Presented by Maria Companario, National Director of Access and Achievement

Maria has over four decades of experience in education, having served in district-level administrative roles, school-level leadership, and as an educator. Presenting at state and national conferences on behalf of Benchmark Education, she is recognized as a leader in the field. She has led professional development both nationally and internationally on topics ranging from the Sciences of Reading, to instruction for multilingual students, to leading a school to meet needs of diverse learners. As adjunct faculty, she has focused on educational leadership, data analysis, biliteracy, content literacy, and urban education. Maria is the National 2024 recipient of the Excellence in Equity award from the American Consortium for Equity in Education.