Grant A. Chandler has over 35 years of experience as a high school teacher, central office administrator, higher education dean, professional learning director at a large research university, technical support provider, and executive coach. He is currently the president and CEO of Students Matter.

Since 2005, he has provided technical support to over 300 districts in developing systemic approaches to solving student learning issues and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national expert in small learning communities. He has designed and led professional learning experiences at many levels of the K–12 arena and has conducted numerous workshops at national, state, and regional conferences. He hosts the podcast The Wheelhouse and cohosts the podcast Abundantly Charged.

Kathleen M. Budge combines 26 years of experience as a teacher and administrator with over a decade of work dedicated to bridging the gap between the university and the teaching profession. She is an associate professor of Educational Leadership at Boise State University, where her research focuses on poverty, rural education, school improvement, and leadership development.

Budge is coauthor of the award-winning book Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools. She has conducted presentations at international, national, and state conferences and webinars, podcasts, and symposiums on the topics of poverty and the whole child. Her consultancies include state departments, boards of education, state and regional service providers, and schools in 15 U.S. states and 3 nations.