What’s Ahead for Teaching? Five NIET Teacher Leaders Selected for Stanford Working Group

Teachers belong at the table when the discussion turns to the future of teaching - and Stanford University knows it. Five teacher leaders trained by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching have been selected to serve on Stanford’s Hoover Institution Future of Educators Working Group, a national effort examining the teaching profession and how it must evolve to meet student needs and workforce demands.

These educators - nearly half of the 12-member group - bring firsthand experience as teacher leaders working in classrooms and communities across the country. They include: NIET Fellows Latonzia Beavers, Master Teacher at Natchitoches Parish Schools in Louisiana; Emily McLellan, Master Teacher at Iberville Parish Schools in Louisiana; William Mock, Executive Master Teacher at Somerset ISD in Texas; and Paloma Peralta Carrillo, Executive Master Teacher at Gadsden Elementary School District #32 in Arizona; along with Amanda Culver, Master Teacher from Perry Township Schools in Indiana. Four of the five are NIET Teacher Leader Fellows, and one works in a district recognized nationally for growing teacher skills and building a career pathway. At a time when many teachers are leaving the profession, teacher leaders with a track record of growing their own skills while supporting their colleagues to improve and remain in the profession will bring powerful experiences to the table. 

Peralta Carrillo noted that her time as an NIET fellow prepared her to contribute as a member of the Future of Educators Working Group.

“Being selected for this working group is truly meaningful to me,” Peralta Carrillo said in her district’s press release announcing her selection to the group. “Building on my growth as an NIET fellow, I am honored to contribute insights that elevate the teaching profession and to learn from educators across diverse backgrounds to bring back ideas and resources that strengthen our work and support student success in our community and across the country.” 

NIET fellows and teacher leaders are familiar with pursuing educational excellence at scale by building the capacity of their peers, driving improved student outcomes using data, and networking outside of their districts to learn from others.  

“Bringing the voices of impactful teacher leaders to the working group will elevate how teachers are solving educational challenges in their communities and modeling best practices nationally,” said Dr. Joshua Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of NIET. "When teacher leaders are given the training, accountability, and authority to drive instructional improvement, schools increase teacher retention and accelerate learning."

The group will meet four times over the course of 2026, providing voice to the national discussion of the future of teaching.

"Like much of society, the role of teacher is directly encountering the headwinds of change—from scientific advances in brain science to demographic trends to technological innovations to changes in governing and oversight,” said Macke Raymond, Director of Hoover Education. “The Working Group on the Future of Teachers will provide critical insight from the front line about the ways they are responding.”

Learn more about these educators' selection to the group here.