PLI #6

Ashley Potvin

Ashley Seidel Potvin, Ph.D., is a researcher and educator in the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. She works in partnership with PK-12 educators to bring compassion and dignity to school communities. Potvin designs, studies, and teaches programs focused on supporting educators to cultivate compassion and dignity for themselves and others, to deepen their leadership capacities, and to envision and work towards just and compassionate schools. Her research examines educator learning and wellness, teacher-student relationships, and the development of caring, inclusive, and humanizing classroom and research environments. Her research has been published in journals such as the Journal of the Learning Sciences, Teaching and Teacher Education, Mindfulness, Education Sciences, Learning Environments Research, and Professional Development in Education. She and her co-authors recently released the book Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities: Leading Together to Address Everyday Suffering. Potvin is a former middle and high school teacher and a certified Compassion Cultivation Training Teacher.

Bill Penuel

Bill Penuel is Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the School of Education and Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. He designs and studies curriculum materials, assessments, and professional learning experiences for teachers in science. He works in partnership with school districts and state departments of education, and the research he conducts is in support of educational equity in three dimensions: (1) equitable implementation of new science standards; (2) creating inclusive classroom cultures that attend to students' affective experiences and where all students have authority for constructing knowledge together; and (3) connecting teaching to the interests, experiences, and identities of learners. Penuel is a Fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences, the International Society for Design and Development in Education, and the American Educational Research Association. He received his B.A. from Clark University in psychology, Ed.M. in Counseling Processes from Harvard University, and his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Clark University.

Paolo Calvadores

Paolo Calvadores teaches grades 6–12 science and serves as the Gifted & Talented coordinator in the Julesburg School District in Colorado. With over 10 years of teaching experience, he currently serves as a science teacher facilitator with inquiryHub at the University of Colorado Boulder. Calvadores is a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success and holds a graduate certificate in Cultivating Compassion & Dignity in Ourselves and Our Schools, as well as a Teacher Leadership Certificate, both from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is passionate about education, meeting new people, and traveling.

Johanna Brown

Johanna Brown is the Associate Director of Secondary Science Education for the state of Washington, where she leads statewide efforts to advance meaningful, inclusive science teaching and learning in grades 6–12. Johanna’s work centers on implementing science standards in justice‑focused ways and supporting educators in creating classrooms rooted in curiosity, belonging, and student agency. Previously, Johanna taught chemistry, AP Chemistry, and AP Computer Science A at Pullman High School, where she used an ungraded approach designed to prioritize deep learning over points and transactions. Her teaching has been recognized nationally, including honors such as the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the NSTA Yager Award, and GeekWire’s STEM Educator of the Year. Johanna serves in leadership roles across the science education community, including as a board director for the Council of State Science Supervisors, the former District XVII Director for NSTA, and a board member of Grow Beyond Grades. She is currently completing her dissertation on student agency in grading and assessment. Grounded in the belief that science education is a human right, Johanna is committed to fostering compassionate, dignity‑centered classrooms where both students and educators can thrive.

Colleen Lamotte

Colleen Lamotte is a middle school science teacher and open-source curriculum developer who believes all students are inherently scientists—people who notice, wonder, and work to make sense of their world. She designs learning experiences and equitable assessment practices that position students as capable thinkers and contributors. In her classroom, Colleen builds communities of learners where students’ assets are recognized and valued, and where they feel safe to engage in collaborative, productive sensemaking.

Beyond the classroom, Colleen contributes to national curriculum efforts with BSCS Science Learning and OpenSciEd, supporting the development of high-quality, open-source instructional materials. She currently serves as President of the Washington Science Teachers Association (WSTA), where she works to strengthen teacher networks and build educator capacity across the state. She is a two-time Washington State finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Grounded in the belief that science learning is a deeply human endeavor, she is committed to honoring the dignity and brilliance of every student.