About the Authors
Katie Novak, Ed.D.
Katie Novak, Ed.D., is an internationally renowned education consultant, author, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. With 20 years of experience in teaching and administration, an earned doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and 12 published books, Dr. Novak designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally. She is the founder of Novak Educational Consulting, a premier organization for designing and delivering high‐quality, evidence‐based professional development on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi‐tiered systems of support (MTSS), evidence‐based tiered interventions, inclusive practice, equity in education, and effective leadership practices to organizations worldwide. Dr. Novak's work has impacted educators worldwide as her contributions and collaborations have built upon the foundation for an educational framework that is critical for student success.
Dr. Novak is the author of the best‐selling books UDL Now! A Teacher's Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning; Innovate Inside the Box, with George Couros; Equity by Design, with Mirko Chardin; and UDL and Blended Learning, with Catlin Tucker.
Dr. Novak's work has been highlighted in many publications, including Edutopia, Cult of Pedagogy, Language magazine, Principal magazine, ADDitude magazine, Commonwealth magazine, the Inclusion Lab, Think Inclusive, the Huffington Post, Principal Leadership, District Administrator, ASCD Education Update, and School Administrator. She can be reached at [email protected].
Kristan Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Dr. Kristan Rodriguez is the founder and owner of Commonwealth Consulting Agency, LLC, and has been a professional development provider for over 20 years. Dr. Rodriguez specializes in the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the field of educational leadership and multi‐tiered systems of support (MTSS). Other consulting areas include strategy development, administrator mentoring and coaching, data‐based decision‐making; tiered literacy, acceleration, IB, and educator evaluation. Prior to becoming a full‐time consultant, as a result of her leadership on UDL and co‐teaching in her district, students made unprecedented growth. Her work was highlighted in a Massachusetts state case study. Much of this work was outlined in the book she co‐wrote with Dr. Novak, Universally Designed Leadership, which was ranked in the top 50 books in education on Amazon.
For the majority of her career, Dr. Rodriguez has been serving students and staff in public education, as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, assistant principal, principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, and superintendent of schools. She spent her childhood living and learning all over the world. From Europe to Africa to Asia, she attended many prestigious American and international schools across the globe. This experience gave her great insight into the value of global perspectives and the importance of collaboration and community. This work translated into a project that earned her the Ansin Intercultural Research Award from Boston University. Dr. Rodriguez moved to Boston while attending university and lived in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with her husband for more than 20 years. There she received three college degrees, raised her three sons, and had a successful career in public education. Recently, Dr. Rodriguez and her husband moved to the eastern coast of Puerto Rico to support the island and be close to family.
Dr. Rodriguez spends much of her time developing practical tools and guidance. For example, she authored an “Educator Preparation Partnership Roadmap” (2017) to help diversify our workforce, the UDL Progression Rubric (2018) to support evidence‐based educator practice, the “Multi‐Tiered Systems of Support Blueprint” (2019) to support systemic change, and the “MTSS Toolkit” (2020) to support school and district implementation. Recently, she co‐authored Leadership Implementation Guide for Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning (2021). She can be reached at [email protected].