Keynote and Plenary Speakers' Biographies

(Subject to Change)

Keynote

The Future of Learning:  Innovative, Immersive & Aligned to the Real World

Moderator:  Tiffany Benson, Superintendent, Travis Unified School District

Dr. Caryn Lewis currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE). She has spent more than 24 years in service to California’s public schools, working as a master teacher, instructional coach, school principal, director of K-12 learning, and as an assistant superintendent of educational services. Caryn is dedicated to the growth of innovative school programs and has successfully led school and district teams in a vision for empowering future-ready students. At the school and district level, Caryn’s schools were among the first in California to be recognized for Title I Academic Achievement and as National 21st Century Exemplar Schools, awarded by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning. She has received numerous state and national awards for closing equity gaps for underserved school communities, including Administrator of the Year from the California Association for Bilingual Education, and the Association for California School Administrators. Through her work at MCOE, Caryn continues to advocate for equitable access to learner-centered programs and opportunities to grow dynamic college and career pathways for all students.

Luncheon Address

State of Education in California:  2025 and Beyond

Moderator:  Dr. Harry Cheng, Director of C-STEM, UC Davis

Dr. Ingrid Roberson is the Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction at the California Department of Education. Dr. Roberson leads 14 divisions that provide foundational statewide support for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and accountability from early childhood development to college and career readiness for approximately 5.8 million TK-12 students in 10,000 schools across the state. She also supports CDE’s State Special Schools, including the California School for the Deaf (Fremont and Riverside) and the California School for the Blind.  Ingrid firmly believes in a whole child approach to education that begins with building a student’s sense of safety and belonging, a right for every student in a California public school and continues with fostering a student’s lifelong joy of learning that includes the arts, sciences, and languages.

Dr. Roberson has nearly 25 years of experience in California public education, starting as a special education preschool teacher assistant and then becoming an elementary classroom teacher.   Most recently, she was a Senior Advisor at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and an Associate Superintendent of Academic Services at the Alameda County Office of Education. At the national level, she conducted research on creative learning communities at UCLA’s Center for Research, Standards and Student Testing, and she led the innovation research agenda for the Stupski Foundation’s Learning Lab Network.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Arts from Stanford University, and a Doctor of Education from UC Berkeley.

Plenary Panel

Empowering Math Learners through C-STEM and Robotics

Moderator:  Dr. Ingrid Roberson, Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education

Mikey McKelvey, Director of K-12 Instruction, has been with New Haven Unified School District for over 30 years.  She is an experienced educational leader with a wide range of experiences.  She has held positions of Literacy and Assessment Program Specialist, Literacy Coach and Coordinator of EL Services, elementary school assistant principal, and principal.  She is a strong advocate of professional development for teachers and implementing innovative and academically rigorous programs to support student learning.  Ms. McKelvey has been instrumental in leading the implementation of C-STEM Program at her district to address the needs of all students, with a special focus on at-promise and EL students.  The concerted effort at the district and school level has resulted in strong growth in students’ math assessment scores at Hillview Crest Elementary School.

Stella Castillo is the Principal of Hillview Crest Elementary School in New Haven Unified School District. A proud graduate of New Haven USD, she is deeply committed to creating high-quality learning opportunities for Hillview Crest’s linguistically and culturally diverse students. Her vision centers on building strong foundations in mathematics and computer science to prepare students for future college and career success. Under her inspiring leadership, teachers at Hillview Crest collaborate as a team to engage students in hands-on learning through coding and robotics, contributing to significant growth in math achievement.

Brittany Casey has over thirteen years of teaching experience in New Haven Unified School District. As a member of the original teacher cohort that piloted the C-STEM program at Hillview Crest Elementary School, she taught C-STEM the first year.  In her current role as a Math and C-STEM Teacher on Special Assignment, she plays a leading role in the district-wide implementation of the UC Davis C-STEM program with students from TK to Algebra 1, equipping young learners to apply coding and robotics as tools for problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world mathematical thinking. Ms. Casey was recognized at the UC Davis C-STEM Conference 2024 for her leadership and the meaningful contributions she has made to the success of the program at NHUSD. Throughout her career, she has prioritized building strong relationships and empowering all learners to explore the possibilities of STEM.  Ms. Casey holds a B.S. in Education with a minor in Special Education from the University of Oregon and a master's degree in Educational Technology Leadership from CSU East Bay.

Starr Wong is a 3rd Grade teacher at Hillview Crest Elementary School in New Haven Unified School District. She plays a key role in supporting the school’s new C-STEM program. She brings enthusiasm and creativity to her classroom, designing engaging RoboBlocky activities that spark curiosity and problem-solving in her students. In addition to her work with C-STEM, she serves in multiple leadership roles across the school, helping to foster collaboration and innovation among colleagues.

Breakout Sessions