Paul Carrese is the founding director of the Center for American Civics and a professor in the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. He previously served as a professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Scholar, James Madison Program Fellow, and fellow at the Civitas Institute. He served on the advisory board of the Program on Public Discourse at UNC Chapel Hill, co-led Educating for American Democracy, and served on the Civic Education Committee for the American Political Science Association.

Carrese also serves on the Academic Council of the Jack Miller Center, on advisory boards at University of South Carolina and Georgia Institute of Technology, and on the APSA Council. He is a Senior Fellow with the Jack Miller Center and a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution and has previously served on the NAEP Social Studies Content Advisory Group for the Governing Board.

Louise Dubé is chief executive officer of iCivics, which champions and re-imagines history and civic learning. She previously served as managing director of digital learning at WGBH, where she helped launch PBS LearningMedia, a platform reaching more than a million educators. She has worked in K–12 education technology and began her career as an attorney. Dubé previously served on the NAEP Social Studies Content Advisory Group for the Governing Board.

Terri Susan Fine, Ph.D., is professor emerita of political science and associate director emerita of the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government, where she was a content specialist, item developer, and item reviewer on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination, the AP U.S. Government and Politics examination, and the Florida middle school civics End of Course Assessment. Her course, “Political Ideals and the U.S. Constitution,” was developed and delivered for the Florida Prison Education Project and now is required for the university’s Civics Teaching Certificate.

Chester E. Finn, Jr., best known as Checker, is president emeritus and distinguished senior fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a Volker Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, where he also chairs the Working Group on Civics and American Citizenship. Among many previous roles, he served as Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education, the first chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, professor of education and public policy at Vanderbilt University, as vice-chair of the Maryland State Board of Education, and legislative director for Senator Daniel P. Moynihan. Finn is the author, co-author, or editor of 20 books and hundreds of articles and commentaries.

Laura Hamilton is a senior associate at the Center for Assessment, where she collaborates with states, districts, and nonprofits to support evidence-based assessment and accountability policy and practice. She previously served as senior director at American Institutes for Research, associate vice president in research and measurement sciences at ETS, and distinguished chair in learning and assessment at RAND. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Measurement in Education, is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and received the Joseph A. Zins Distinguished Scholar Award for her research on youth development. She recently co-edited, Promoting K-12 Civic Learning and Engagement through Assessment.

Peter Levine is the associate dean and the Lincoln Filene professor of citizenship and public affairs at Jonathan Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. He is a political philosopher and political scientist who specializes in civic life. He was a co-organizer and co-author of The Civic Mission of Schools (2003), The College, Career & Civic Life Framework for State Social Studies Standards (2013), and The Educating for American Democracy Roadmap (2021). Levine previously served on the NAEP Social Studies Content Advisory Group for the Governing Board.

Francis O’Malley is the director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education at the University of Delaware. He previously taught middle and high school civics and U.S. history and earned recognition as Delaware State Teacher of the Year and Delaware History Teacher of the Year. He served on the commission that developed Delaware’s social studies standards and continues to review items and assist with standards setting for the Delaware System of Student Assessment. He has served as an advisor for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Social Studies Collaborative and previously served on the NAEP Social Studies Content Advisory Group for the Governing Board.

Joe Schmidt is the executive director of K–12 Education at Colonial Williamsburg and also serves as the president of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). He chairs the Taskforce for the Revision of the C3 Framework and also coauthored Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities and The Social Studies FIELD Guide.

Sharon Thorne-Green, J.D., is the secondary social studies coordinator for Katy Independent School District in Katy, Texas. She has been a teacher, instructional coach, and district curriculum leader. Her legal education and Juris Doctor degree inform her work in civics, government, and law-related education. She previously served on the National Council for the Social Studies Board of Directors and on the NAEP Social Studies Content Advisory Group for the Governing Board.

Geoff Wingard is an interdisciplinary instruction specialist with the Maine Department of Education, where he leads statewide civics initiatives, develops professional learning for educators, and builds cross-disciplinary networks to strengthen civic education. Wingard previously taught history, social studies, and methods courses in K–12 and higher education. He is the recipient of the 2022 Gilder Lehrman Maine History Teacher of the Year award and has served in various elected and community leadership roles.

Michael Blauw is the director of strategic partnerships and impact at the Center for Civic Education. Blauw was a Fulbright Scholar, taught  social studies and English, and worked at Harvard’s Center for Ethics. Blauw was a founding member of the Democratic Knowledge Project and previously worked as an education policy consultant for Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction.

David Campbell is the Packey J. Dee professor of American democracy at the University of Notre Dame, the director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, and a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on civic and political engagement, with particular attention to religion and young people. He’s the author of multiple books and his work has appeared in multiple scholarly journals and newspapers, including Why We Vote: How Schools and Communities Shape Our Civic Life, Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics (with Geoff Layman and John Green), which received the Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (with Robert Putnam), winner of the American Political Science Association’s for award for Best Book on Government, Politics, or International Affairs. 

Mary Ellen Daneels serves as director of the Illinois Civics Hub and Illinois Democracy Schools Network and chief learning and innovation officer for the Civic Mission Schools Network. A National Board Certified Teacher, she spent 27 years teaching social studies at West Chicago Community High School. She has played a leading role in implementation of Illinois social science standards and civic education requirements and has contributed to national efforts to strengthen civic learning, including the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) initiative and implementation of the EAD Roadmap. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Social Studies.

Regina Deavens is a 4th grade teacher at Harlan Elementary School in the Brandywine School District in Wilmington, Delaware. Her leadership centers on strengthening instruction, developing educators, building authentic partnerships with families, and creating school systems where students and adults experience belonging, high expectations, and meaningful support. She also served as a reviewer for Delaware’s social studies assessment.

Keahe Davis serves as program specialist for the PACE Commission at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, a body established by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court to advance civic learning statewide. Davis coordinates professional development for K–12 educators, reviews Schools of Democracy applications, and serves as Hawaiʻi’s state coordinator for the We the People and Project Citizen programs. He is a member of the National Advisory Council for the Center for Civic Education and represents the PACE Commission in the CivxNow coalition. Davis is an alumnus of Street Law’s Supreme Court Summer Institute; the American Bar Association and Federal Judicial Center’s Summer Institute for Teachers; and the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Landmarks of American History and Culture: James Madison and Constitutional Citizenship program. 

Kerry Flanagan-Owen is director of content and learning design at the Bill of Rights Institute, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to civic education. Her work spans curriculum and assessment design, learning progressions, educator engagement, and innovative approaches to civic learning. She has been a teacher, instructional coach, district curriculum leader, and national curriculum developer.

Jaclyn Foster is a middle school civics and geography teacher at Tuscaloosa Academy in Alabama. With 24 years of classroom experience, she is dedicated to helping students understand the connections among history, government, geography, and active citizenship through engaging, student-centered learning experiences. Foster is a James Madison Fellow and a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic, and she was recognized as the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s State History Teacher of the Year.

Ann Marie Gleeson is the history and social science test development coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Gleeson previously was a program director at Primary Source and served as a social studies methods instructor for preservice teachers at several colleges in Massachusetts. Her work and research interests focus on social studies curriculum, policy, and assessment practices.

Elliott Goodman is the director of district fellowships at the News Literacy Project. He previously served as lead teacher and department chair at a high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District and taught Latin in New York and California. He has run debate and speaking programs and competitions to promote public speaking and international exchange. Goodman also has served on the educator community team at TeachersPayTeachers.

David Griffith is national research director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where he manages or authors reports on various subjects, including as the primary author on The State of State Civics and U.S. History Standards. Prior to joining Fordham, he worked as a staffer for congressman Earl Blumenauer, a research assistant at Data Quality Campaign and Education Sector, and as a high school civics teacher in Washington, DC.

Emma Humphries, PhD, is the chief education officer for iCivics, leading their research agenda and ensuring that all instructional materials are accurate, objective, and non-partisan via iCivics' Independent Review Council. She received a James Madison Fellowship in recognition of her potential to be an outstanding educator of the American constitution.

Brian Kisida is an associate professor in the Truman School of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, where he directs the Open Minds Initiative and co-directs the Arts, Humanities, & Civic Engagement Lab. His research applies experimental and quasi-experimental methods to K–12 education policy and includes multiple randomized controlled trials and impact evaluations conducted through the Institute of Education Sciences. Kisida is a 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellow.

Jane C. Lo is an associate professor of teacher education at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on the political engagement of young people, how social studies curriculum and instruction influence them, and the impact of productive dialogue on our polity. Lo was previously a high school government and economics teacher in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Stephen S. Masyada is the director of the Lou Frey Institute and the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs at the University of Central Florida College of Sciences. An Air Force veteran, he taught for a decade at Williston High School in rural Florida before becoming a state-level social studies specialist in North Carolina. His work focuses on civic education, democratic engagement, critical literacy, and civic learning. He has contributed to Florida's nationally recognized Seal of Civic Excellence educator professional development course and supported the development of nationally recognized civic education resources.

Emilee McHorney is a teacher programs manager at the Jack Miller Center, where she designs and leads professional development programs that equip K–12 educators to teach America’s founding principles and history. Previously, McHorney taught high school social studies in Wisconsin for more than a decade. She also serves on the steering committee of the Wisconsin Civic Learning Coalition.

Ladonna Mielke is an educator and school administrator in McLaughlin School District 15-2 in South Dakota at Standing Rock Indian Reservation. She has taught English language arts and social studies and serves as an assistant principal in rural schools. Throughout her career, she has worked in rural schools and communities; these experiences shaped her perspective on ensuring curriculum and assessment reflect the varied communities, experiences, and opportunities of students across the country.

Dr. Diana Owen is professor of political science in the communication, culture, and technology graduate department and director of the Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) at Georgetown University. She has conducted extensive research on the effectiveness of K–12 civic education curricula and programs, serving as the principal investigator on large-scale, grant-funded investigations of students’ achievements in civic knowledge and competencies. Owen’s current research explores how civic education prepares young people for citizenship in the digital age. Her work has been recognized by the American Political Science Association, and she has received APSA’s Established Leader Award for her work on civic education and engagement.

Hannah Rude is the director of K–12 social studies and world & native languages at the Arizona Department of Education. She leads statewide initiatives on academic standards, educator support, professional learning, instructional resources, and programs that strengthen social studies and language education. Rude is the chair of the civics committee for the Council of State Social Studies Supervisors. She is a former teacher and participates in Arizona Diploma Seals, the State Tutoring Fund, Arizona 250, and the Arizona Holocaust Education Task Force.

Nichelle M. Pinkney, M.Ed., serves as a district-level instructional leader in Klein Independent School District (ISD), where she leads curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and instructional programming in social studies and world languages. Pinkney is president of the Texas Social Studies Leaders Association and co-author of Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities. Her work focuses on civic education, civil discourse, inquiry-based learning, curriculum design, and developing teacher leadership.

Dr. Shelina Warren is a social studies educator at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, DC. She serves as the director of the Eleanor Holmes Norton Law and Public Policy Academy, whose mission is to nurture students to use their voices to effect change. She is a National Board Certified teacher in social studies. In recognition of her work, she has received the American Civic Education Teacher Award, was a DC Teacher of the Year finalist, and has been selected for national and local awards for excellence in civic education and social change. Warren is an Army veteran and previously taught civics, economics, and gifted education in Arkansas.

Mark Bruno teaches middle school ancient world history, American history, and civics at St. James Cathedral School in Orlando, Florida. A teacher for nearly two decades, Bruno is a National History Bee coach, the 2026 Florida James Madison Fellow, and a National Constitution Center's Civic Virtue Fellow, and was previously a 2025 Sphere Education Initiative Fellow. 

Christopher Evans teaches AP U.S. history, AP government, AP macroeconomics, U.S. and Arizona history, government, economics, world history, and current events. Teaching for nearly two decades, Evans is a James Madison Fellow and has served on teacher advisory boards and committees with iCivics, the Bill of Rights Institute, the National Constitution Center, and the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. 

Kimberly Huffman is the department chair for social studies and American government teacher at the Wayne County Schools Career Center. She is an adjunct professor of political science at Stark State College and serves on the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) board of directors, the National Constitution Center technical teacher advisory council, and the  iCivics educator network, where she is also an iCivics ambassador. Huffman is a James Madison Fellow and has been a Congressional Fellow, a Mind Sparks Exceptional Educator, Ohio Council for the Social Studies (OCSS) Outstanding Secondary Social Studies Teacher, and NCSS Secondary Teacher of the Year, among other awards and fellowships. She was also selected as the NCC Constitution 101 Curriculum fellow and EAD Teacher Leadership Rural Hub Co-Leader.

Brian Kishi is a 4th grade teacher with St. Louis Public Schools, where he makes civics accessible for students, helping them analyze primary sources and develop historical thinking skills. Kishi has participated in professional learning through National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Council for History Education’s Amplifying Civil Rights Education project.

Justin Mitchell is an 8th grade social studies teacher and gifted and talented coordinator at Franklin-Simpson Middle School. He was named the 2021 Kentucky History Teacher of the Year, a National History Teacher of the Year finalist, and received the Kentucky Middle School Teacher Achievement Award. He is the founder and director of the Civic Leadership Institute, a multi-year program that prepares high school students to think critically, develop as leaders, and explore careers in civics, government, law, history, and public service. Mitchell serves on the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, is the secretary of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education, and chairs the public policy and advocacy committee for the National Association for Gifted Children.

Jen Reidel is a high school English and social studies teacher at Bellingham High School in Bellingham, Washington. With nearly three decades of teaching experience, she has taught in alternative and traditional high schools; she is a James Madison Fellow and served as the Library of Congress Civics Teacher in Residence. Reidel has been awarded the American Civic Educator Award, Golden Apple Moment Award, Street Law’s Classroom Champion, and the American Lawyers Alliance Teacher Award.

Heather Jean Simpson is a 4th grade teacher and social studies lead at Saratoga Elementary School in Fairfax, Virginia. She has extensive experience in civics curriculum development,  primary-source learning, and standards-aligned instruction. She is the founder of the annual Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day at her school, and she has contributed to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on Native Knowledge 360 and curriculum reviews for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Wayne-Tunstall served as a social studies instructional advisor, professional learning communities coach, and elementary classroom teacher. She is an active contributor to the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies, the Tennessee Center for Civic Learning and Engagement, and the Center for Civic for Education. Chunmeka Wayne-Tunstall is a social emotional learning advisor, where she leads the development and implementation of district-wide professional learning, curriculum support, data systems, and engagement strategies that strengthen student well-being and academic success.