PreK–12 Equity Advisory Board

Dr. Courtney Koestler is the Director of the OHIO Center for Equity in Mathematics and Science and an Associate Professor in The Patton College of Education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Dr. Koestler teaches courses in mathematics education, critical studies focused on diversity and justice, and action research methodologies. Their scholarly interests and expertise center on diversity, critical literacy, and critical pedagogies in early and elementary education, teacher education, and mathematics education. In addition to their research work, they present and publish work for teachers, teacher educators, families, and children. Additionally, they have written or edited six books, including a series of children’s books that connect mathematics to critical issues in our world. Koestler is a proud, former public-school teacher and spends time each week working with children and teacher-colleagues in classrooms.

Colon works directly with school systems to help enhance excellence in the areas of 21st century learning through Portraits of a Graduate, strategic planning, Portrait to Practice services, and facilitating network convenings.

Colon served Columbus City Schools and Gahanna Jefferson School District as a teacher and both a high school and middle school principal. In 2013, Colon was principal at the Diplomas Now High School of the Year.

In addition to degrees from Ohio University, The Ohio State University, and Alma College, Colon was a Strategic Data Project Fellow in the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.

Colon has spoken on a variety of topics, including decreasing dropout rates, educational equity, formative instructional practices, SIG best practices, and education data. His dissertation was entitled “Intermediate, Middle, and Junior High School Principals’ Perceptions of Contextual Influences on their Leadership Behaviors.”

Outside of work, Colon enjoys reading, sports, traveling with his wife and two kids, playing golf, and spending time with family and friends. Colon also served as a board member of After-School All-Stars of Central Ohio.

Maria Gutierrez Ott, PhD, holds the Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration at the USC Rossier School of Education. In addition to her years as a classroom teacher and site and central office administrator, Dr. Ott served more than 40 years as an educator in K-12 urban systems. That includes, fourteen years as a superintendent and five years as senior deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her transition to higher education was an opportunity to apply her experiences to the preparation of leaders for school systems, colleges and universities, and other organizations.

Ott designed and launched the USC Rossier Urban Superintendents Academy in 2015 in partnership with AASA to prepare diverse and equity-minded leaders for K-12 system leadership.  She serves as a member of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Board of Directors to promote the goal of advancing diverse leaders who work to close opportunity and achievement gaps for Latino and youth of color.  She was honored with the 2021-2022 ALAS Lifetime Achievement Award and received the USC Rossier Dean’s Superintendents Advisory Group (DSAG) Achievement Award in 2017.  Ott is recognized for her leadership and advocacy for bilingual education and programs for English language learners, leadership development for women, and public-private partnerships in education.  She is a founding member of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA).

Her work on cultural proficiency is detailed in her books,  A Culturally Proficient Society Begins in School:  Leadership for Equity (2011) and Now What? Confronting Uncomfortable Truths About Inequity in Schools (2023) with co-authors Carmella S. Franco and Darline P. Robles.  Ott has presented to national audiences on the topic of her books and continues to contribute to the educational literature about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps.  She is a member of the Ethical Educators Panel for AASA’s School Administrator Magazine and contributes ethical advice in response to real cases encountered by superintendents in their school districts.

Awards and Grants

• 1983 Nominated for Outstanding Principal, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
• 1985 Selected as Title VII Fellow
• 1988 Received AEOE Outstanding Administrator Award
• 1995 AMAE Homenaje a la Mujer Recipient
• National Annenberg Superintendent Fellow, 1996 - 2000
• 2001 Lamplighter in Education Recognition, Mount St. Mary’s College
• 2002 Distinguished Educator, California State University, Los Angeles
• 2003 Educational Leadership Award, Council of Mexican American Administrators
• 2003 Hispanic Woman of the Year Award, Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
• 2004 ROSE Award, University of Southern California
• 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award, Mount St. Mary’s College
• 2007 Mujeres Destacadas Award, La Opinion Newspaper
• 2008 Administrator of the Year Award, Puente Hills CABE
• 2009 Administrator of the Year Award, State of California CABE
• 2017 Lifetime Membership bestowed by California Association Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) in recognition of role as past president for dedication and commitment to CALSA
• 2017 USC Rossier Dean’s Superintendents Advisory Group (DSAG) Achievement Award
• 2021 ALAS Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2022 Appointment as Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration

Greta Peay joined the Clark County School District (CCSD) in 1987, following eight impressive years of service within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System, Charlotte, North Carolina. She has dedicated thirty-nine years of service to the education profession. Her career is best described as a change agent and an advocate for social justice, and equitable opportunities. Greta Peay is locally and nationally known for her professional development skills to educate others about best practices in the areas of literacy, language acquisition, differentiated instruction, cultural competency, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. She retired from the Clark County School District as the Chief, Instructional Services Officer, where she was responsible for divisions such as:

• Assessment, Accountability, Research and School Improvement
  
• Adult Education and Alternative Education
• Athletics and Fine Arts
• CCSD Charter Schools
• College and Career Readiness
• Curriculum and Professional Development
• English Language Learner Programs
• Equity and Diversity Education
• Grants Department, Inclusive of Title I and Title II Federal Grants
• Indian Education Opportunities Program
• Magnet Schools
• Student Services Division, Special Education

Dr. Christian Sawyer is a nationally-recognized leader in education, serving as a Director of Schools in Denver Public Schools. Charged with transforming the collaboration and student growth among a family of diverse schools across Denver, Dr. Sawyer works closely with his region of schools to develop teacher leadership and accelerate learning through an equity lens. Recently, Dr. Sawyer and his team of elementary school principals he supervises and supports dramatically transformed early literacy proficiency rates, reaching some of the highest rates of improvement in the city of Denver. 

Previously, Dr. Sawyer led innovative change with school strategic planning for the district and was principal of one of Denver Public Schools’ largest urban, Title 1 middle schools. As an innovative leader, Dr. Sawyer and his team were often a district and national stand-out for teacher leadership, equity, and technology-infused blended learning; resulting in a reduction in the achievement and opportunity gaps and improvement on State and district performance frameworks.  Likewise, in Nashville, Sawyer and his team transformed their school from "target" status to "satisfactory" standing on the district's Academic Performance Framework, through founding a nationally-recognized teacher-leadership model, advancing STEM learning, and focusing on social-emotional learning. Prior, Dr. Sawyer served as a high school teacher and as "Teacher in Residence" at Vanderbilt's top-ranked Peabody College of Education. Additionally, he has taught at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and was named an Atlantik-Brueke Fellow, studying international education.

In Denver, Dr. Sawyer has become a leading educator voice advocating for equity, including his leadership to organize groundbreaking presence by a school district at the Denver LGBTQ+ Pride Festival's children's zone, a transformational space where over 500 families and children were affirmed by their schools as being accepted and welcomed by their teachers, principals, and district.  Honoring the importance of intersectionality and shared commitment to equity, Dr. Sawyer and his fellow principals also took a public stand, decrying practices that separated families in immigration policies. 

Dr. Sawyer's innovative K–12 impact led to his recognition as National Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year by the National Council for the Social Studies; the Tennessee Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies; a Tennessee Distinguished Educator; the "Educator Award" from the Nashville Mayor's Commission on People with Disabilities; and the "Superintendent's Service Award." Dr. Sawyer is a published author, recently releasing a widely-distributed student textbook in Human Geography. Dr. Sawyer graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UNC-Chapel Hill and earned his doctorate at Vanderbilt in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Organization.  He also recently completed the Harvard Public Education Leadership Program.