There are multiple epidemics facing schools that go far beyond absenteeism. Whether we are trying to address school-wide culture, learning loss, or truancy, we have to begin by rethinking the systems of our classrooms and schools that are inherently inequitable.

This session will bring together Pierce Woodward, an educator at New Liberty Salem, Amanda von Moos, co-founder and Executive Director at Substantial Classrooms, and Carol Ann Tomlinson, educator, author and speaker known for her work in differentiated instruction, to discuss the systems we need to be rethinking in education to provide more equitable access to education.

Our Guests

Pierce Woodward

Pierce is a high school humanities and music teacher at New Liberty Innovation School in Salem, MA. Originally from New Hampshire, he taught middle school in New York City and Lawrence, MA for 14 years prior to joining the New Liberty team in 2020. In his free time he hangs with his 4 daughters, plays the fiddle in local string bands, records original songs in his basement, and fishes for stripers from his kayak.

Amanda von Moos

Amanda is the co-founder of Substantial Classrooms, a national nonprofit on a mission to unlock the potential of substitute teaching, and co-author of the book Substantial Classrooms: Redesigning the Substitute Teaching Experience.  A social entrepreneur obsessed with making central office systems work better for schools, Amanda has worked in and with school districts for almost two decades.

Carol Ann Tomlinson

Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development. The author of more than 300 publications, she works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who want to create classrooms that are more responsive to a broad range of learners.

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