Thinking Foundation Accreditation Faculty
The Thinking Foundation Accreditation Faculty works closely with our Accrediting Partners to support schools in fulfilling their aspiration of developing as a Thinking School. Members of the faculty bring diverse backgrounds and extensive experience in the field of education, working with schools, communities and educational organizations across a wide range of international settings. The Thinking Foundation Accreditation Faculty has an abiding belief in the ability of educators, individually and collectively, to create experiences for learners that are rich in meaning and enduring in their positive impact on the lives people lead.

Members of the Thinking Foundation Accreditation Faculty…

…work as reflective coaches with schools, systems, etc. that have seriously undertaken the process of developing as a Thinking School and are committed to the accreditation process

…conduct formative reviews of schools that are on the path to formal accreditation

…guide schools through the formal accreditation process leading to a determination of their status as a Thinking School

…review portfolio's, audio recordings, videotapes and other artifacts submitted by schools that are engaged in the formal accreditation process

…develop the ability of local accrediting partners (primarily universities) to conduct the accrediting process as designed by Thinking Foundation

Larry Alper, M.S.Ed. • Senior Faculty
Larry is Co-Director of Designs for Thinking, leading implementations of Thinking Maps in whole schools while also supporting schools and school systems in developing long term plans for implementing these tools. He is the co-author the new guide and training, Thinking Maps: A Language for Leadership.
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David Hyerle, Ed.D. • Senior Faculty
David is the developer of the Thinking Maps model and author of the primary training resources for implementing Thinking Maps®. He is a frrequent keynote speaker, author of two A.S.C.D. books focused on visual tools, editor of Student Successes with Thinking Maps and developer of a new online course: Visual Tools for Literacy. David is also co-author with Larry Alper of the new leadership guide and training ... Thinking Maps: A Language for Leadership.
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Robert Price • Senior Faculty
Robert is a professional consultant who coaches people and organizations to improve communications, management, and planning. In education he collaborates on coaching, literacy, visual arts, video, and technology. A current project in Ethiopia embodies his passion and systems approach with change and collaboration in education. In all projects in brings experience, organization, and energy.
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Kimberly Williams, PhD. • Senior Faculty
Kimberly Williams, PhD. has served on the faculty of the following institutions: Syracuse University, Dartmouth College, the State University of New York colleges at Cortland and Morrisville, Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Plymouth State University. She has taught courses about cognitive neuroscience and education; education policy, history, and philosophy; assessment; educational equity; and teaching methods. She has authored numerous books and articles including a recent journal article on assessment. She has worked over the past few years with the Thinking Foundation.

Yvette Jackson, Ed.D. • Senior Faculty
Yvette Jackson, Ed.D. is internationally recognized for her work in assessing the learning potential of disenfranchised urban students. Her research is in literacy, gifted education and the cognitive mediation theory of Dr. Reuven Feuerstein. She has applied her research to develop an integrated process to motivate and elicit potential in underachievers. This research was the basis for her design of the New York City Gifted Programs Framework when she was the Director of Gifted Programs. As Executive Director of Instruction and Professional Development for the New York City Board of Education, she led the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Education Plan which optimizes the delivery of all core curriculum and support services in the Public Schools of New York City.

Dr. Jackson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban Alliance, founded at The College Board and Teachers College, Columbia University. She works with school district administrators and teachers across the country to customize and deliver systemic approaches to literacy development through instructional practices that integrate culture, language and cognition to expand and accelerate student learning and achievement. She is a visiting lecturer at Harvard University, a member of ASCD’s Differentiated Instruction Cadre and a keynote presenter at national and international conferences.

Kathy Ernst, M.S.Ed. • Senior Faculty
Kathy Ernst has served as co-founder of an alternative Pre-K-6 school, classroom teacher,developer and teacher of gifted programs, adjunct professor, mathematics coach and national consultant.  She holds a MSEd in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College of Education.  She has taught courses for teachers in curriculum and assessment, differentiation, mathematics instruction, and problem solving.  She was one of the teacher developers of the Vermont Mathematics Portfolio Assessment Program, a statewide assessment program for students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Kathy also served as a consultant with the US DOE’s Teacher-to-Teacher initiative. The workshop she conducted for them in developing computational fluency continues to be offered to teachers nationwide as a digital course. For over thirty years she has served as a consultant providing support to schools and systems throughout the US to improve mathematics education. Her work with teachers focuses on using Thinking Maps to develop collaborative and explicit processes of coaching, supervision, and lesson study.  Her practice also involves using Thinking Maps to facilitate the development of students’ metacognition in problem solving. Kathy is the co-author of the recently published text, Success from the Start: Your First Years Teaching Elementary Mathematics , National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (April 1, 2014).

Estrella (Estee) López, Ed.D. • Senior Faculty
Conspire to Inspire has been the lifelong mantra Estrella (Estee) López has espoused throughout her career.  Assistant professor, school district administrator, Principal, BETAC Director, National and State consultant, professional developer, reviewer for publishers, classroom teacher, author and artist Estee Lopez has, over her career, promoted excellence and achievement on behalf of all students in particular English language learners. During her professional 38 year trajectory  in education, Estee is known for her candid, outspoken advocacy for equity and excellence for all children of public schools, most especially English language learners.
Estee combines leadership with scholarship in every professional venue. She has supported quality bilingual and ESL programs, as well as general education to ensure cognitively challenging teaching and learning experiences. She has encouraged teachers and administrators to support these programs and processes through research, conference presentations, capacity building, and networking. Her leadership style is  inclusive, collaborative and strategic. Her major area of expertise is the application cognitive research to educational practice  to support struggling learners and English language learners

She has gained recognition by the New York State Board of Regents, as she co-chaired the ELA-ESL Standards Review Initiative.  She has worked with the New York State Superintendents Council, New York State TESOL, various Board of Cooperative Education Service organizations, and higher education institutions. Her current work with the Thinking Foundation and the New York State Education Department has served to bridge language acquisition and cognition for ELLs at the state and national level as the state is preparing to implement the national Common Core Standards.

She has received numerous awards including the Life Time Achievement Award from The New York State TESOL and The New York State Association for Bilingual Education; however she claims no award can compare with the joy of knowing that in some small way students and teachers have achieved their potential because of her efforts. Estee Lopez is a native of both New York and Puerto Rico. She completed her undergraduate at Dowling College, postgraduate studies at C.W. Post  and  her doctoral studies at St. John Fisher College. Her dissertation topic that focuses on the Effects of Thinking Maps on academic language development of ELLs.

Joyce Graham, Ph.D. • Senior Faculty
Dr. Joyce M. Graham is a nationally known expert in desgining and developing professional developmen for several educational publishers as well as numerous school districts.  With over 30 years experinece working with a wide range of teachers and students from urban, Native American and suburban districts she has been responsible for planning, implementing and developing  successful models of professional development.  Dr. Graham has also worked extensively with several professional development groups includig the National Urban Allianc and the Innovative Learning Group conducting workshops in Thinking Maps.  Dr. Graham has co-authored several books for classroom teachers and writes for several non-profit groups.  She is the recpient of the Excellence in Education Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a Penn State College of Education alumnus, for significant contributions to the field of education.