NIET Announces 2026-2028 Educator Advisory Board
September 15, 2026
Phoenix, Ariz. (September 15, 2026) - The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is excited to announce the appointment of 12 outstanding educational leaders from across the country to the Educator Advisory Board. The Educator Advisory Board brings together leaders driving transformative change in education, contributing their insights to strengthening innovation and improvement in school systems and student outcomes. Educator Advisory Board members collectively add to the knowledge, innovation, and strategy that advances educator excellence to give all students the opportunity for success.
“The NIET Educator Advisory Board helps us be responsive to the needs of educators and students, while highlighting the strategies and best practices that we know have proven impact,” said NIET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “I look forward to working with this group of distinguished leaders throughout their board term."
Educator Advisory Board members, appointed for a two-year term, include leaders at the state, university, district, and school levels, with deep experience in improving instructional outcomes for students.
2026-2028 Educator Advisory Board
- Emalee Baker, Deputy Superintendent of Support and Implementation, South Carolina Public Charter School District, South Carolina
- Dr. Brandie Benton, Assistant Commissioner for Educator Effectiveness and Licensure, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas
- Amanda Culver, Community Coach, Perry Township Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program at UIndy, Indiana
- Carin Hart, Academic Instructional Coach, Carol G. Peck School, Alhambra Elementary School District, Arizona
- Dr. Stanley Law, Principal, George Washington High School, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indiana
- Dr. José Moreno, Superintendent, Somerset Independent School District, Texas
- Dr. Harry Patrinos, Head of the Department of Education Reform and 21st Century Endowed Chair in Education Policy, University of Arkansas, Arkansas
- Dr. Larry Polk, Superintendent, Colorado Independent School District, Texas
- Dr. Richard Ramos, Superintendent, Miami Unified School District #40, Arizona
- Luis Reyes, Principal, Southwest Early College Academy, Gadsden Elementary School District #32, Arizona
- Dr. Brandy Turner-Jackson, Deputy Chief of Teaching, Learning, and Programs, NOLA Public Schools, Louisiana
- Dr. Edith Walker, Superintendent, Ascension Public Schools, Louisiana
Photos and biographical information about the Educator Advisory Board can be found on NIET’s website.
About NIET
For more than 25 years, NIET has worked in developing teacher leaders, supporting successful instructional strategies, and building educator capacity to address student needs. NIET partners with schools, districts, states, and universities to ensure all students have effective educators. Through these partnerships, NIET has served more than 11,000 schools and has impacted more than 350,000 educators and 3.5 million students.