Annie Blais Annie Blais brings a solid understanding of how teacher development and programming both inside and outside the classroom increase student achievement. Currently, Annie chairs the English Department at Baltimore City College High School. This flagship liberal arts public high school in the Baltimore City School System was designated by the NASSP and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation a 2003 “Breakthrough High School” for its success in placing African American students and students on Free and Reduced Lunch programming into college. In her work as Chair, Annie works with teachers to design, align and implement a new curriculum and formative assessment systems. She trains new staff and mentors veteran teachers in their continued growth through one-on-one supervision and evaluation, vertical and horizontal teaming, mentorship programs, and lesson study sessions. Prior to joining City College, Annie worked for the Council for Basic Education as a consultant in English Language Arts to teachers and to the District of Columbia Principals Leadership Academy. Still consulting, Annie provides professional development workshops on a variety of topics, ranging from formative assessment to supervision and evaluation to differentiated instruction – all aspects of standards-based instructional programs. Before coming to CBE, Annie was a full time English teacher in the Bronx, New York and Newton, Massachusetts for six years and a still-teaching Assistant Principal for two additional years. After completing her undergraduate degree at Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, she joined Dr. Carol Gilligan’s team as a research assistant on the issues of adolescent girls. After completing a Masters in English Education at Teachers College at Columbia University, Annie joined a team of teachers that developed and ran a charter school in New York. She has taught all levels of high school English, co-taught with teachers of history and special education, initiated Leadership and after-school programs for young people, led staff development in anti-bias education, and worked in all aspects of testing, security, and general school programming.