2018 TAP National Conference
NIET held its 18th Annual National TAP Conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 23 - Saturday, March 24, 2018, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor.
Read the RecapThe National Institute for Excellence in Teaching held its 18th Annual National TAP Conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 23 - Saturday, March 24, 2018, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor.
The National TAP Conference is a dynamic gathering of practitioners, policymakers, federal, state and district administrators, organizations, foundations and businesses who play a key role in the implementation of TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement and other educator effectiveness best practices across the country.
The conference is a powerful venue, both for those new to and experienced in NIET's initiatives, to learn more about them in practice and their roles on the national pulse of advancing educator effectiveness.
Attendees experience a range of opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of NIET's systems of teacher leadership, professional development, educator evaluation and performance-based compensation, as well as network with other participants.
In addition to practitioner-focused breakout sessions, trainings and hands-on workshops, the TAP conference connects NIET's proven principles to critical issues facing America's K-12 system today.
Hear from educators and district leaders about their conference experiences.
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and visit our YouTube channel for conference news. Use the hashtag #tapcon18.

Benita Young
Benita Young is superintendent of the Madison Parish School System in Tallulah, Louisiana. She lends her expertise as a member of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, the Louisiana Association of School Executives, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Diane Woodworth
Dr. Diane Woodworth is superintendent of Goshen Community Schools in Goshen, Indiana. She joined the district in 2005, working as the assistant superintendent for human resources and educational services before her appointment as superintendent in 2012.

Lee Wilkerson
Lee Wilkerson is superintendent of Manchester City Schools in Manchester, Tennessee; a TAP district since 2013.

Douglas Wheeler
Douglas Wheeler is superintendent of Saydel Community School District in Des Moines, Iowa.

Fernando Valle
Dr. Fernando Valle is an associate professor of educational leadership and the program coordinator at Texas Tech University (TTU). Valle and educational leadership faculty at TTU lead over $12 million in U.S. Department of Education federal grants.

Geneva Salinas
Geneva Salinas is principal at S/SGT Michael P. Barrera Veterans Elementary School in Somerset Independent School District, Texas. As a dimension to her head role, Salinas mentors aspiring administrators.

Sherri Rodriguez
Sherri Rodriguez is an eighth-grade math teacher and TAP mentor teacher at Slaton Junior High School in Slaton, Texas. She has taught at the junior high level for 30 years, 27 of those years at Slaton Junior High.

Roberto Roberto J. Rodríguez
Roberto J. Rodríguez is president and CEO of Teach Plus, where he builds the teacher leadership movement and supports the contribution of teacher leaders to educational innovation and change. Prior to this position, Roberto served in senior roles in the White House and U.S. Senate.

Christopher Christopher Rinkus
Chris Rinkus is a special assistant in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Rinkus helps lead the Department’s review of ESSA state plans and manages the new student-centered funding pilot for local school districts.

Venitia Richardson
Venitia Richardson leads the Teacher Quality Programs division at the U.S. Department of Education. Richardson oversees several discretionary grant programs that include Race to the Top–District, the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund, Supporting Effective Educator Development, and Teacher Quality Partnerships.

Joni Readout
Joni Readout serves as a TAP master teacher at Central Decatur Middle School/High School in rural Leon in south central Iowa. She is the recipient of a 2017 Milken Educator Award.

Nancy Perry
Dr. Nancy Perry is the associate dean for grants and partnership at the Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC). She oversees research advancement, partnership development and clinical experiences.

Gail Morgan
Gail Morgan serves as the associate executive director of professional learning with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in Alexandria, Virginia.

Monica McCann
Monica McCann serves as an instructor and site coordinator for the 2+1 TechTeach program in New Caney, Texas. As a site coordinator, she is responsible for the instruction, coaching and evaluating of preservice teachers as well as providing support for mentor teachers in elementary schools.

Gerri Gerri M. Maxwell
Gerri M. Maxwell is an associate professor in educational leadership and the department chair of teacher and bilingual education at Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK).

Lori Line
Lori Line serves as principal of West Goshen Elementary School in Goshen, Indiana. In 2016, Line led West Goshen Elementary to its first-ever A state rating.

Latatia Johnson
Dr. Latatia Johnson is a district supervisor at Ascension Public Schools, Louisiana, where she provides coaching to principals and supports K-12 Response to Intervention (RTI) across the district.

Craig Jerald
Craig D. Jerald is president of the education consulting firm Break the Curve, through which he partners with national organizations seeking to improve school performance and student outcomes in the U.S.

Tanée Tanee Hudgens
Prior to her role as NIET's director of research, Dr. Tanée Hudgens evaluated the quality of instruction and care provided to preschoolers, as well as the recruitment, retention and development of the early childhood care and education workforce across Los Angeles, California.

Saul Hinojosa
Dr. Saul Hinojosa has served as the superintendent of Somerset Independent School District for the past 11 years. During his tenure, Somerset ISD has won numerous acclaims, including being recognized by Network Magazine for efforts to enhance STEM education.

Robert Hill
Robert Hill is head of school at Alice M. Harte Charter School in New Orleans, Louisiana, which celebrates four consecutive years of A state ratings.

Seth Gerson
Seth Gerson serves as program director in the Education Division of the National Governors Association (NGA) Center on Best Practices, where he works on K-12 education issues.

Kevin Kevin R. George
Kevin R. George has served as superintendent of St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools located in Reserve, Louisiana, since July 2013.

Angela Davis
As TAP coordinator for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools in Louisiana, Angela Davis supports ten schools which are under NIET’s LA BOLD Project.

Chris Coffelt
Chris Coffelt serves as shared Superintendent for Central Decatur and Lamoni Community School Districts in Decatur County, Iowa.

Corrie Callahan
Corrie Callahan is a TAP master teacher at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Perry Township Schools in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holly Boffy
Dr. Holly Boffy is vice president and District 7 member of the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Since 2011, she has worked for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to support states with teacher quality initiatives.

Julee Becker
For the past eight years, Julee Becker has served as superintendent of the Slaton Independent School District in Texas, where she has implemented and sustained the NIET TAP structures and best practices.

Jim Andrus
Jim Andrus is principal of Slaton Junior High School in Slaton, Texas. He has invested the last 18 years in leading elementary and secondary public school campuses.

Kristan Van Hook

Patrice Pujol

Joshua Barnett

Gary Stark
