Pre-conference workshop presenters

Dr Cherissa Legendre Vitter is an Associate Professor of IB Education at Southeastern Louisiana University and is responsible for teaching courses leading to the IB educator certificate in teaching and learning: Diploma Programme and Primary Years Programme. Cherissa consults nationally with universities, providing guidance in teacher preparation and evaluation development, and she has presented at national and international conferences. Dr Vitter currently serves as the president of Louisiana IB World Schools and is the co-principal investigator on a 5 million USD Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant.

David Weiss joined the IB as Head of IB World Schools (US Public Schools) in 2017. He attended his first IB conference in 1982 as a new coordinator and has worked non-stop to bring an IB education to public school students since then. David spent four decades in IB World Schools and retired from the public system as Superintendent of Schools of Long Beach Public Schools (New York). He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree from Hofstra University and a doctorate from Long Island University.

Corita T. Silapan is a seasoned educator with 26 years of teaching experience and 17 years within the IB framework. As an IB workshop leader, online facilitator, reader and site visiting team member, she excels in integrating innovative strategies to enhance student learning. Her background in psychology, combined with extensive counselling and volunteer work with children with a developmental challenge, underscores her expertise in emotional intelligence and student well-being. Corita’s deep understanding of these areas uniquely qualifies her to lead this workshop on cultivating curiosity, empathy and resilience in the classroom.

Es profesora de Inglés en la Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto en Córdoba (Argentina) y fue directora del nivel inicial y primario, así como coordinadora de Lenguas del PD y docente del IB, en el Colegio San Ignacio de Río Cuarto. Es examinadora de Inglés B y de la Monografía, forma parte de la Red de Educadores del IB (IBEN) e imparte talleres de Lengua B, Lengua ab initio, la Monografía, los enfoques de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje y la evaluación para el aprendizaje. Además, es asesora pedagógica de Inglés B y colabora en el desarrollo del currículo de Adquisición de Lenguas del PD. Ayudó en el diseño de la metodología de evaluación de lenguas adicionales en distintas carreras de la Universidad de los Lagos, Osorno (Chile).

Chloé Suberville

Como responsable de Colegios del Mundo del IB, la meta principal de Chloé es crear avenidas de apoyo para los diferentes colegios, ya sea para mejorar el entendimiento de los procesos establecidos o para crear procedimientos entre colegios. En su segundo año trabajando en el Bachillerato Internacional, y en su séptimo año como educadora del IB, Chloé busca crear espacios de entendimiento, escucha y colaboración para los colegios con los que trabaja.

Ricardo Chiaradia

La formación profesional de Ricardo Chiaradia se ha centrado en el área de matemáticas con especialización en estadística. Fue profesor universitario en Argentina y en diferentes Colegios del Mundo del IB. Se desempeñó como coordinador del continuo de programas del IB y fue director del departamento de matemáticas en diversos colegios. Su experiencia en varios roles como educador de IBEN en distintos países de América Latina le permite hoy, desde el Departamento de Colegios del Mundo del IB, comprender mejor el contexto de los colegios de la región para ayudarlos a crecer en la implementación de los programas y apoyar a los equipos directivos para que cada vez más estudiantes puedan recibir los beneficios de la educación del IB.

Sarah Phillips has been part of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) community for over 15 years. With experience as a teacher, coordinator, examiner, workshop leader, senior curriculum manager and principal, she has seen both the challenges and opportunities of the programme from multiple perspectives. Inspired by the way that the programme can transform students, teachers and schools, Sarah is committed to helping teachers and school leaders understand the “Whys” behind all the “Whats”.

Cindy Obiageri Obi is the Head IB Coordinator at SEB Group Premium School in Brazil, leading the implementation of the IB curriculum across multiple campuses. She also serves as an IB workshop leader and an examiner. As an executive member of the Brazilian Association of IB Schools, Cindy engages in initiatives to enhance IB education quality in Brazil. She holds a master’s degree in economics in educational leadership, providing her with a strong foundation in educational practices and economic principles. Cindy is also a devoted mother to four children, whom she fondly refers to as "three giants and a baby".

Kristen Machczynski

Kristen “Mac” Machczynski is proud to be one of four IB District Support Specialists for the City of Chicago Public Schools. Her diverse experiences in public, private and charter schools, coupled with her belief in the importance of relationship-building, authenticity and empathy—personally and professionally—inform her light-hearted, joyful demeanour. With more than 20 years in education serving as a history and Diploma Programme (DP) theory of knowledge (TOK) teacher, Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and DP coordinator, and in her current role, the belief that IB is for all fuels Kristen’s fierce commitment to advocating for equity and access for all students, regardless of background or perceived ability.

Sara Fliehman

Sara Fliehman works as one of four IB District Support Specialists for Chicago Public Schools. She is passionate about supporting school leaders and teachers in providing students with culturally sustaining educational experiences. Before this role, Sara served as IB Coordinator at The Ogden International School of Chicago and taught high school English for 10 years. Her other school-based leadership positions have included department chair, instructional leadership team lead and data lead. Sara is particularly interested in increasing people’s capacity for reflective thinking and higher self-agency.

Phil Evans is a career educator from Australia. His first IB experience was in a public school in Richmond, Virginia. In 2016, Phil joined the IB to consult with schools as they applied to enter into candidacy. Now as a member of the IB World Schools team, he designs and develops IB schoolwide adoption strategic initiatives to help schools strengthen and grow their student participation and capabilities and IB World Schools. He has worked closely with over 100 schools to help them broaden access and increase engagement in the Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP). Phil enjoys the learning partnerships he has with schools.

Melissa Cuculich

Melissa Cuculich is a Senior IB World Schools Manager, working with US public schools in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest. For over 15 years, Melissa has worked in a variety of school contexts and settings, including a large urban school district, a suburban district and an independent international school. She has been an IB district coordinator, a school coordinator, and a theory of knowledge and language and literature teacher in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). Melissa also served as the Vice-President of the Illinois IB Association of World Schools.

Laura Lane

As a Senior IB World Schools Manager and former school-based practitioner, Laura Lane brings over 16 years of experience to her role in supporting schools in being reflective and growing their IB programmes. Before joining the IB in 2018, Laura worked in the Falls Church City (Virginia) and Anne Arundel County (Maryland) public school communities as a Middle Years Programme (MYP) coordinator, and the Charleston County School District (South Carolina) as central office Personalized Learning Coach. Laura was also active on the Mid-Atlantic Association of IB World Schools Board and in the IB educator network community.

Après une carrière d’enseignant du Programme d’éducation intermédiaire (PEI) et du Programme du diplôme dans divers pays durant plus de vingt ans, en tant que membre d’équipes de direction d’établissements scolaires ou rédacteur d’ouvrages pédagogiques, Rémy travaille comme responsable confirmé du service des écoles du monde de l’IB. Ce service a pour mission d’aider les établissements autorisés à dispenser une éducation de qualité. Les deux rôles principaux de ce service consistent à être la voix des établissements au sein de l’IB afin de défendre leurs besoins et à évaluer les établissements de manière solidaire pour créer des opportunités de développement pour chaque établissement.