Why Culture Counts: Teaching Children of Poverty
Donna Walker Tileston, Ed.D, is the founder and president of Strategic Teaching and Learning in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Tileston has presented at international, national, and state conferences to thousands of educators and has presented her research in Warsaw and The Hague. Donna is the author of 23 books including her best-selling series What Every Teacher Should Know, which won the distinguished National Publishers Award in 2005. Donna's training and keynotes include Why Culture Counts, 21st-Century Learners: What's the Difference. The What Every Teacher Should Know series is offered for graduate-level credits at California State University and Hamline University; many of her courses are also offered for alternative certification in various states.  Sandra K. Darling, Ph.D., is the founder and president of Learning Bridges. Grounded in 5 years of research, the Learning Bridges Aligned Instructional Database contains the most effective, research-based instructional strategies for the standards of all states in order of their impact on learning. Born into extreme poverty in rural Minnesota, Dr. Darling understands the power of having significant adults in her life who believed in her, had high expectations for her, and taught her the value of integrity. She has coauthored three books, published articles in several education journals, and presented to thousands of educators on standards-based education, curriculum alignment, inclusion practices, transformational leadership, school improvement, strategic planning, and assessment practices. She is a leading expert on aligning instructional strategies to content standards and delivering that instruction with the modifications needed to close the gap in achievement for students from poverty, diverse cultures, and English language learners.