Meet AE's director

Elizabeth Imende-Cooney is founder and director of Advancing Educators. She earned her B.A. in English from Wake Forest University and her Ed.M in Teaching & Learning from Harvard University. Elizabeth was licensed as a staff developer by Research for Better Teaching, the organization with the longest and most successful track record of any professional development provider in the United States for building in-house professional development capacity to ensure skillful teaching. With over a decade of experience in her field, Elizabeth has led over 2000 educators and administrators in school-based graduate courses and workshops. In her work, Elizabeth helps schools to institutionalize the study and application of research-based instructional practices to improve instruction and increase educators’ confidence and skill in analyzing their practice. Elizabeth designs and presents professional development programs in a way that fosters the development of professional learning communities within schools. In addition to her work in American public and private schools, Elizabeth has consulted for schools and educational organizations in Latin America, Asia and East and Southern Africa and presented on a range of educational topics including backward design and curriculum design, lesson planning, thinking skills, instructional strategies and student motivation.