Effective Education For All Conference

Dr. Todd Whitaker has been fortunate to be able to blend his passion with his career. Recognized as a leading presenter in the field of education, his message about the importance of teaching has resonated with hundreds of thousands of educators around the world. Todd is a professor of educational leadership at the University of Missouri and professor emeritus at Indiana State University. He has spent his life pursuing his love of education by researching and studying effective teachers and principals. Prior to moving into higher education he was a math teacher and basketball coach in Missouri. Todd then served as a principal at the middle school, junior high, and high school levels. He was also a middle school coordinator in charge of staffing, curriculum, and technology for the opening of new middle schools.One of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Todd has written over 50 books including the national best seller, What Great Teachers Do Differently. Other titles include: Dealing With Difficult Teachers, Ten-Minute Inservice, Your First Year, What Great Principals Do Differently, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers, and Dealing With Difficult Parents. Todd is married to Beth, also a former teacher and principal, who is currently a faculty member of educational leadership at the University of Missouri and professor emeritus at Indiana State University. They are the parents of three children; Katherine, Madeline, and Harrison.

Carol Beckerle is both honored and excited to serve on the Columbus City Schools board. She looks forward to bringing her unique perspectives as both a former CCS teacher and corporate attorney to the school board. Carol was raised in New York and started her professional life practicing law in Washington, D.C. – first, as an associate in a law firm and then as assistant legal counsel for Westinghouse. She moved to Columbus in 1993 and continued her legal career serving as a consultant to General Electric in Cincinnati while raising her two young sons. In 2005, she transitioned from law to education and proceeded to teach in Columbus City Schools for 13 years. She started at Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School as a special education teacher. In 2013, Carol shifted to elementary school in an effort to provide effective, foundational reading instruction that would reduce (or eliminate) the need for remedial instruction in high school. She served as the high incidence resource room teacher at Clinton Elementary through the 2017-2018 school year. Carol holds a B. A. in Psychology from Saint Bonaventure University, a J. D. from Albany Law School and a M. Ed. from the University of Dayton. She lives in Franklin Park with her husband, William Hayes, and her stepdaughter, Grace. Her other stepchildren, James Hayes (wife Amelia Hayes) and Hannah Hayes (fiancé Melea Sandman), live in Columbus. Her son, Scott, is currently living in Thailand and her son Jack is living in Washington, D.C.