Meet the Experts Guiding Your District Forward

Amelia Larson serves as Chief Academic Officer at Summit K12, where she leads efforts to advance multiliteracy and access to high-quality instruction. A national consultant and thought leader with 30 years of experience, Amelia is known for blending the pragmatic—“How can we do our work better for multilingual learners and the educators who serve them today?”—with the visionary—“What might learning - and the systems that support language development -look like in the not-too-distant future?” Her work centers on building systems of opportunity, grounded in collaboration, evidence-based practice, and a deep commitment to helping every child and educator reach their personal Summit.

Dr. Ana Aguilar leads the Professional Development team – supporting districts in implementing high-quality instruction for multilingual learners and ensuring equitable access for all students. With over 20 years of experience as a bilingual educator and transformational school leader, she specializes in coaching, data-driven practices, and building equitable systems that promote language development and student success.

With over 20 years of experience in bilingual and English language education, Rebecca began her career as a bilingual teacher in Buffalo, NY. Rebecca is passionate about empowering educators to provide high-quality, scaffolded instruction that supports English learners in both their home and new language. Her work is driven by the belief that all students deserve access to rich, meaningful learning experiences that help them thrive as readers, writers, and thinkers.

Jesee Garcia serves as the Executive Director of Science Professional Development at Summit K12. With nearly three decades of experience in education, he began his career as a fourth-grade teacher in San Antonio, Texas. Throughout his tenure working with various school districts, Jesse has held a variety of roles, all focused on enhancing student achievement and success. He is deeply committed to developing the capacity of educators and administrators to positively influence classroom learning. His work is guided by the conviction that all students deserve access to meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that enable them to connect academic concepts to the world around them.

Ricardo Coronado serves as the Director of District Success at Summit K12, where he leads implementation, monitoring, and evaluation efforts to ensure multilingual learners across the country receive high-quality support aligned to their academic and language proficiency goals. With nearly 20 years of experience in education, Ricardo began his career as a bilingual elementary educator and later served as an ESL Specialist at the middle and high school levels.

Before joining Summit K12, Ricardo held central office leadership roles, supporting districtwide initiatives to improve programming for multilingual learners, including support for newcomers and long-term English learners. He is deeply committed to strengthening systems that drive equitable access to rigorous instruction, with a focus on implementation fidelity, cross-functional collaboration, and student outcomes.

Ricardo’s work is guided by the belief that all multilingual learners deserve culturally responsive, data-informed instruction that honors their linguistic assets and accelerates their academic success.

With over 25 years of experience in K–12 education, Chris began his career as a middle school teacher and progressed into school, district, and national leadership roles. Christopher is passionate about equipping school and district leaders across the country with the tools and strategies they need to ensure instructional fidelity and drive student growth. His work is grounded in the belief that empowered leadership is the foundation for creating inclusive, high-impact learning environments where all students can thrive.

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Jennifer began her career as a middle school ESL teacher in Texas and went on to serve in various instructional leadership roles, including instructional coach and ESL director for a virtual public school. Throughout her career, she has focused on supporting educators through professional development, coaching, and collaborative planning. Jennifer is passionate about creating access and opportunity for all students and believes in the power of educator support to help Emergent Bilingual learners thrive.

Maria brings over 15 years of experience as an educator, beginning her career as an elementary teacher and later serving as a dean and administrator in Los Angeles schools. As a former districtwide ELPAC Coordinator, Maria supports school and district leaders in developing strong plans to meet the needs of their English Learner programs. She is passionate about educational equity, culturally responsive teaching, and leveraging the strengths of English Learners to create inclusive learning environments where all students thrive.

Amy began her career in education as an ESL teacher, where she developed a deep passion for supporting multilingual learners. Her commitment to equity and excellence led her to an ESL campus coach role, where she focused on federal program compliance and building instructional capacity to create inclusive, effective learning environments for both teachers and students. She is especially passionate about helping educators think beyond traditional strategies to engage all learners, regardless of language proficiency or academic level.

Addie Davis is passionate about empowering educators and driving professional growth. With a background as a senior literacy coach, curriculum specialist, and dean of instruction across both public and charter school settings, she brings deep expertise and enthusiasm to her role as California’s Professional Development Coordinator. Originally from Connecticut, Addie now lives in San Diego with her partner and their dog, Pepper.