Race and School Culture Presenters

Steven L. Becton

Steven is the Chief Officer for Equity and Inclusion for the international educational foundation Facing History and Ourselves. He writes and speaks for Facing History on urban education and equity issues in and beyond the classroom. He presents at national conferences, writes blogs, and conducts workshops and webinars for educators and for the larger community centered on having courageous conversations about race and education. He is a skilled facilitator and experienced presenter. He leads a team of Facing History staff who are working deeply in these schools to create whole school culture and transformational educational experiences that would equip educators, while also empowering students to overcome the systemic issues that have placed them at risk. Steve has a MS in Educational Leadership and is a final term PHD student at the University of Memphis where his research focuses on the historical construct of race and its impact on education. Walmart, CSAA/AAA, Bank of America, and AllState are among the many corporations Steve has presented for.

Nishant Mehta

Nishant is the Managing Director and Independent Schools Practice Leader at Storbeck Search. Prior to joining Storbeck, Nishant served as Head of The Children’s School (TCS), an independent JK-8 school in Atlanta that was lauded in 2017 as a “model to follow” for innovation by NAIS’s Independent School magazine. In addition to his leadership of TCS, Nishant has twice co-chaired the NAIS People of Color Conference, served on the faculty of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference and the Diversity Leadership Institute, authored articles for NAIS publications, served on the NAIS and the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) boards; led workshops on topics such as equity and inclusion and governance and school leadership at national and regional conferences, and was the founder of The Children’s School’s Master Class in Inclusive Leadership, a summer leadership opportunity designed specifically for women and people of color. Since 2018 Nishant has served each summer as a faculty mentor of the NAIS Institute for New Heads, where he coaches new heads of school.

Staci Rosenthal

Staci is the Program Associate on the Jewish Education Team at Facing History and Ourselves, where she has facilitated workshops and other professional development opportunities for educators in Jewish settings across the country for over four years. She brings to Facing History a Master’s in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice, which she combines with deep knowledge of Holocaust history, former teaching experience, and passion for societal reform through education. Most recently, she has been leading Facing History and Ourselves’ Jewish Education Team in their Teaching for Equity and Justice work. She lives in Hudson, Massachusetts normally but is currently working from Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

Sarah Stuart

Sarah is the Associate Program Director at Facing History and Ourselves. Sarah plans and facilitates events, workshops and seminars, and provides coaching for teachers who are implementing Facing History curricular programs. Prior to joining Facing History, Sarah taught a Holocaust and Human Behavior elective and AP Psychology. She received a BA in psychology from New College of California and an MA in instruction and curriculum leadership from the University of Memphis.

Dr. Etyan Apter

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School
Middle School Social Studies Teacher and Israel Engagement Coordinator

Beryl Bresgi

Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County
Head Librarian and Director of Holocaust Studies

Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz

SAR Academy
Associate Principal, High School

Molly Sloan

Portland Jewish Academy
Librarian

Tikvah Wiener

The IDEA School
Head of School