The IM Story

Bill McCallum has dedicated his life to helping teachers, educators, mathematicians, and policymakers show fidelity to both mathematical coherence and student learning.

He is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at The University of Arizona, where he researches number theory and arithmetical algebraic geometry, authors textbooks, and advises researchers and policymakers. Bill’s work as a lead writer of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics earned him the Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Mathematical Society and the Dolciani Award from the Mathematical Association of America.

As CEO and co-founder of Illustrative Mathematics, he chairs the Board of Directors where he helps craft the strategic direction of the organization and contributes to the curricula; he also represents IM to funders, at speaking events, and in workshops.

LaToya Byrd is an accomplished educator with a passion for mathematics education and a commitment to equity and access for all students. LaToya has dedicated her career to supporting educators and improving student outcomes. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Master of Education, and a Doctor of Education, all from Georgia State University.

Throughout her career, LaToya has been involved in state-level education initiatives, working with the Georgia Department of Education to review state standards, test development, and data review. She has also presented at local, state, and national conferences. Her expertise in mathematics education and commitment to equity have made her a valued voice in education policy discussions.

As VP of Client Success for IM, LaToya leads the team that supports classroom implementation of IM K-12 Math through professional learning for IM teachers, coaches, and school leaders, and through supporting educators who are using other products and services that serve the IM Classroom.

Gail’s career in and passion for education spans more than 20 years. As a classroom teacher, Gail mentored other educators on the creation of meaningful problem-based learning and other interdisciplinary curricula to engage all students. After leaving the classroom, Gail served as a strategic curriculum advisor and instructional design consultant for companies worldwide where she created award-winning robust digital and print educational solutions for students and teachers. Prior to joining IM, Gail held the position of Vice President, Content and Media for Achieve3000, overseeing the design and development of K–14 learner-centered literacy, STEM, and social studies products that support social-emotional learning and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom. 

Gail has served on myriad boards and commissions, including the Library of Congress National Digital Library’s American Memory Educators Institute Board, the Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s Technology Advisory/Girl-Friendly Software Initiative Board, and the Golden Colorado Independent School’s Board of Directors.

Liz Ramirez unequivocally believes that education is an essential means of empowerment. This conviction guides her passion for advancing access and equity in the field of mathematics education for students and for teachers.

At Illustrative Mathematics, Liz led the strategic direction and development of IM’s research-based frameworks for enhancing access for both English learners and students with disabilities within IM K–12 Math™. The associated resources and professional learning have equipped IM teachers with math language routines that facilitate discourse and language development, as well as access-supporting instructional strategies grounded in the Universal Design for Learning guidelines. Liz also managed several projects focused on the development of tools, resources, and guidance to help districts establish the conditions necessary to successfully implement the IM curriculum. 

As the Vice President of Implementation Programs, Liz leads the strategy and development of IM programs for teachers, coaches, instructional leaders, and partner organizations. Liz and her team are committed to the continued advancement of  IM’s professional learning for teachers and support for the districts and organizations that serve them.

Kris has a deeply rooted passion and appreciation for high-quality education and learning, and a relentless commitment to listen to partners and customers while constantly innovating to meet the evolving needs of the classroom.

At Discovery, she served as CFO for both Discovery Channel and Science Channel; and as Senior Vice President, Global Content Operations, she was responsible for producing and broadcasting programs across 32 networks and 220 countries. In 2013 she was honored with a “Women Leading Women” award from the University of Maryland. In 2011 she was named a “Person to Watch” by The Financial Manager, the magazine of the Media Financial Management Association.

As CFO and VP Enterprise Management for IM, Kris oversees finance, accounting, legal, human resources, and administration. She believes that IM’s impact and success are dependent on its ability to support and leverage its own diverse talent and expertise.

Sara Allan is the Director of Early Learning and Education Pathways in the United States Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She joined the foundation in 2011 as the Deputy Director of the K-12 team and most recently led the foundation’s work to expand research & development of promising solutions to longstanding teaching and learning challenges that hold students back from reaching their full potential. Currently, she directs two program strategies, focused on improving outcomes for children in early learning programs so they enter kindergarten ready to learn and as young people, successfully navigate a path from high school through post-secondary, along the way developing agency, skills, social capital and attaining credentials that enable upward mobility in the workforce.

Previously, Sara was a district level leader at Portland Public Schools where she led reform initiatives including the school performance management, restructuring the portfolio of schools, redesign of core human resource processes and systems, and directed research, evaluation, data policy & analysis. Prior to working in education, Sara was a strategy consultant with the Boston Consulting Group working with private and public sector clients on issues of strategy, organizational development, and growth in North and South America. She serves as a board member and advisor to for-profit and non- profit organizations and was recipient of the Broad Residency in Urban Education and a Presidential Leadership Scholar. A dual citizen, Sara grew up in a family of educators and attended Canadian public schools from kindergarten through graduate school. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Toronto and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University. She is the mother of two college students and a high school sophomore and lives in Seattle, WA.

Michael Casserly is a Strategic Adviser for the Council of the Great City Schools. He previously served as Executive Director of the Council for 29 years, during which time he unified urban schools nationwide around a vision of reform and improvement; convened the first Education Summit of Big City Mayors and Urban School Superintendents; led the nation’s largest urban school districts to volunteer for the National Assessment of Educational Progress; led the first study of common practices among the nation’s fastest-improving urban school districts; and launched national task forces on achievement gaps, leadership and governance, finance, professional development, and bilingual education.
 
While Director of Legislation and Research for the Council, Dr. Casserly initiated major reforms in Title I, Vocational Education, and Drug Free Schools. He also initiated and wrote the federal Magnet School Act and the Urban Schools of America Act. Casserly has also written studies, reports, and op-eds on urban schools, including “Beating the Odds”—the nation’s first look at urban school performance on state tests. His legislative work has been the subject of a college textbook on how Capitol Hill really works.

Dr. Casserly is a U.S. Army veteran, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and B.A. from Villanova University.

Heather Hill studies policies and programs designed to improve mathematics teacher and teaching quality at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Her recent research focuses on teacher professional development, instructional coaching, teacher evaluation, changes over time in teachers’ mathematical knowledge and instructional quality in mathematics, and teacher experiences and characteristics that lead to high-quality instruction and stronger student outcomes.

Hill and her team have developed assessments that capture teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching and teachers’ mathematical quality of instruction, assessments now widely available to researchers, instructional coaches, evaluators, and policy-makers via online training and administrative systems.

Hill is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and serves on the AERA grants board, on the editorial boards of several journals, and as an advisor to numerous research projects and policy efforts in both the U.S. and abroad. She is co-author of Learning Policy: When State Education Reform Works with David K. Cohen (Yale University Press, 2001).

Heather holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and a BA from Swarthmore College.

Paul Palmer is a leader in targeted marketing, partnership development, and DEI with 30 years of experience in industry and higher education. A professor of marketing at the Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, he teaches courses in consumer behavior, advertising & promotions, and modern trends in marketing. He also led IU’s DEI efforts for the MBA Program and has won numerous teaching awards, including IU Trustees Teaching Award, Student Choice Award, and the IU Access the World through Education Award.

Prior to IU, Paul achieved 20 years of business and management success, including P&G, Hasbro Toys and American Greetings. Paul is a member of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees, the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and the NAACP.

Kristin Umland believes that by coordinating the expertise of teachers, mathematicians, mathematics educators, and business professionals, we can help all students realize their mathematical potential.

Before joining the IM team, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of New Mexico (UNM). After joining UNM with a Ph.D. in Mathematics, she carried out research in mathematics education, taught pre-service and in-service elementary and secondary teachers, and conducted education outreach at the local, state, and national levels. A recipient of both the Louise Hay Award and the AMS Impact Award, Kristin’s goal has always been to improve the mathematical and pedagogical quality of children’s learning experiences.

Kristin is co-founder and President of IM.

George Zettler is a mathematician and financial manager. He is a co-founder and managing member of Flowing Shape Advisers, LLC, a consulting group specializing in mathematical analysis.

Prior to Flowing Shape, Zettler co-founded Ellington Management Group LLC and held a position at Kidder Peabody.

He also served as Professor of Mathematics at Columbia University for nine years, where he conducted original research in representation theory and algebraic geometry.

He holds a Ph.D. and an AB in Mathematics from the University of Maryland and Harvard University.