Adjunct Faculty

As a first-generation college student who began as a nursing major at a community college and did not like high school, I never imagined a path that would lead me to a career in education, but I quickly fell in love with teaching, reading, and writing. Over the past 20-plus years, I’ve worked across nearly every corner of the educational landscape: as a high school English teacher, a professor of English and Education, a curriculum and assessment developer, and an instructional coach. I’ve served schools of all shapes and sizes—urban, suburban, and rural; public and private; well-resourced and under-resourced—always aiming to support teachers and students in meaningful, practical ways. For more than 15 years, I’ve also worked as a consultant and I also served as the director of English for the Advanced Placement® program at the College Board for 5 years. Over the years, I have been honored with invitations to provide teaching workshops at WKU, University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University, Howard University, Duke University, the University of Hawaii, Cal State, and several others. 

 

As a fellow of the National Writing Project, I believe deeply in the power of writing every day in the classroom. I also believe that every student has a path to literacy—when they’re engaged, challenged appropriately, and supported consistently. In recent years, my work has increasingly focused on transitional literacy and helping all students—including struggling readers and English language learners—access language and literature in ways that stick. This focus has led me to align state standards with the WIDA ELL Standards and support districts with professional learning to integrate literacy and language development into content instruction. I’ve also contributed significantly to multiple literacy development programs, including the Connections Reading and Connections ELA programs for grades 6–12, emphasizing students’ analytical thinking, deep comprehension, and transferable literacy skills.

 

I’m the senior author of multiple textbooks, including AMSCO® AP English Literature (2021) and AP English Language (2020), and I’ve collaborated on a range of projects to support English teachers and classrooms—including the Kentucky Writing Program, California’s Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum (ERWC), and the National Constitution Center, to name a few. I hold advanced degrees in both English and Education and am certified as a teacher, reading/literacy specialist, and school administrator. My academic research has explored the rhetoric of fiction (particularly the work of Richard Wright), transitional literacy, and how educational standards are interpreted and aligned in practice.

 

Originally from Appalachia, I now live in Owensboro, Kentucky, with my brilliant wife, Angela, and our two sons, Hilton and Dorian. These days, I work as a curriculum, instruction, and assessment coach for school districts across the country while also serving as a lecturer at WKU. I enjoy reading and playing sports—though I do both of them slowly and only one of them well.