The purpose of the K-12 Advisory Council, established in 2018, is to provide expertise and advice on QM K-12 expansion and initiatives in support of QM’s strategic objectives. The K-12 Strategy Committee members are well-respected and experienced educators who understand issues, challenges, and needs of working within the K-12 domain, within the QM community and beyond.
Council Members
- Shane Dennison
Dr. Shane Dennison graduated with a BA in Secondary Education (Comprehensive Social Studies) from the University of Findlay. Next, while teaching high school in Cleveland, OH he attained a MA in Education (Curriculum & 1-8 Education) from the University of Findlay. He then earned a MA in History from Cleveland State University. Finally, Shane earned a Ph.D. in Education (Specialization: Education Technology Management) from Northcentral University.
He started with Edmentum, Inc. in 2004. Shane was an “Education Consultant” with the company his first 8 years. In 2012, he took on the role of “National Assessment Consultant”. In 2013 he began his current role as “State Programs Manager”. Prior to working with Edmentum, Shane was a full-time high school teacher in Cleveland, Ohio for the previous 8 years as well as an adjunct professor at Cleveland State University.
Shane is responsible for consistent communications with each DOE director(s) within each state that oversee their individual states course and virtual academy approval processes. He also works closely with the Curriculum, Product, and Edmentum’s EdOptions Academy team members for quality assurance purposes surrounding new courses and custom courses that need to be created to adhere to both individual state and NSQ expectations/standards.
- Clay Ham
Clay is a Project Management Professional (PMP) with leadership experience in HE accreditation and K-12 curriculum development. He was elected to consecutive four-year terms for a specialized accreditation commission recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, serving one year as Vice Chair and four years as Chair. Currently, he works as Senior Instructional Designer/Project Manager supporting teams of content experts, instructional designers, and media object designers in the development of online courses for VirtualSC, a program of the South Carolina Department of Education serving K-12 students across the state.
Clay regularly leads review teams for Quality Matters as a certified K-12 Master Reviewer. He has served on the QM K-12 fifth edition rubric review committee and the QMConnect program committee. His presentations at the annual QMConnect conferences include “Yoga as a Metaphor for Instructional Design” and “The Instructional Designer as Project Manager.” Clay received the 2019 Directors' Award for Exceptional Service to Quality Matters.
- Barbara Landreneau
Barbara has a Bachelor's in Business Management and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction. Before coming to Katy ISD in 2013, she worked as a classroom teacher for 14 years in College Station ISD. Currently, Barbara is the Coordinator for the Katy Virtual School, where she oversees the development and management of Katy ISD's online courses. Additional duties include serving as the district’s Quality Matters Coordinator and Canvas administrator. She is a Quality Matters certified K-12 Master Reviewer. Barbara has also served on both the National Standards for Quality Online Programs revision committee and the QM K-12 fifth edition rubric review committee.
- Dr. Nichole Lemmon
Dr. Nichole Lemmon is the Director of Virtual Learning and Strategic Planning for Springfield Public Schools. Following 12 years as a high school teacher, Dr. Lemmon began SPS Online, now Launch Virtual Learning, in 2011. With over 120,000 online enrollments annually, Launch serves students K-12 from over 385 school districts, private and charter schools across the state of Missouri. With over a decade of online K-12 course delivery experience, Launch courses are designed, developed, and delivered by Missouri teachers, for Missouri Students. Launch Virtual Learning received the 2019 K-12 Making a Difference Award from Quality Matters.
Dr. Lemmon is passionate about equity in education and believes this is best achieved by providing all students with access to learning opportunities, no matter their zip code. Dr. Lemmon serves as the Missouri State Affiliate for the Digital Learning Collaborative, is on the Executive Board for the National Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance, and serves on the K-12 Quality Matters Advisory Council.
- Paula McDougald
As the Lead Course Design & Development Specialist for Virtual Arkansas, a state virtual school, Paula McDougald supports the management of course design and development projects by assisting teachers with the creation, implementation, and revision of online courses. In addition to her experience designing and developing courses in a variety of subject areas, she taught high school mathematics in a brick-and-mortar classroom before teaching online for over 12 years. Paula has served as a Master Reviewer, Peer Reviewer, Course Representative, and QM Coordinator for a variety of QM reviews. Paula holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology, with an emphasis in Media Design and Development. Outside of the office, she is a wife of over 20 years, a mom to two teenagers, a lover of all things creative, a reader, and an active part of local women’s ministry.
- Dang Phan
Dang Phan is currently the senior director of digital learning services for Cognia (formerly AdvancED and Measured Progress). Over the past twenty years, he has had numerous experiences working as an educational provider within the public school system, higher education, and the private sector. He has served as a classroom teacher, department chair, administrator, adjunct faculty, senior instructional specialist, senior program coordinator, curriculum manager, and director of curriculum development support services. Dang is a graduate of Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University and has an undergraduate degree in mathematics education and a graduate degree in education administration.
- Allison Powell
Dr. Allison Powell is the Director of the Digital Learning Collaborative (DLC), a membership organization that works to illuminate key issues in digital learning, disseminate data and best practices, and guide practitioners, policymakers, the media, advocates, and interested observers. She is the former Senior Learning Strategist for BloomBoard where she assisted states and districts in re-thinking professional development and licensing. She is the former Vice President for New Learning Models of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) which provides expertise and leadership in K-12 Blended, Online, and Competency-based Learning. Allison taught in face-to-face, online, and blended K-8 environments. She helped build the Clark County School District's Virtual High School and an online professional development program for the Nevada school district. She has served as a board member for several organizations and universities. She completed her doctorate from Pepperdine University in educational technology and leadership.
- Jason Schmidt
Jason became the Executive Director for Wisconsin Virtual School based out of CESA 9 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin in July of 2021. Prior to that, he has held roles including an elementary and middle school teacher, instructional technology coach and coordinator, a designer and teacher of graduate online courses, and a member of the Nebraska Educational Technology Association Board of Directors.
Jason holds a Bachelor in Elementary Education from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, and a Masters in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
- Kirsten Wilson
Kirsten Wilson, M.Ed. is State Coordinator of Digital Learning with the DESE- Research and Technology Unit. Before that she was Director of Curriculum & Instruction for Virtual Arkansas, the Arkansas state virtual school. She has been immersed in online learning for a little over three years. 19 years of her career was in brick & mortar; experience spanning K-12. During that time she coordinated with a team that wrote 94% of the Virtual Arkansas course content providing rigorous, relevant online courses to over 250 public schools across Arkansas. Additionally, she was a strategic part of the Virtual Arkansas Organization being recognized by Quality Matters with the Making a Difference for Student Award: Outstanding Impact by a K-12 Organization or Individual. Kirsten now works with the Digital Learning Unit (also known as Team Digital) to support districts and educators leverage and purposefully utilize technology for student learning through a variety of strategies and models. She has designed an Instructional Model and Evaluation System that incorporates the elements of the Quality Matters Rubric and the National Standards for Quality (NSQ) for Online Teaching. Kirsten, outside of her work with the State Digital Learning Unit, is the wife of 27 years to Eric, and mother to Emmarie (18) and Kirstopher (16), along with being fur-mama to three dogs and four cats.
