Dr. Burtin received her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College. She obtained her Master’s degree in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and earned her doctorate in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. She is a former high school English teacher and administrator. Her professional experience has always been situated in urban schools. She has worked as an educational consultant, curriculum writer, and professional development facilitator for schools in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Chicago. As well, she has served as a national trainer for The College Board. Dr. Burtin’s research primarily focuses on issues of expert practice in teaching, specifically as it relates to literacy education, literary reasoning, and struggling adolescent readers.