Dr. Robert Pianta, Developmental Psychology
Principal Investigator
Dr. Pianta is a professor of Clinical and School Psychology and holds the Novartis US Foundation Chair in Education. A former special education teacher, he is a developmental, school, and clinical child psychologist whose work focuses on how chidren's experiences at home and in school affect their development. He is particularly interested in how relationships with teachers and parents, as well as classroom quality, can help improve outcomes for at-risk children and youth. He is the author of more than one hundred journal articles, chapters, and books in the areas of childhood development, school readiness, and parent-child and teacher-child relationships.

Ms. Marcia Kraft-Sayre
Project Coordinator
mek6d@virginia.edu
Ms. Kraft-Sayre has coordinated several national studies of pre-kindergarten for the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) at the University of Virginia, including the Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten and the Study of State-Wide Early Education Programs. She has also served as the coordinator for the NCEDL Kindergarten Transition Project. Prior to her work at the Curry School of Education, she worked as a clinical social worker with children and families in mental health and medical settings.

Dr. Sarah Hadden
MTP Consultant
dsh5gn@virginia.edu
Dr. Hadden is a research associate at the Curry School of Education. Sarah has her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in early childhood special education. Prior to joining MyTeachingPartner, Sarah was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she taught courses in teacher education. She is a former preschool special education teacher who has worked with preschool and Head Start programs in several states. Sarah has a long-standing interest in social and educational policy designed to promote the health and development of young children.

Ms. Allison Hall
Curriculum Coordinator, MTP Consultant
ajp9e@virginia.edu
Ms. Hall is the curriculum coordinator for MyTeachingPartner. Allison is a certified speech language pathologist who has worked in the Charlottesville City schools with preschool- through elementary-aged students. She has also provided early intervention services in the home. Her special interest is early language and literacy.

Dr. Steve Whitaker
Project Technology Director
whitaker@virginia.edu
Steve has a background in secondary social studies education and holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology. He has worked with pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers across the Commonwealth of Virginia, exploring how technology can enhance the teaching and learning experience in their classrooms. His teaching and research have focused on how digital technologies can assist the needs of students in special populations.