Maia Merin, PhD ● mmerin@gmail.com ● Designing & delivering professional development for educators ★ ★ ★My passion for education, and educational equity, began early. Attending a magnet program within a public high school in Sacramento, I was both inspired by the quality of the education I was receiving, and aware that other students’ opportunities were limited. This awareness gained a global dimension in the 11th grade, when I spent nine months studying in Bolivia. There I saw even more clearly how issues of class and race intertwined to limit students' achievement. I also learned Spanish, which I later put to use as a teacher in bilingual classrooms.I loved teaching, and at the same time I was drawn to the big picture: how teachers and school systems can reduce instructional gaps. Seeking a deeper understanding of educational theory and practices, I earned an MA and a Ph.D. While completing the doctorate, I designed and taught undergraduate- and graduate-level courses to prospective educators in New York.In 2014, all of these experiences and passions culminated in my becoming Program Director at the National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education (NAATE), where I designed and delivered training programs for teachers and leaders in high-needs schools nationwide. My work at NAATE has ranged from helping teachers use design thinking to redesign parent-teacher conferences, to designing and leading internal workshops in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Following this role, I served as the Director of Clinical Faculty at the Johns Hopkins University through its partnership with Urban Teachers, DC. I led and managed a faculty team of 30+ teacher educators who provided coursework and coaching for novice teachers.
Listed skills include Research, Professional Development Programs, Educational Program Design, Facilitation, and 29 others.
