worked as a literacy consultant for a variety of charter schools in Los Angeles. Ms. Friedman holds a Bachelor of Science and teaching degree from Worcester University, holds CA and Massachusetts Multiple Subject credentials, and received her CLAD endorsement from Stanford University. Ms. Friedman recently relocated to Cape Cod and is working as a Reading Intervention Teacher in a public school. Ms. Friedman loves to read, to teach reading, and to share her passion with her students.

Karolyn Wallace is a 20 year veteran teacher who has taught in elementary classrooms at UCLA Lab School in Los Angeles, The Maret School in Washington, D.C, and at The Chapin School and The Lycée Français, both in New York City. She has additional teaching experience online with Littera Education, an organization which provides high impact reading and math intervention to students in public schools. She now splits her time between Michigan and California where she enjoys time with family, volunteer reading with students, baking, swimming, and playing with her dog, a Whoodle!

Adriana Sheinbaum is a bilingual educator with 20 years of experience teaching grades K through 6^th. She has worked at UCLA Lab School, John Muir Elementary in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, and as a staff developer for Growing Educators. Adriana was born and raised in Mexico City. Her first career in journalism brought her to Los Angeles. However, teaching was always her passion, and after having two daughters, she decided to become an educator. Adriana’s professional interests range from bilingual education to balanced literacy, particularly developing classroom libraries where children can see themselves in the books they read. Adriana currently works for the Cotsen Foundation for the Art of Teaching as a senior program officer, supporting the development of excellent teachers throughout southern California.

Doreen Ahadian is an educator with 15 years experience working in public schools. She holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from San Francisco State University and a CA Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Doreen started her teaching career in San Francisco Unified School District, then continued as a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles. Her passion for teaching mathematics led her to professional development for her own school site, diving into best practices in teaching math across the grades. Doreen currently works for the UCLA Mathematics Project as a math coach, providing professional development in Cognitively Guided Instruction for a variety of school sites from Early Education Centers through 5th grades across Los Angeles. She finds the most joy in supporting teachers and administrators in transforming math classes into spaces where all students are confident, excited, and actually really good at math! When Doreen is not in classrooms working alongside teachers, you can find her playing with her two kids and sneaking in some counting along the way.