Novak Education

Mirko Chardin is Novak Education's Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer. Before joining Novak, he was the Founding Head of School of the Putnam Avenue Upper School in Cambridge, MA. Mirko’s work has involved all areas of school management and student support. His greatest experience and passion revolves around culturally connected teaching and learning, recruiting and retaining educators of color, restorative practice, and school culture. He is also a race, diversity and cultural proficiency facilitator & leadership coach for the Aspire Institute at Boston University’s New Wheelock College of Human Development and Education and is a Virtual Module Content Provider and In-Person Technical Assistance Provider for the Dept. of Ed.’s Inclusive Practice Academy. He is a principal mentor for the Perone-Sizer Creative Leadership Institute, a former Trustee at Wheaton College and is an active hip-hop artist. Mirko presents both locally and nationally on issues of cultural proficiency, equity, Universal Design for Learning and the use of personal narratives. He is also the co-author with Dr. Katie Novak of the bestselling “Equity by Design: The Power and Promise of UDL“. He is available to provide workshops, seminars and trainings on implicit bias, microaggressions, UDL, restorative practice, identity, courageous conversations about race, and personal narratives. Learn More: NovakEducation.com/mirko-chardin

K. C. Knudson is an equity-driven educator with over 26 years of experience as a leader, teacher, trainer, and presenter. K. C. specializes in leveraging deep knowledge of the learning process and leadership theory to create inclusive schools and classrooms that work for all learners. Before joining Novak, K. C. was the Director of Teaching and Learning in Washington and formerly served as Assistant Superintendent and Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. K. C. credits his service to the Swinomish Tribal community as a middle school principal for inspiring his journey to better understand and support all learners. K. C. has facilitated equity-based learning opportunities for over a decade and a half within the education sector, presenting both regionally and nationally. He started his educational career as a middle school Language Arts and Social Studies teacher. K. C. is a certified superintendent (Executive Leadership Program, Seattle University) and certified P-12 principal (Educational Leadership, Seattle Pacific University). He holds a degree in Interpersonal Communications from Western Washington University, as well as teacher certification and a master’s degree from City University Seattle. K. C. enjoys listening to live music, snow skiing, running, hiking, mountain biking, and the occasional triathlon. K. C. is inspired daily by his two sons.

Katie Novak, Ed.D., is an internationally renowned education consultant, author, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. With 20 years of experience in teaching and administration, an earned doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and fourteen published books, Katie designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on the implementation of inclusive practices, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and universally designed leadership. Novak’s work has impacted educators worldwide as her contributions and collaborations have built upon the foundation for an educational framework that is critical for student success. Learn more - novakeducation.com/katie-novak