PATRICK HARRIS II

Patrick is a Black queer writer, storyteller, and middle school humanities teacher. He has won multiple national teaching awards for his leadership and innovation in the classroom, including recognitions from NCTE, ASCD, and ILA. Teaching and creating is only part of who Patrick is. He is a big brother, a cat dad, lover of
all things horror, a WWE fanatic, and is obsessed with scenic hikes. He is the author of The First Five: A Love Letter to
Teachers.

DR. SAWSAN JABER

Dr. Jaber is a global educator, presenter, equity strategist, curriculum designer, community activist and keynote speaker of 20+ years. She has held a variety of leadership positions both in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Jaber is currently a high school English Department Chair, District Equity Leader, and teacher at Maine West High School in Park Ridge, IL.

​

Dr. Jaber founded Education Unfiltered Consulting and works with schools nationally and internationally. She completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on inclusion and belonging of students from marginalized communities, with a focus on Arab American students in historically homogenous communities. Dr. Jaber was one of the ten finalists for Illinois State Teacher of the year. She was awarded the Cook County Teacher of the Year in 2023, ISTE 20 to Watch Award for 2023, and IDEA Teacher of the Year in 2022.

Dr. Jaber is a Board Director of Our Voice Alliance (OVA) charged with amplifying the voices of teachers of color to create more equity for students of color. Additionally, she is one of the founders of the Arab American Education Network (AAEN). Dr. Jaber is a member of the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) Community Leader Network and a member of NCTE’s Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English.

PERNILLE RIPP

Since Pernille Ripp was a child growing up in Denmark, she knew she wanted to work with kids. She has loved being a 4th, 5th, and then 7th-grade teacher in the American public school system, as well as an educational coach for adults.  In her co-created teaching spaces, students’ identities are at the center of the explorations that they do, as well as considering how to fight for change.  She is also the founder of The Global Read Aloud which has connected millions of students in more than 85 countries. Recently, Pernille moved home to Denmark where she is expanding her knowledge about children’s development and needs through her work in early childhood education.