Yvette Jackson is an adjunct professor of Educational ­Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University, author of The Pedagogy of Confidence (Teachers College Press, 2011), and coauthor of Aim High, Achieve More (ASCD, 2012).

Veronica McDermott is a lifelong educator and passionate ally in the cause of social justice, whose legacy project is to eradicate the crime of squandered potential. Her areas of focus include technology, special education, and literacy. Her previous roles in education include superintendent of schools in the Patchogue-Medford School District, Long Island, New York, elementary school principal, secondary school teacher, and director of K–12 English and Reading programs. McDermott has also taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in higher education. She has presented at national and international conferences, facilitated workshops, and has published her work in several professional journals.

McDermott received both her BA and MA in English from SUNY Stony Brook. She earned a Professional Diploma in Administration from Long Island University and completed her doctoral work at New York University.