AuthenTEch practice Announces Strategic Advisory Board to Guide Generative AI & Mixed-Reality Teacher Prep & Development

Written By Brendan Williams-Kief

Peachtree City, GA - AuthenTECH Practice (ATP), BranchED’s center for advancing teacher preparation & development through state-of-the-art mixed-reality and generative AI simulations, is proud to announce the formation of its inaugural Strategic Advisory Board. This dynamic and distinguished group of education leaders, innovators, and policy experts will support the organization’s mission to transform how teachers prepare, practice, and grow. 

Composed of national leaders in education policy, research, ed tech, artificial intelligence, and educator preparation, the Strategic Advisory Board will provide critical insight and guidance as AuthenTECH Practice pioneers new models of professional learning. 

“We are thrilled to welcome this extraordinary group of advisors who bring not only deep expertise but a powerful commitment to educators and the students they serve,” said Dr. Cassandra Herring, Founder of AuthenTECH Practice and President and CEO of ATP’s parent organization BranchED. “Together, we’re designing the future of educator preparation. It’s one that’s inclusive, scalable, and rooted in excellence.”

ATP’s Mixed-Reality & AI-powered teaching simulators provide safe, rigorous, and repeatable opportunities for teachers to build their skills with real-time feedback and research-based practice. ATP’s on-demand simulation services are first of its kind to integrate GenAI into immersive teacher simulations, creating low-risk, high-fidelity learning environments for aspiring educators. ATP’s work is informed by deep partnerships with teacher preparation programs, K12 systems, curriculum experts, and technical leaders.

The AuthenTECH Practice Strategic Advisory Board includes:

  • Dr. Peggy Brookins, President & CEO, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

  • Michelle Cummings, Education Advisor, Brisk Teaching; Author, The First-Year Teacher’s Survival Guide

  • Karthik Iyappan Gunasekaran, VP of AI & Software Products, Project Management Institute

  • Dr. Oksana Hagerty, Dean, Center for Student Success, Beacon College

  • Dr. Eric Jones, Chief for Learning Design, National Center on Education and the Economy

  • Jim Larimore, Co-founder, EdSAFE AI Alliance; Former Education Leader, Gates Foundation & ACT

  • Dr. Malina Monaco, Senior Vice President for Accreditation, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

  • Dr. Thema Monroe-White, Associate Professor, George Mason University, AI and Innovation Policy

  • Dr. Ebony Perouse-Harvey, Lecturer on Education, Harvard University Graduate School of Education

  • Valerie Sakimura, Executive Director, Deans for Impact

  • Stephanie Sylvestre, Co-founder, Avatar Buddy

  • Dr. Jennifer Kay Young Wallace, Associate Professor, Jackson State University; President, Association of Teacher Educators

These advisors will help shape the development of ATP’s work, guide the ethical use of AI in teacher training, and ensure simulation scenarios reflect the realities of diverse classroom environments.

For media inquiries, please contact Brendan Williams-Kief at bwk@georgetownpa.com.

Brendan Williams-Kief