“For teachers, by teachers” is who we are.
Teaching Lab Program team members are all former teachers or instructional leaders and are recognized as some of the best professional learning facilitators in the country.
Our team members have extensive knowledge of college- and career-ready standards and curriculum, experience in grassroots organizing, and a deep knowledge of the experience of educators in schools and school systems.
Dr. Sarah Johnson
Dr. Sarah Johnson is a dynamic leader whose innovative vision has been a driving force at Teaching Lab since 2018. Sarah is instrumental to developing and executing Teaching Lab’s strategic initiatives, including setting and communicating a vision for the organization and its mission, strategic management, ensuring financial and operational health, and leading fundraising efforts.
In recent years, Sarah has emerged as a national and field leader in the movement to responsibly integrate AI into education in collaboration with teachers and educators to improve classroom practice and student learning outcomes. Read more about Sarah
Our Team
Many members of our team are former educators, recognized for their excellence in leading professional learning. Others bring deep expertise in research, operations, design, and strategy—building the systems and support that make great teaching possible.
This rotating team spotlight introduces you to just a few of the people behind our mission to improve student outcomes. Together, our team reflects the range of talent, experience, and commitment that powers our work to improve student learning outcomes every day in communities around the country.
Dr. Shaye Worthman
Senior Director, Learning & Research
Shaye leads Teaching Lab’s strategy to measure the impact of professional learning on teacher practice and student outcomes. She brings more than a decade of experience in research, evaluation, and instructional improvement across the U.S. and Latin America. Shaye holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy of Development and was recognized as an Inspiring Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where she taught and mentored future education leaders.
Brian Dunn
Director, Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding
Brian oversees recruitment and employer branding at Teaching Lab, leading efforts to build a strong, mission-aligned team. He brings more than a decade of experience in talent acquisition across higher education and nonprofit sectors. Brian is widely recognized for his leadership in diversity recruiting and for fostering inclusive hiring practices that align with organizational values.
Tonia Lonie
Director, Accounting
Tonia leads Teaching Lab’s accounting and financial reporting, ensuring fiscal integrity across the organization. She brings a strong background in nonprofit and higher education finance and holds an MBA along with a Certified Fraud Examiner credential. Tonia’s experience includes financial operations in support of K–12 education initiatives.
Jessika Davidson
Senior Director, Strategic Communications
Jessika leads strategic communications at Teaching Lab, shaping the organization’s voice and storytelling across platforms. With a background in nonprofit communications and digital engagement, she builds alignment between internal culture and external messaging. Jessika’s work amplifies the people, values, and impact behind Teaching Lab’s mission.
Kyle Williams
Senior Director, External Affairs
Kyle leads Teaching Lab’s development and external engagement strategy, stewarding philanthropic partnerships to expand impact. His career spans fundraising roles focused on educational access, foster youth, and social change. Kyle’s relationship-centered approach supports sustainable, mission-aligned growth for the organization.
Aidin Carey
Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships
Aidin leads Teaching Lab’s partnership strategy, working with school systems and funders to design impactful professional learning engagements. With a background in organizational operations, leadership development, and instructional design, she brings cross-sector experience to her work building aligned, strategic partnerships that scale educator support.
Dr. Molly Branson Thayer
Senior Director, Early Literacy Innovation Lab
Molly leads the Early Literacy Innovation Lab at Teaching Lab, guiding strategy and design to ensure every student learns to read by third grade. A nationally recognized expert in foundational skills and teacher preparation, Molly previously held senior roles at the University of Washington and University of Chicago, where she co-founded UChicago Impact and developed the STEP™ assessment. Her work bridges research and practice to support racially just, high-quality early literacy instruction.
Vivian Nguyen
Director, Program
Vivian is a Director of Program at Teaching Lab and a leader within the NYC Reads Initiative, focusing on ELA and Special Education. With a background in teaching, instructional coaching, and district leadership, she supports educators in implementing inclusive, standards-aligned curriculum. Vivian’s work centers the needs of multilingual learners and students with disabilities in large, complex systems.
Dr. Karla McPherson Bester
Director, Program
Karla leads program work in Chicago, partnering with school systems to improve teaching and learning through high-quality professional learning. Her career spans classroom teaching, instructional coaching, and system-level leadership. Karla’s practice is rooted in building trust, coherence, and capacity across school communities.
Ariel Juarez
Manager, Program
Ariel supports professional learning partnerships across Texas and Massachusetts and leads work in social studies. With over 13 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and school leader, he brings practical knowledge of curriculum implementation and instructional leadership. Ariel’s work prioritizes culturally responsive, student-centered practice.
LaShaé Tietsort
Director, Program - STEM
LaShaé leads instructional design for math at Teaching Lab, developing professional learning experiences aligned with high-quality instructional materials. She began her career as a math teacher and later served as a coach supporting teacher growth. Her work supports educators in delivering rigorous, standards-based math instruction.
Board of Directors
Teaching Lab’s Board of Directors brings a wide range of leadership experience and a deep commitment to our mission. United by the belief that when teachers thrive, students thrive, they help guide our strategy, steward our resources, and ensure we stay focused on lasting impact for teachers and students.
Susan Fine
Jenny Jordan
Katy Knight
Bryan Richardson
Shruti Sehra
Jenny Silva
Ross Weiner
RK Wolf
Join Our Team
At Teaching Lab, we believe that building a great team is essential to creating real change for teachers and students. If you’re passionate about the power of education, innovation, and impact, we’d love to have you join us.
