Induction

Roberta A. Richin is a nationally recognized author and educator specializing in improving student learning and safety through professional development. With Banyon, Banyon, and Stein, Ms. Richin is a co-founder of the Connecting Character to Conduct© consulting team and co-author of the book and related materials of the same title. Her model for leadership and consensus building is used by public and private schools, law enforcement organizations, parent-community groups, and corporations. Richin has presented this model at numerous conferences conducted by such organizations as the American Association of School Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Children’s Defense Fund, National Symposium on Child Victimization, School Administrator’s Association of New York State, New York State Education Department Conference on Inclusive Schools and Communities, the Nassau-Suffolk Bar Association, the Center for Prejudice Reduction and the Parent-Teacher Association. Since 1975, Richin has published journal articles and curricula, and has contributed to books focusing on the education and well-being of children and families. Ms. Richin continues to dedicate the majority of her time to providing school-based support for instruction by collaborating with students, teachers, administrators, and parents at the classroom, building, district, community, and university levels. She and her colleagues can be reached at Inductionhelp@aol.com.

Richard Banyon is presently consulting in the Carle Place, New York school district as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and personnel. His educational career spans over thirty-five years as a classroom teacher, guidance counselor, dean, building administrator, and central office administrator in New York City and Long Island. He most recently was assistant superintendent for personnel, curriculum, and instruction for the Deer Park school district, where he piloted a fully integrated model of induction specifically focused on recruiting and retaining teachers and administrators. He has facilitated national and regional workshops, and conducted job-embedded professional development on such issues as supervision, observation, evaluation, and preparing new teachers for the classroom. With Banyon, Stein, and Richin, he is co-founder of the Connecting Character to Conduct© consulting team and co-author of the book of the same title. Banyon enjoys the "lights" of Broadway in his spare time and bring his love of music and the theatre into any and all aspects of his professional career.

Rita Prager Stein has been a central office administrator involved in curriculum, recruitment, and retention for more than twenty years. During this time, she has recruited, hired, and retained more than ten thousand employees. She has spoken on recruitment and retention at the Association of School Personnel Administrators, as well as other national conferences including the New England Middle Schools, ASCD, and Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Stein is co-author of the ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development) book Connecting Character to Conduct: Helping Students Do the Right Things. Her work on supervision and evaluation has been reviews and utilized by several school districts throughout New York State. She has appeared on several television shows including "Tools for Schools," a show on professional development and character, as well as appearing on many radio broadcasts. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the effect of instruction on the moral reasoning of students. She has presented workshops on this topic at Columbia University, New York University, as well as districts throughout Long Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. She has presented workshops in New Orleans, Providence, Dallas, Boston and at several prestigious conferences. She is an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University and, with Roberta Richin, has published in the New England Middle School Journal. Dr. Stein has recently remarried and enjoys traveling, theatre, and living in her new home in Westhampton, Long Island.

Francine Banyon has thirty-five years of experience as an educator in New York City schools, the Huntington school district, and the Smithtown Central school district on Long Island. With Richin, Banyon, and Stein, Ms. Banyon is co-founder if the Connecting Character to Conduct© consulting team and co-author of the book of the same title. She has been the team leader in a New York State model dropout prevention program, a dean, a building administrator, and mentor to numerous present administrators working in Long Island school districts. Banyon has created student internship programs, Renaissance student success programs, conflict resolution-mediation programs, as well as school-to-business partnerships that have continued to grow long after she has left the schools where she was a part of the team that developed these programs. As an educational consultant, Ms. Banyon has presented at numerous workshops throughout the United States and has conducted extensive job-embedded professional development for instructional, administrative, and support staff in public and private schools.