45th Annual Middle Level Conference
March 19 & 20, 2026
#NELMS26
Keynote Presenters - Biographies
General Session Keynote - Thursday, March 19, 2026
“I teach to dispel the dark and remind the universe that we are not inconsequential. I teach because it’s infinitely compelling to watch dynamic souls punch through their not so elastic cocoons of childhood, daring the community to accept their forward motion. Brushing complacency’s dust from everyday ideas and objects by viewing them through children’s eyes opens our own, and it connects us to that golden, 'What if…?' superhero in our earlier selves. I teach because setting a constructive example for my students generates a greater ethic in me than I can achieve without their example or provocation. I teach because I am deeply, unrepentantly grateful for life, and the most potent way I know to express that gratitude is to build a world worthy of the next generation, then give them the tools to make it their own.” -- Rick Wormeli
Presented the 2008 James P. Garvin Award from the New England League of Middle Schools for Teaching Excellence, Service and Leadership, Rick is one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, bringing innovation, energy, validity, and high standards to both his presentations and his instructional practice, which include 44 years teaching math, science, English, physical education, health, and history, as well as coaching teachers, principals, superintendents, and other leadership. Rick's work has been reported in numerous media, including ABC's Good Morning America, Hardball with Chris Matthews, National Geographic and Good Housekeeping magazines, What Matters Most: Teaching for the 21st Century, national association journals, and The Washington Post. He is a frequent contributor to AMLE Magazine and ASCD's Education Leadership magazine. He is the author of the award-winning book Meet Me in the Middle as well as the best-selling books Day One and Beyond, Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom (Second Edition), Differentiation: From Planning to Practice and Metaphors & Analogies: Power Tools for Teaching any Subject as well as the ASCD book, Summarization in any Subject: 60 Innovative and Tech-Infused Strategies for Deeper Student Learning. His book, The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy Good Stuff I Learned about Teaching Along the Way, is collection of his published articles, guest blogs and more through 2013, and the 2nd edition of this is going to be published soon. His classroom practice is a showcase for ASCD's best-selling series, At Work in the Differentiated Classroom. With his substantive presentations, sense of humor and unconventional approaches, he has presented to teachers and administrators in all 50 states, Canada, China, Europe, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Australia the Middle East, and at the White House. He is a seasoned veteran of thousands of virtual, national and international seminars, and he is Disney's American Teacher Awards 1996 Outstanding English Teacher of the Nation. He won and he has been a consultant for National Public Radio, USA Today, Court TV and the Smithsonian Institution's Natural Partners Program and their search for the giant squid. Rick lives in Herndon, Virginia, with his wife, Kelly, where they have successfully launched their kids into adulthood. While marveling at the love and wonder of being new grandparents, they are also happily spending their children’s inheritance on assorted adventures.
Luncheon Keynote - Thursday, March 19, 2026
Maureen Chapman
Maureen Chapman loves school. As the cofounder of Cor Creative Partners, Maureen supports leadership development and student engagement through speaking, coaching, workshops, and PLCs. Maureen is the coauthor of the Solution Tree book Leaders of the Class. She has presented at conferences including Learning Forward, ASCD, the ASCD Leadership Summit, and NYAR, and her writing has appeared in outlets including Edutopia, Inside Higher Ed, and MiddleWeb.
Maureen is a lifelong educator who taught for 15 years in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and spent eight years in school leadership. As a curriculum director and the head of an instructional leadership team, Maureen oversaw curriculum, resources, student data, instructional coaching, professional development, new teacher induction, and career education.
James Simons
James Simons loves school. James is the cofounder of Cor Creative Partners, a Boston-based company that provides inspiring and practical professional development for educators, by educators. James supports leadership development and student engagement through consulting coaching, facilitating workshops and PLCs, delivering speeches, producing videos, and writing for outlets including Edutopia, Inside Higher Ed, and MiddleWeb. James is the coauthor of the Solution Tree book Leaders of the Class: Teaching Motivation, Perseverance, Communication, and Collaboration in the Secondary Classroom. Prior to cofounding Cor Creative Partners, James served as a high school principal and dean of students, an instructional coach, a middle and high school English teacher, a video-based storyteller, and a writer.
General Session Keynote - Friday, March 20, 2026
Cornelius Minor
Cornelius Minor is a Brooklyn-based educator. He works with teachers, school leaders, and leaders of community-based organizations to support equitable literacy reform in cities (and sometimes villages) across the globe. His latest book, We Got This, explores how the work of creating more equitable school spaces is embedded in our everyday choices—specifically in the choice to really listen to kids. He has been featured in Education Week, Brooklyn Magazine, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He has partnered with The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, The New York City Department of Education, The International Literacy Association, and Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Out of Print, a documentary featuring Cornelius made its way around the film festival circuit, and he has been a featured speaker at conferences all over the world. Most recently, along with his partner and wife, Kass Minor, he has established The Minor Collective, a community-based movement designed to foster sustainable change in schools. Whether working with educators and kids in Los Angeles, Seattle, or New York City, Cornelius uses his love for technology, hip-hop, and social media to bring communities together. As a teacher, Cornelius draws not only on his years teaching middle school in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but also on time spent skateboarding, shooting hoops, and working with young people.
You can connect with him at Kass and Corn, or on Twitter at @MisterMinor.
Luncheon Keynote - Friday, March 20, 2026
Dr. Timothy Allen is an associate professor of education at American International College in Springfield, MA. Previously, he spent 22 years in public schools, including 12 years as a middle school principal. He taught in Boston, the Bronx, and Springfield, MA. Tim is the host of the Teachers’ Cup of Coffee podcast, a quick-hitting podcast that is a shot of caffeine for educators with new ideas, creative thoughts, and motivational stories. He has trained teachers across New England in how to build relationships that work for challenging students. He is the assistant executive director of the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS), the chief consultant of the Academic Leadership Association, and a longtime high school and AAU basketball coach. He is also a founding member of 16 Lyrics, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting anti-racism and equity, and of #TimmyStrongHealth, a non-profit dedicated to spreading CPR and heart health skills.