Lucy Calkins is the Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College. For more than twenty-five years, the Project has been both a think tank, developing state of the art teaching methods, and a provider of professional development. In these capacities, the Project has supported hundreds of thousands of educators. As the leader of this world renowned organization, Lucy works closely with policy-makers, superintendents, district leaders and school principals to instigate and sustain school-wide and system-wide educational reforms. But above all, Lucy works closely with teachers and with their classrooms full of wise and wonderful children. Lucy is also the Richard Robinson Professor of Children's Literature at Teachers College where she leads the Literacy Specialist program. Lucy's many books include two foundational texts, The Art of Teaching Writing and The Art of Teaching Reading. This series exists alongside and supports her Units of Study for Teaching Writing series which includes Units of Study for Primary Writing. K–2 and Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3–5. Lucy and her husband John are parents of two sons, Miles and Evan.

For twenty-five years the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project has developed state-of-the art teaching methods and provided professional development to hundreds of thousands of educators. Its director, Lucy Calkins, and other Project members authored the best-selling classroom materials, Units of Study for Primary Writing and Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3-5.

Alison Porcelli is a staff developer with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Columbia University, where she supports principals, coaches, and teachers, in New York City and throughout the country, in effective literacy instruction. Alison was a kindergarten teacher, both in an inclusive setting and in a general education setting, before joining the Project. She received her Ed.M. in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College as well as an M.S. in reading from the University at Albany.

Sarah Picard Taylor works as a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. She works with teachers in the primary grades to transform their teaching of reading and writing in New York area schools as well as Union County Public Schools in North Carolina. Her classroom experience in both New York City and Sun Prairie, Wisconsin provide concrete examples and practical advice for teachers. Sarah's article, "Collaborative Conversations About Second Grade Readers," published in The Reading Teacher, highlights her commitment to teacher collaboration.

Cheryl Tyler is a graduate of the New York City Leadership Academy and a principal of PS 277 in the South Bronx. A passionate advocate of urban school reform and social justice she works with teachers and children in realizing an inquiry based thinking curriculum that will ensure all children have access to an education for social change. Cheryl has enjoyed a 15 year relationship with Teachers College Reading and Writing Project where she has taught at Summer Institutes, facilitated principals groups, and led and collaborated with teacher-researchers in leadership groups delving deeply into topics such as reading and writing in kindergarten and inquiry based social studies and science. Cheryl has been a kindergarten, first grade teacher and Reading Recovery teacher. As a staff developer she has worked with primary teachers throughout New York City in developing reading and writing workshops in classrooms that value children's ideas, interests and intentions.

Shanna Schwartz has been a staff developer with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project for close to a decade. At the TCRWP, she has worked with teachers, literacy coaches, and principals to help children in their explorations with reading and writing. In this role, Shanna works with educators across the country in classrooms, workshops, and conferences. Shanna has also worked with the Math and the City project through CUNY. There she contributed to constructivist math curriculum and staff development. Before becoming a staff developer, Shanna taught in New York City and Boston, where she took a special interest in differentiated instruction while teaching students to learn from each other's diverse backgrounds and learning styles.