Advisory Board

The ITEN Advisory Group is composed of leading experts in the field of education who work to strengthen teacher policies and the quality of the teaching profession. Members bring the perspectives of different regions in the Americas as well as different sectors: international and civil society organizations, academia, the private sector, unions and governments.

The first meeting of the Advisory Group of the Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN) took place on October 19, 2012. Members joined from multiple points in the Americas using a virtual platform. During the meeting, the Advisory Group analyzed the main ITEN challenges, provided invaluable advice and identified goals to be met.

Bellow you will be able to learn more about the members of the Advisory Group of ITEN:

BEN LEVIN

Dr. Levin is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. He holds a B.A. (Honours) from the University of Manitoba, an Ed. M. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from OISE. Dr. He served as Deputy Minister (chief civil servant) for Education for the Province of Ontario from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2008-09. Earlier, from 1999 through 2002, he was Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Deputy Minister of Education, Training and Youth for the Province of Manitoba. Dr. Levin has published seven books, including “More High School Graduates” and "Breaking Barriers” (with co-authors Avis Glaze and Ruth Mattingley, Pearson Canada).

DAVID EDWARDS

David H. Edwards is the Deputy General Secretary of Education International, a global federation of education unions based in Brussels, Belgium. He has also been the Associate Director, Governance and Policy Support, responsible for International Relations at the National Education Association. David is a member of Financial Advisory Committee of the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) chaired by Carol Bellamy. He serves on the Leadership Council of the Global Campaign for Education-US Chapter. Mr. Edwards is also an active member of the planning committee for the International Summit on the Teaching Profession. He is a graduate of Harvard’s Masters Program in International Education Policy and a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland.

DEYANIRA CASTILLEJA

Deyanira Castilleja de Leon has worked in the field of education for more than 14 years. After beginning her career in the Teaching of English as a Second Language, she participated in the Mexico-United States Teacher Exchange in 2001. In 2004 she founded the civil association “Mejores Niños”. In 2008, she presented research on Multiple Intelligences in the Latin-American Classroom to obtain the IV Certificate in West Australia. Since 2009 she has collaborated with the international organization Teachers Without Borders as the Country Coordinator for Mexico, as well as coordinating the Teacher Certificate Program at an international level. Currently, she is working towards completing a M.A. in Education with concentration in the Development of Teacher Competencies.

DENISE VAILLANT

Ed.D., University of Québec à Montréal, Canada with Masters in Educational Planning and Management, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Vaillant held several positions in the National Education Administration of Public Education in Uruguay. A university professor, consultant of various international organizations and author of over one hundred articles and books on the topics of the teaching profession, educational reform and innovation. Currently she is the Academic Director of the Institute of Education, University ORT-Uruguay. She is also the Chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Observatory of the Teaching Profession at the University of Barcelona.

DINA ROSEN

Dina Rosen is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Kean University. Dr. Rosen earned a Master's degree in Special Education from Wagner College and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Technology from the New York University. She has ten plus years teaching experience and has served as director of technology in a PreK-8 school. Dr. Rosen’s research on case-based learning earned the honor of Dissertation of the Year Award (awarded by the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators - NAECTE). She is President of the Association of Teacher Educators Technology SIG and chair for the Early Childhood SIG of the International Society for Instructional Technology in Teacher Education.

EMILIANA VEGAS

Since September 2012, Ms. Emiliana Vegas is the Chief of the Education Division at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC. Between September 2001 and August 2012, Ms. Vegas worked at The World Bank in Washington, DC, where she held various positions in the Human Development Network, her latest being Lead Economist and Human Development Sector Leader for Central America, and Lead Economist in the Education Unit of the Human Development Department. Her books include The Promise of Early Childhood Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (2010, co-authored with Lucrecia Santibáñez), Raising Student Learning in Latin America: The Challenge for the 21st Century (2007, co-authored with Jenny Petrow) and Incentives to Improve Teaching: Lessons from Latin America (2005). Ms. Vegas has a doctorate in education from Harvard University a master’s degree in public policy studies from Duke University, and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Andrés Bello Catholic University.

JOSE LUIS GUZMAN

Mr. Guzman has been in charge of executive positions in public and private organizations since 1991, including his term as El Salvador’s Viceminister of Education (2005 to May 2009) and founder Chair of the Department of Education (1991-1995) at the Central American University, UCA, El Salvador. Currently, he is the Coordinator of PREAL’s Chapter of the Teaching Profession Working Group for Central America and the Dominican Republic (CCAD/GTD). Mr. Guzman holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Iowa, a certificate in “Leadership and Development from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a Diploma in Educational Policy Analysis from Universidad Iberoamericana and a Licenciatura in Psychology de la UCA, El Salvador.

JOSE WEINSTEIN

Sociologist at the University of Chile and Ph.D. in Sociology at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium). He currently serves as Manager of the Innovation Center in Education at the Fundación Chile. He is also co-founder and a main researcher of the Center of Education Policies and Practices Studies. Between March 2000 and March 2003 he was Deputy Secretary of Education in the Government of President Ricardo Lagos. After the creation of the National Council for Culture and Arts, he was appointed the first Minister of Culture in the history of the country, taking office in 2003. He has worked in various national institutions linked to education. He has also been a consultant in international institutions such as the World Bank, UNESCO and others. His work on the topics of education, youth, culture and poverty has been published in multiple books and journals. In March 2012, he was appointed member of the National Education Council.

MARCELA GAJARDO

As of 1995, Marcela Gajardo is the Co-Director of the Partnership for Educational Revitalization in the Americas (PREAL) based in Santiago, Chile. She previously served as Head of Policy and Planning at Chile’s Agency for International Cooperation, and as Associate Researcher at the Latin American Faculty of the Social Sciences (FLACSO-Chile). She holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Essex University and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the Universidad Católica de Chile. She has served as an international consultant for IICA, OAS, UNESCO, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Inter-American Development Bank, among other organizations. She is also the author of numerous books and articles on educational development.

MARVA RIBEIRO

Dr. Marva Ribeiro served education for the past 40 years at all levels of the education system in Trinidad and Tobago. She is a member of the CARICOM Task Force on Teacher Education serving at the level of the technical sub-committee. From 2003 to 2009 she was Member of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE). Dr. Ribeiro holds a Ph.D. in Education, post-graduate Dip. Ed., M.Ed. and B.Sc. Degrees from the University of the West Indies. She also holds a Dip. Sp. Ed. from the University of Sheffield.

MARÍA EUGENIA PANIAGUA PADILLA

Since June of 2008 to date, Ms. María Eugenia Paniagua Padilla has occupied the position as Secretary General of the Central American Education and Culture Coordination (CECC/SICA). Previously, she has held other positions such as: Coordinator for the Pedagogy area at the Universidad Católica de Costa Rica; Professor of Teacher Training at the Universidad Católica de Costa Rica; Vice-Minister of Public Education of Costa Rica (1994-1998), as well as different positions in this Ministry. Ms. Paniagua Padilla holds a Master´s degree in Business Administration with emphasis on Marketing from the National University of San Diego, California and also holds a graduate degree in Social Research Methods and Techniques applied to Education, from the Programa Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Educación (PIIE) (Interdisciplinary Program of Education Research) and the International Development Research Centre de Ottawa, Canada (IDRC).

MARÍA VASQUEZ

Maria Vasquez has over 20 years of education and business experience. Maria’s education experience includes; classroom teaching, school and district administrator, Educational Consultant in Curriculum and Special Programs for Region XIII Education Service Center in Texas. She has also served as a consultant for Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL), and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Her business background includes; International Partnerships for NWEA, National Director for Strategic Initiatives for Carnegie Learning, National Manager for Strategic Planning and Business Development for Apple Computer and Head of Education Policy and Partnerships for Promethean Inc. She is currently Director of Education for ACT. She currently, serves on The University of Texas at Austin Advisory Board for the College of Education and on the Board of Directors for the UNM/Serrano Alliance for Higher Education. Maria is an alumna of The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

MICHAEL JOHANEK

Senior Fellow at the Graduate School of Education (GSE), University of Pennsylvania, and member of the Education Graduate Group, Mr. Johanek directs the Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, co-directs the Inter-American Educational Leadership Network, is affiliated faculty in the International Educational Development Program, and serves as Profesor Invitado Internacional at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Prior to Penn, he was Vice President of Professional Services, Teachscape; Executive Director for K-12 Professional Development, The College Board; and a high school teacher in Cleveland, New York City, and Lima, Peru.

PAZ PORTALES

Paz Portales is a Social Assistant from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and a Candidate for the Masters Program of Latin American Political and Social Studies from the University of Alberto Hurtado – ILADES. Ms. Portales us currently the Regional Coordinator of the Education Program of UNESCO, Regional Office of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously to holding her current position, Ms. Portales was Executive Secretary of the National Chilean Committee for UNESCO and advisor of the Ministry of Education for Chile in international cooperation in education.

PAULA MARK

Ms. Mark is an alumna of Teachers College, Columbia University, and The University of the West Indies. She holds an Ed .D. and an M Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching, with specialization in Teacher Education; an M. A. in Psychology, with specialization in Measurement and Evaluation; a B.Sc. Chemistry, and a graduate Dip. Ed. in the teaching of Science. She has worked as a Teacher Education Consultant on projects for the Ministries of Education, in Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. She was the Caribbean sub-region’s Consultant for the Teacher Education Hemispheric Project (2004-2009). Currently, she is a member of the technical team of the Caribbean Community Task Force for Teacher Education.