KDAC Advisory Council

The Knowledge Development Advisory Council (KDAC)

The Knowledge Development Advisory Council (KDAC) is composed of new teachers, experienced teachers, teacher candidates, administrators, and faculty members who come together once a month to influence and plan the content being created by KDP to ensure that we are inspiring and equipping all teachers to thrive.

KDAC will ensure that we have input from diverse educators to guide the subject matter focus of KDP resources being developed for teacher candidates and PreK–12 teachers across America to set them up for success to deliver equitable education to all students. 

Desiree Brown

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Swiftwater Elementary Center 

Desiree Brown teaches first grade at Swiftwater Elementary Center in her alma mater school district, Pocono Mountain, and is the founder of the platform My Students = My Why, which is all about teacher mental health. She has been in this profession for nine years, creating With Love Teaching on Instagram to document her journey! She is a 2016 undergraduate and a 2020 master’s graduate of East Stroudsburg University from her hometown Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. As teachers, she says we need to “yield ourselves and become openly uplifting.” If she didn’t get paid, she’d still teach. This passion means the world to her, and she wouldn’t change it for the world. She joined Kappa Delta Pi in her senior year. She moved on to speaking at the KDP conference in Missouri, where she was uplifted to continue her work in KDP. Recording a podcast with Wendy Amato from Teaching Channel, and serving on KDAC and the Retention advisory council, she is able to share insight to help not only keep teachers in the profession, but also to gain ideas to take back to her colleagues. 

Outside of teaching and everything that comes with it, she enjoys being Miss Tobyhanna in pageantry, a model, coaching cheerleading, spending time with those she loves most, traveling, and being present in the moment learning herself each day. 

Jeremy Coleman, EdD

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Ball State University

Jeremy Coleman EdD is Assistant Clinical Professor of Educational Leadership at Ball State University and Founder of Century Solutions. Dr. Coleman has taught and led in public schools for nearly 20 years. He started his career of service as a youth mentor and has served as a correctional officer, coach, teacher, and administrator. He has consulted for private and public schools on a range of topics, including school climate and classroom culture, parent and community engagement, and school leadership. He has partnered with The National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers (NoBBChe) to deliver cutting-edge STEM programming to students in elementary, middle, and high school. Dr. Coleman worked with the PassWord Community Mentoring program, The 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, Student Development Resources and Scholarships (SDRAS), and served as a guest lecturer at Marian University. He also worked as a professional development coach for Teach for America. He currently serves as a committee member for Keep Indiana Learning, where he is tasked with improving Indiana school leadership and school culture. Dr. Coleman earned his EdD in Building Administration from Ball State University.

Diane Courington, PhD

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Annsley Frazier Thorton School of Education

Dr. Diane Courington is a former K-12 educator who loves advocating for students. She has transferred her skills into higher education as full-time faculty in the Annsley Frazier Thorton School of Education. In addition, she has delved into the world of consulting, working as an Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) ambassador for the ABE Kentucky team at Bellarmine and an ABE Community and STEM Partnership Liaison for the program office. Both roles allow her to support new and existing ABE program sites in developing partnerships to reach underrepresented populations. She also leverages community assets, local and regional, Black-led organizations and initiatives, and STEM partnerships to support and scale ABE. Dr. Courington received her Doctorate in Education and Social Change at Bellarmine University. Her research interests are Trauma-informed care, traumatic racial experiences, belonging and safe spaces for students of color in preschool-collegiate settings, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and diversity equity and inclusion (DEI).

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Citlalli Franco, B.S.

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Bradford Elementary

Citlalli Franco is a second-grade bilingual teacher in Texas with a passion for empowering others and creating meaningful change. A graduate of Angelo State University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2023 and has been teaching for two years. 

Citlalli has been an active member of Kappa Delta Pi for four years and currently serves on KDAC, now in her second year. During her tenure as president of the Mu Gamma chapter at Angelo State, she was recognized as a Distinguished Chapter Officer in 2023 for exemplary leadership and dedication. 

Committed to advocating for those who feel unheard, Citlalli brings compassion, determination, and a unique perspective to KDAC. She strives to foster equity and inclusion both in the classroom and in the community. 

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Katie Gerdts, MEd

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Bunche Montessori Early Childhood Center

Katie Gerdts is a 3-6 Montessori teacher who has taught at Bunche Montessori for eight years. She has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Indiana University, an AMS Early Childhood (2.5-6) credential from Seton Montessori Institute, and she graduated with her MEd in Montessori Integrative Learning from Union Institute & University/The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES) in summer of 2023. During undergrad, Katie served as the fundraising chair for the Rho Nu chapter of KDP. She has also been a part of KDP's Knowledge Development Advisory Council for the past three years. Katie is passionate about bridging theory to practice and supporting current and future classroom teachers. She enjoys reading, practicing yoga, weightlifting, biking, and going to concerts.

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Mika C. Leck, PhD

KDAC Advisory Council Member

New Mexico State University

Dr. Mika C. Leck is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Multicultural Education in the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership at New Mexico State University. She earned her BA in International Business & Economics at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan; her Master of Science in Education with a focus on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Temple University, Tokyo campus; her second MA in Asian Studies at Sejong University in Seoul, South Korea, and completed her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction at New Mexico State University.
 
Her research interest includes promoting the inclusion of diverse experiences in education through personal storytelling, as her doctoral dissertation was an autoethnography of her lived experiences navigating the self in various social contexts as a transnational Japanese and American woman. She believes that looking at the self furthers the dialogue of social and cultural issues. Dr. Leck encourages personal storytelling in research and classrooms, for it acts as a platform for silenced, ignored, minoritized, oppressed, invisible, and erased voices and experiences to be accessed and heard.

Alzahraa Mady, MEd

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Dayton High School 

Alzahraa Mady is a committed STEM educator with more than 12 years of experience teaching high school physics and chemistry. She is currently pursuing an EdD in Instructional Technology at the American College of Education. Alzahraa holds a Master of Education in STEM Education and is certified as a STEM Educator. She has taught students in Texas, Florida, Qatar, and Egypt, integrating technology and innovative teaching methods to foster academic success and student engagement. 

Her teaching philosophy revolves around delivering clear and effective instruction tailored to diverse student needs. She focuses on creating an inclusive learning environment through differentiation, hands-on experiments, and engaging lesson plans. Alzahraa also supports students’ academic growth outside the classroom through tutoring, enrichment opportunities, and extracurricular involvement. 

In addition to her teaching duties, Alzahraa actively contributes to professional communities, holding memberships in Kappa Delta Pi, the National Science Teachers Association, and the Association for Science Teacher Education. She is dedicated to continuous growth in her field, attending professional development events and collaborating with colleagues to enhance teaching practices. 

Khalil Roy, MA

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences (LaSAS)

Khalil Roy (pronounced Kuh-leel Roy) is a highly accomplished Career and Technical Educator in Central Louisiana, with a baccalaureate degree in social sciences and a master’s in education. He plans to pursue a doctorate in Teaching and Learning.

Mr. Roy is actively involved on the KDP Knowledge Development Advisory Council and as a KDP United Nations Representative. His experience in education spans a decade. He’s a 2020 KALB Golden Apple Teacher, Stand for Children Fellow and Facilitator, and served on the Louisiana State Principal of the Year panel in 2023 and a Louisiana Food Fellow.  He has also been honored as a three-time winner of the John W. Harris Educator of Excellence Award and received the National Beta Leadership Camp Counselor Award, as well as being recognized as Teacher of the Month multiple times within his district and Teacher of the Year in 2024. He’s a committee member on the school’s Leadership and Instructional leadership team. 

Khalil's passion for teaching is evident in his daily work as an educator. He is a lifelong learner and problem solver. He is the founder of the Tiger College Club, which promotes college and military awareness at Marksville High School. He has conducted workshops and sessions on workforce training, demonstrating his commitment to preparing students for a successful future.

As a Mentor Teacher, Mr. Roy has been highly effective in teaching 8th-grade English and social studies.  He has credentialed several students with Industrial Base Certifications in Business. His expertise extends beyond the classroom, as he recently presented at KDP’s Convo ‘23 to share best practice strategies in a session titled "How to Master Classroom Management as a First-Year Teacher."

Khalil is a dedicated and passionate educator dedicated to shaping the future of scholars, advocating for productive education policies, and actively and tirelessly working to retain and recruit future teachers in the field of education.

Evonnia Smith, MAT

KDAC Advisory Council Member

Brooklyn Science and Engineering Academy 

Evonnia Smith is a science teacher who teaches students from grades 5 to 12 at the Brooklyn Science and Engineering Academy. She has been teaching for five years and holds a BA in Biology and Secondary Education and a Master of Teaching in Secondary Education from Brooklyn College. Evonnia is pursuing her Special Education degree at Relay Graduate School of Education and completing a micro-credential in Climate Change and curriculum development. She has been a member of KDP since 2021 and serves on KDP's Knowledge Development Advisory Council. She is also a board member of STANYS (Science Teachers Association of New York State) and have several STEM partnerships. She is extremely committed to instilling excellence in her teaching practice and ensuring every student has access to an engaging and intellectually stimulating learning experience. She believes in the power of continuous reflection and self-improvement to enhance student performance and development while cultivating a healthy and supportive learning environment. Outside of teaching, Evonnia enjoys dancing, hiking, going to the beach, and drawing.