Idaho State Department of Education

Rosemarie Allen

Biography: Rosemarie Allen has served as an educational leader for over 30 years. Her life's work is centered on ensuring ALL children have access to high quality early childhood programs that are developmentally and culturally appropriate. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her classes are focused on ensuring teachers are aware of how issues of equity, privilege, and power impact teaching practices. Rosemarie has served in directorship roles with the Colorado Department of Human Services as the Director of the Division of Early Learning and in Youth Corrections. In Early Learning, she oversaw the State’s child care licensing program, the federal child care assistance program, the redesign of the State’s quality rating and improvement system, the implementation of the State’s professional development plan, and assisted in the creation of Colorado’s early learning guidelines.

Dr. Allen's also serves as the President and CEO for the Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence (IREE), which is the lead agency for ensuring equity in educational practices throughout the nation. IREE is contracted with the State of Colorado to monitor and license early childhood facilities using a model she created, “Culturally Responsive Community Based Licensing”.

Rosemarie is a national expert on implicit bias and culturally responsive practices, speaking at conferences across the country. She is a respected keynote speaker, presenting on Implicit Bias, Racial Equity, Inclusive Practices, Culturally Responsive Practices, Cultural Competence, Micro-Aggressions, Disproportionality, Privilege, Power and Intersectionality, etc. She also has the distinct honor of being appointed as a “Global Leader” connecting with world leaders in early childhood across the globe. Rosemarie earned her B. A. from California State University, Long Beach, Master’s of Education from Lesley University and Doctorate in Equity and Leadership in Education at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Rosemarie is married to Don Allen and they have two amazing children. Jasmine is a Couples and Family therapist in Denver, Colorado and Clarence is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. and currently works as a Community Organizer.

Tara Brown

Biography: Tara Brown is president of Learner's Edge Consulting and an award-winning educator, author and international speaker. She holds a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision and is a nationally certified Personal Trainer

Known as ‘The Connection Coach’, Tara’s 30-year professional journey as a teacher and coach has taken her coast to coast from rural Florida to gang territory in California and to one of the largest high schools in Tennessee with over 40 countries represented. Her international engagements have included Dubai and Beirut working with both teachers and youth.

During the 1990’s, Tara worked with ‘Communities in Schools’, the leading nonprofit dropout prevention organization in the nation and established a successful program at Lindbergh Middle School in Long Beach, Ca. She worked closely with at-risk teens, many who were entrenched in the gang lifestyle, and helped empower them with leadership and life skills and reshape their view of the future.

In 2005, in Nashville Tn., Tara played a key role in piloting a Leadership Development program at Antioch High School targeting non-traditional leaders. Because of the success of this program, it expanded to all high schools in Davidson County and earned Tara the ‘Pioneer Award’ and ‘Teacher of the Year’ award in 2006.

Since leaving the classroom, Tara’s passion and humor continues to drive her work with adults around the globe. Her goal is to motivate, inspire and to better equip adults with the ability to connect and have meaningful relationships with kids of all ages, so their potential can truly be unleashed.

Jonathan Edison

Biography: “Success Strategist” Jonathan Edison is one of the most compelling thought leaders and Motivational Business Speakers today. As an expert in human development he delivers strategies, methods and tools filled with insight and humor that consistently move people and organizations to their highest potential. His personal Motto is “Results DON’T LIE, people do!”

Growing up in an environment that was a prescription for failure, young John John—his grandmother’s affectionate nickname for him—faced many hardships. After exposing him to drugs and violence, his mother was removed from the household by the Department of Social Services when he was five years old. Two years later Jonathan’s father left to start a new family on another side of town. Then, his grandmother Cloraine that took on the challenge of raising him died of cancer when he was 14.

Now homeless, Jonathan was forced to take up residence in his aunt’s basement. To afford the $50.00 a month in rent and his portion of the electric bill, he worked a full-time job as a dishwasher/bus boy at Chili’s Grill and Bar in the evenings and on weekends. He graduated from high school with a 1.63 grade point average and completed his first year of college with a 0.82 GPA before dropping out completely.

Instead of becoming another statistic, Jonathan found the courage he needed within himself to rise above adversity. He enrolled in remedial classes at Wayne County Community College. In 1993, Jonathan graduated with an associate’s degree as a part of the Urban Teacher Program. In 1995 Jonathan continued his education at Wayne State University, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in only 3 semesters. During college, Jonathan worked as a bus attendant, waiter, gas station attendant and often slept in his car so that he could hold down his jobs and attend classes.

After teaching for four years, at age 27 Jonathan became the youngest assistant principal in the history of Detroit Public Schools. In 2002, he was named Wayne County Spokesman for Success. Then, along with hundreds of other dedicated educators, Jonathan was fired. With no savings, clients or plan, in 2004 he launched Edison Speaks International, a motivational and training development company. Since then Jonathan has shared his “Strategies for Success” with over 1,000 audiences and 1 Million people, authored four books and has spoken in over 40 States. Jonathan’s Fortune 500 clients include: CVS Pharmacy, Daimler Chrysler, FBI, Folgers Coffee, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, McDonald’s and State Farm Insurance.

Dr. Joe Martin

Biography: Dr. Martin knows firsthand that the calling to be an educator carries with it the responsibility to help students learn, lead, and achieve.

Dr. Joe's message is always powerful, provocative, and practical. His unique insight into what makes great teachers & students inspires his audiences to become just that.

Dr. Joe has spoken for more than 600 organizations, colleges & universities, and K-12 school districts. Some of his clients include NASSP, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the United States Navy, and the National Education Association (NEA). He also serves as a guest columnist for three national magazine publications.

“Dr. Joe Martin’s message challenged me to check my internal motives and my external teaching techniques, which helped me go to the next level of effectiveness in the classroom.” - Teacher, Denver, Colorado

He is consistently the highest rated keynote speaker for educator conferences and in-service trainings. Audiences love him because his content is indisputably wise and his style of speaking is in your face, but on your side.