Marie has been on the center-based leadership team at Mesa View Middle Schools for the past three years while working closely with Katie McKnight in the implementation and success of student learning through centers and shifting to a growth mindset.

Jay has been in the Farmington, New Mexico district for 23 years. He began his career as an elementary teacher and progressed to an elementary principal after 16 years. Jay was an elementary principal for four years and has been working as a middle school principal at Mesa View Middle School for two years. Jay has a wife who has also been in education for 17 years and has three children, one in college, one in high school, and one in middle school. In his free time he is a sports enthusiast; both watching and coaching are passions. 

Dr. McKnight is an author, educator and consultant. Her career in education began as a high school English teacher in the Chicago Public School system more than 25 years ago. She currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Research at National Louis University. She travels worldwide as a professional development consultant and a sought after speaker in the fields of adolescent literacy, inclusive classrooms, Common Core State Standards, Interdisciplinary literacy, and integrating technology in the 21st century classroom. She is the author of over 15 books and numerous topics including her most recent title, Addressing the Needs of All Learners in the Era of Changing Standards: Helping Our Most Vulnerable Students Succeed through Teaching Flexibility, Innovation, and Creativity.

Brenna has been an instrumental part of bringing center-based learning to Mesa View Middle School and Hermosa Middle School. Working closely with Dr. Katherine McKnight and teachers as an instructional facilitator she has been able to collaborate with teachers on how to increase student learning through a growth mindset and a center-based instructional approach. Brenna and Denise Evans (MS Facilitator) have worked closely with both schools in an effort to improve student learning through collaboration, engagement, and encouraging student ownership of learning and personal successes.