Erik Francis is an international author and presenter with over 25 years of education experience. As owner of Maverik Education, he works with K–12 schools, colleges, and universities providing coaching and training on how to develop and deliver teaching and learning experiences that are academically rigorous, socioemotionally supportive, and student responsive. He specializes in providing academic professional development, consultation, and coaching to help develop rigorous learning environments and deliver engaging educational experiences that will prompt and encourage students to demonstrate different levels of thinking and understand and use their depth of knowledge (DOK) in diverse contents, new situations, and their own unique ways.

During his two decades as an educator, Francis worked as a teacher, site administrator, and an education program specialist in the Title I unit of a state education agency. He is the author of Now THAT'S a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning and is ranked consistently as one of the World's Top 30 Education Professionals by the research organization Global Gurus.