In 2022 Paul J. Thompson was selected to be the new Executive Director of the Arts Office, which oversees arts instruction for the New York City Department of Education. Before this appointment, Thompson spent seventeen years as the principal of the Urban Assembly School of Music and Art (UAMA), a non-screened Title 1 public arts high school that he founded in 2005. In this role, he designed and implemented all aspects of the school including curriculum and instruction, arts programming, and youth development. Most recently, he established the Bard Early College Academy @ UAMA, where students can earn college credits while taking classes with Bard Early College professors on-site at UAMA. Thompson started his career in education teaching music to incarcerated youth for the non-profit, War Child. Before his work in education, Thompson had a career as a musician and composer, and he continues to write and perform music.

Hannah Berson is a dynamic arts education leader with expertise in strategic planning; program development, operations and assessment; and building effective partnerships. She joined the New York City Public Schools Arts Office as Deputy Executive Director earlier this Fall, leading the development of the Arts Hub, the Arts Office’s first brick-and-mortar space. Prior to NYCPS, Hannah served for 10 years as Director of Programs and Assessment at Exploring the Arts, leading efforts to invest over $3M to support in-school arts programs in public schools in NYC and LA County, and developing innovative after-school internship and performing arts career pathway programs. Hannah began her career in Chicago at Gallery 37 (now After School Matters) and has worked with the education programs at New York City Opera and New York’s Children’s Museum of the Arts. Hannah holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago and an M.A. from Columbia University.

Alexa Fairchild advocates for equity, access and excellence in arts education for students with disabilities and multilingual learners in her role as manager of Arts for Diverse Learners at NYC Public Schools. From 2015-2018, Alexa directed Turnaround Arts: NYC, a program launched under the Obama administration to prioritize the strategic use of the arts for school improvement. For ten years, she ran school programs at the Brooklyn Museum, leading a team of educators and hosting kids and teachers for inclusive and engaging gallery experiences. Her graduate degrees are from Bank Street College of Education (M.S. in Ed.) and University of British Columbia (M.A.).

Barbara Tremblay is the Principal of P721K in District 75. She has worked in the New York City Public Schools for thirty-three years. She has held roles such as paraprofessional, teacher, District Administrator, Assistant Principal, and – for the past 11.5 years – Principal. She has been awarded the Cahn Fellowship for 2022. P721K prioritizes the Arts, and Barbara believes that students should have access to quality Arts programming to foster their talents and strengths. The Arts play a vital role in the school's mission to enable young adults with developmental disabilities to live and work in the community by utilizing their capabilities. P721K is committed to creating a school culture where active participation and first-hand experiences are essential for students to achieve new levels of learning. Barbara is a member of the Consortium Steering Committee.

Elise May, AAAC Steering Committee, Teaching Artist/Arts Administrator, actor/singer, writer/storyteller. Her original award-winning Arts-in-Education programs use Theater Arts for communication empowerment and community development with all populations. Her Creative Readers Arts education inclusion program was winner of the 2017 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. Elise is a contributing author of “In It Together – How Student, Family, and Community Partnerships Advance Engagement and Achievement in Diverse Classrooms.” A Teaching Artist for Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Elise was part of the creative and performance team for Branching Out, a sensory immersive play for those on the autism spectrum. She is also Program Director of a new theater program, Theater for Dessert, for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Madeline Calandrillo (She/Her) is New York City-based applied theater practitioner, teaching artist, and theatre-maker with ADHD and dyslexia. As Director of Education of New York City Children's Theater, she is drawn to creating accessible and diverse theatrical experiences for young people and their families. She feels that theater cultivates a community where young audiences can be the experts of their own experiences. She is a teaching artist for CO/LAB Theatre Group. Madeline received her Masters in Applied Theatre from CUNY, where her thesis project investigated how an immersive theatrical experience could help the language learning and community building of early learners in Spanish Dual Language and General Education classrooms. Madeline co-founded the Upper Manhattan-based multilingual theater company called Jugando N Play.

Amanda McFee is the Director of Arts Programs for District 75, NYC Public Schools. She is responsible for providing professional development, developing student programs, creating partnerships within the NYC Community, and supporting family engagement through Arts-based experiences. She specializes in accessible instruction for students with moderate to severe disabilities. She believes that the Arts give opportunities for students to expand communication and socialization, develop motor skills, and increase problem-solving abilities. She has been a presenter for Arts for All Abilities Consortium, the International Society for Technology in Education, NEA, the LEGO National Championships, MuseumNext, NAEA, and other conferences worldwide.

Andrea Palma (she/her) is a New York City native with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s in Voice, and currently serving as the Associate Director of Education at New York City Children's Theater. Through several years as a music teacher and a teaching artist in Chicago and New York City, she has fostered a passion for Arts education and strives to make Music and the Arts more accessible. Andrea has led workshops for educators on how to write Music without using traditional Music notation in hopes of expanding Music writing in classrooms. She recently led a songwriting workshop for teens and adults with Autism through Lincoln Center’s Passport Program.

Anne Pasquale is a trained Everyday Arts in Special Education Teaching Artist (EASE) and has performed key roles as a Facilitator for Arts Achieve and the Arthur Miller Program, the NYC DOE initiatives to improve students Artistic Formative Assessment Abilities in the Classroom. She is the recipient of the Young Audiences New York Roster Artist of the Year Award. Anne is currently a lead TA for ArtsConnection, Arthur Miller Foundation and Marquis Studios and regularly creates, devises, coaches and teaches students and theatre Specialists, Paraprofessionals and students with Special Abilities to engage and make connections to curriculum and their community through the theatrical arts.

Ed Miller (He/Him) has worked at ArtsConnection for over 20 years as a program manager, administrator, teaching artist and videographer. He has been involved with several research programs (DELLTA, STAARS, VDP), managed Arts programs for D75 schools as well as initiated the implementation of the Broadway Jr. Middle School partnership with MTI, the Shubert Organization and the NYC DOE Arts Office. He is passionate about Arts and education and has served on the Advocacy Committee with the Arts and Education Roundtable for the last two years. He is a graduate of the S.U.N.Y. Purchase Acting Program and has been involved with many projects as an actor, director, designer and playwright.

Emma Gluck is a passionate and dedicated Art teacher who believes in the transformative power of the Arts for all students. She knows that Art is a universal language that can truly impact the lives of our students, but only when stakeholders work together. With 5 years of Visual Art teaching experience in District 75, Emma has collaborated with a variety of programs that exposed students to cultural institutions, Visual Art, Theatre, and Music. In her spare time, Emma enjoys taking Dance classes, creating content for her YouTube channel, and practicing mindfulness through Artmaking.

Frank Ruiz (he/him) is a proud Nicaragüense artist and educator with ADHD based in New York City and currently serving as the Education Coordinator for New York City Children’s Theater. Frank was featured by NPR in a story highlighting how his own experiences dealing with race in the Theatre have informed and inspired the way he teaches today. His work as an educator is focused on using Arts integration to teach civic engagement through a social justice lens.

Juana Cala’ has been performing and teaching Flamenco in the United States and Europe for more than 35 years. She has been a resident Spanish Dance Professor in various Universities across the United States and had been a lead Teaching Artist for FlamencoVivo for 13 years. Juana began her experience with children with Autism and other populations at Family Residences And Essential Enterprises where she worked as Program Coordinator for the after school program. She has pioneered programs in the NYC District 75 schools, continually developing strategies and programs using Flamenco for these populations. Juana is presently a member of the Steering Committee for Arts For All Abilities Consortium (AAAC).

Kerry Warren is a Black biracial actor and teaching artist based in New York. She is the Co-Executive Director of the Teaching Artist Guild (teachingartists.com) a national non-profit that advocates for teaching artists. She has taught at D75 schools and (ICT) classrooms with the 52nd Street Project, CO/LAB Theater Group, G!RLBEHEARD, and ArtsConnection. Proud member of NYC AieRoundtable, Art Equity's BIPOC Leadership Circle, AEA & SAG AFTRA. She has trained as a Consent Forward Artist from Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, facilitated workshops and contributed to the GIVE Guide (teachwithgive.org), a free online resource created for Teaching Artists working in Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) Classrooms in New York City and beyond. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School’s Drama Division and alumni of the Teaching Artist Project Training program @kerryawarren

Kyla McKoll, (she/her) has worked in Arts education as a teaching artist, administrator, professional development & curriculum development consultant since 2005. She is currently ArtsConnection’s Director of Professional Learning, and a multidisciplinary artist. Kyla was part of the teams that developed Teach with GIVE (online resources for educators working in inclusion settings), Everyday Arts for Special Education (EASE), and Teach with ArtsConnection (educator resources for: developing English language skills through the arts, activating the arts for literacy development, and more). She is passionate about developing inclusive, accessible, and liberated learning environments for all students. Kyla has created, performed in, directed, and taught in New York, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Italy, Germany, & Denmark. She holds a B.A. in Theater & Performance Studies, and an M.A. in Educational Theater.

Mark Corallo, MA CCC-SLP, is a Director within the NYC Public Schools ASD Citywide Programs Division. Mark is also a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist and an actor with over 25 years of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other neuro-developmental disabilities. As an artist and educator, Mark developed Creative Communicators (501c3), an inclusive Arts program for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities located in East Brunswick, NJ. The program provides interested artists ages 7 through adulthood the opportunity to engage in Dance, Theater, Music and the Visual Arts with a focus on language, communication, social skills, confidence and the development of artistic expression.

Lindsay Tanner (she/her) serves on the Consortium's Steering Committee and is the Education Director at Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA). Lindsay has worked as a teaching artist, classroom teacher, program administrator, artistic & managing director, and applied theatre practitioner. Her 16 years' experience delivering Arts education programming include managing the Everyday Arts for Special Education program; consulting for Sesame Workshop and VSA Massachusetts; founding the Expressive Arts program at a trauma-informed independent school; and facilitating Theatre of the Oppressed and playback theatre with communities of all ages. Lindsay has led workshops nationally and internationally on embodied inquiry and collaborative art-making for social change. She holds an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.F.A. from NYU.

Ethan Lombardi, MS, CCC-SLP has provided speech therapy services to students at the Sid Miller Academy/396K in Brooklyn, a District 75 school, for more than a decade. He enjoys collaborating with teachers and artists who share the belief that working with this population and including Arts increases student engagement and awakens abilities that may have lied otherwise dormant. He has worked closely with Dance instructors who brought Flamenco Vivo! to District 75 schools. He also frequently collaborates with other related service providers as well as Music and Visual arts teachers throughout the school year.

Kimberly Olsen is the Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. As leader of the organization, Kim spearheads the Roundtable's robust advocacy efforts and works with Arts educators citywide to provide professional development, share resources, and create community-led learning spaces. Kim has been on staff with the Roundtable since 2017, first serving as Face to Face Manager for the 25th Anniversary Conference then Managing Director before becoming the organization’s first Executive Director.

Kim has had a prolific career as a teaching artist working across the tri-state area at ArtsConnection, NY City Center, Queens Theatre, and McCarter Theatre Center. She

currently teaches at the City College of NY.

She holds a Masters of Science in Educational Theatre from the City College of NY and a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood & Special Education from SUNY Geneseo where she also received her NYS Teaching Certification.

Rachel McCaulsky is the Brooklyn South Borough Arts Director for New York City Public School’s Arts Office supporting Arts programming and professional learning opportunities for school leaders. Previously, Ms. McCaulsky held the role as an assistant principal in District 75 serving children diagnosed with severe to profound disabilities. Alongside Ms. McCaulsky’s educational assets, she has an extensive background in Dance. She has led a Dance career performing with notable companies such as Alvin Ailey II, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Ms. McCaulsky is in her fourth year as a member of the Arts for All Abilities Consortium Steering Committee.

Paula Heitman is the Executive Director at Marquis Studios, a non-profit, Arts education organization. For 25 years, Paula has devoted her career to enriching the lives of children in New York City. Paula worked as a teaching artist while earning her Master of Arts in Educational Theater at New York University. After graduating NYU, Paula worked for the NYC Department of Education as a high school Drama teacher before moving into the non-profit world managing Arts programs. Paula has extensive experience as a program manager, grant writer, development director, strategic planner and event manager. Paula’s career has centered on serving marginalized student populations, including students attending under-resourced public schools and students with disabilities. She is a member of the Arts for All Abilities Consortium Steering Committee.

A recently certified school librarian with a history in the Arts, Melissa Mazdra’s passion lies in integrating Art into her accessible library program, which she built from scratch at P4Q. Prior to this she was a District 75 classroom teacher for eight years and taught Music and Movement for two years. A Teaching Fellow, she came to education after a career in Theatrical Production (BFA, SUNY Purchase) having worked in production management on Broadway. Melissa is a firm believer in the power of creativity for SWD’s and is dedicated to establishing and enhancing her school's library, making it an inclusive haven for all learners.

Tishawn Gonsalves is a Visual Arts educator and Master Teaching Artist with over 10 years’ experience working in NYC schools and alternative educational spaces. A graduate from Pratt Institute, she has extensive experience teaching and developing adaptive multi-sensory Arts curricula. Her teaching centers around accessibility and creating various tools to adapt to the diverse learning modalities of students with disabilities. She has presented on inclusive Art education practices and curriculum development. As an art educator, Ms.Gonsalves is committed to providing a collaborative Arts environment where students of all abilities are enabled to uniquely express themselves through the exploration and creation of Art. She is a Master Teaching Artist with Marquis Studios and the Visual Arts trainer for the Teaching Artist Institute (TATI).

Nina Krisel Berke has been working in the NYC Department of Education for 13 years. She has worked consistently in District 75 for all 13 years at the same school. When she started, Nina taught 6:1:1 population for the first 3 years followed by 12:1:1 for a year. The next 5 years she taught Theater and Movement to all populations. During this time she worked closely with ArtsConnection, as they put on productions of High School Musical, Peter Pan, Hairspray and Mulan. She has held the position of Unit Coordinator for the past 3 years. Each position has provided her invaluable knowledge and experiences in practice and approach to instruction and collaboration with team members.

Emily Davis is an Orff certified, elementary Music teacher with 17 years’ experience in special education. She designs joyful opportunities for students to explore Music and Music making with their whole bodies whether in a Music room or pushing into a classroom with a cart. Her undergraduate studies are in Music Therapy, while her Master’s degree is in Urban Special Education. This unique combination of training qualifies her for dual certification and she has experience as both a classroom teacher and a Music teacher. This flexibility made her especially valuable during the challenging Covid years. Emily is the Arts Education Liaison for her school helping to record and coordinate Arts partnerships across this multi-site, District 75, school in the Bronx.

Jennifer DiBella serves as Director of Education at Roundabout Theatre Company, where she has worked since 2005. Roundabout’s education department reaches over 20,000 people annually through school partnerships, career training, and community engagement programming. Under her leadership, Education at Roundabout was the 2018 recipient of the AATE Lin Wright Special Recognition Award. Jennifer holds a MA in Educational Theatre from NYU and a BA in Theatre Education from Wagner College where she also received her NY State Teaching Certification. Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors for the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable, the Audience Engagement Committee for the Broadway League, and the JobsFirstNYC Policy Committee.