Kathleen Budge brings a blend of 26 years of practical experience as a teacher and administrator combined with more than a decade of work dedicated to bridging the cap between the university and the teaching profession. She is co-author (with William Parrett) of two best selling books published by ASCD. Her most recent book, the second edition of the award-winning Turning High-Poverty Schools Into High-Performing Schools (2020), provides an internationally validated Framework For Action that has been widely adopted to guide lasting improvement and student success in high-poverty schools. Bill and Kathleen's other recent book, Disrupting Poverty: 5 Powerful Classroom Practices, was also honored as an ASCD Member book and provided to over 58,000 educational leaders and classroom teachers worldwide as a part of its official release in January of 2018. Kathleen has conducted numerous presentations at international, national, and state conferences. and served as a guest speaker for webinars, podcasts and symposiums related to the topic of poverty and educating the whole child.

William H. Parrett has received international recognition for his work in school improvement related to children and adolescents who live in poverty. He has co-authored eleven books, the past three being best-sellers. His most recent, the second edition of the award-winning Turning High-Poverty Schools Into High-Performing Schools (2020 with Kathleen Budge), provides an internationally validated Framework For Action that has been widely adopted to guide lasting improvement and student success in high-poverty schools. Bill and Kathleen's other recent book, Disrupting Poverty: 5 Powerful Classroom Practices, was also honored as an ASCD Member book and provided to over 58,000 educational leaders and classroom teachers worldwide as a part of its official release in January of 2018. As Director of the Boise State University Center for School Improvement & Policy Studies for the past 25 years, Bill coordinates funded projects and school improvement initiatives that currently exceed $5 million annually. He is a frequent speaker at international and national events. His work with state and regional educational organizations, districts, and schools, spans 46 states and 15 nations. Throughout his career, Parrett has worked to improve the educational achievement of all children and youth, particularly those less advantaged. These efforts have positively impacted the lives of thousands of young people, many of whom live in poverty.