ALAYNA GRAY

Ms. Alayna Gray is a native of Bloomington, Indiana and a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Kindergarten/Primary Education. Upon graduation she moved to North Carolina where she taught in a development ally appropriate kindergarten classroom for four years. Her next position was in Houston, Texas where she taught 1st grade in a school where there was no majority population and poverty and transience were high. During this time she became certified as an English as a Second Language Teacher and made great strides with the students in her classroom. She took her skills and experience from her Houston classroom with her to Pensacola, Florida where she taught three-year-olds in an Even Start program. Critical to the programs’ success were the ability to model appropriate interactions with children for the parents, to provide parent workshops and to instill in the children and their parents a love for reading. When she returned North Carolina, Ms. Gray, again taught kindergarten for a year before accepting a teaching position with self-contained elementary students who had been classified as Behaviorally and Emotionally Handicapped. While this position certainly had its share of challenges there were also great rewards while working so closely with the students, their families and other agency personnel who were providing support. 

Throughout her teaching career, Ms. Gray actively sought out opportunities to provide assistance to fellow teachers who were experiencing difficulty in the classroom. This skill led her to obtain her Master’s in School Administration and she spent the next six years working as an assistant principal in secondary settings before being appointed as the principal of the alternative school that served students considered “at-risk” in grades six through twelve. While several of these students had behavioral issues that served as an obstacle to their learning, many just needed the time and attention that a smaller setting could provide. During her three years as principal the school saw an increase in student attendance and student achievement, and a sharp decline in discipline referrals.

Upon her return to Bloomington, she worked with a non-profit organization that gave her the opportunity to collaborate with the leading educational researchers and practitioners across the country. While there she was able to deepen her understanding of adult learning and professional development, and in turn, make stronger connections between high-quality professional development and student achievement. Ms. Gray and her team are ready to talk to you about the development of strategic projects that will fulfill the needs of your school district and their diverse community of families. We are here to carry the Let’s Think-kids Foundation, lnc.’s vision into the future to prepare your students and their parents for tomorrow’s challenges.

ANDREA SALEM

Andrea Salem is an AWESOME teacher of over 10 years. Her zest for teaching, learning and technology skills fills a classroom with energy! She has built her background as a Highly certified teacher and a certified Reading Specialist. She also is a Professional Development specialist for teachers. She is awesome at providing targeted brain-based professional development which renders itself useful for her capacity in helping Let’s Think-kids Foundation, Inc. Her value as a specialist to our team goes beyond engaging young English language learners in reading, but into helping teachers to elevate the quality of education through the use of Common Core Standards. She is a lesson planning specialist, who has the ability to influence collaboration from all stake holders. Andrea has the skills, experience, and sense of commitment towards fulfilling a training of trainer’s capacity, which is a crucial piece that connects initiatives for kids into data driven results. We love Andrea, her energy and commitment to children’s thinking, learning, reading and writing! She also can be found at: www.andreasalem.com.

DR. JAMILA “ANDAIYE” SCOTT

Dr. Jamila “Andaiye” Scott is an educator and global arts ambassador who has taught and performed internationally, her destinations including Ghana, Japan, Brazil, Europe and the Caribbean. Currently, Andaiye is an English as a Second Language (ESOL) department chairperson in Prince George’s County public schools in Maryland, and the Vice President of 360 Degree Development Institute – a non-profit organization that specializes in education and prevention programs for youth and adults. Andaiye has 18 years of professional teaching experience integrating arts, language and culture into school-based curricula. She has worked as an instructional leader, an arts educator, and language educator (ESOL) in Georgia, Illinois, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. She has facilitated multiple college and career readiness mentoring programs (Eyes On The Prize & the Niamoja Leadership Camp for Girls), and is co-founder of the women’s Nzinga Rites of Passage program at Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia (1994). As an educator and leader, Andaiye received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Education from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), a Masters of Arts in Arts Integration from the University of Montana, a post-graduate certificate in Bilingual Special Education from George Washington University, and her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.