Penny Smeltzer

AP Statistics for Experienced Teachers in Week 3: July 22-26, 2024

Penny Smeltzer began teaching AP Statistics when the course began and quickly created one of the largest programs in the nation in Austin, Texas. Her recognition includes Presidential Award Finalist, O’Donnell AP Teacher of the Year, Intel Teacher of Merit, Texas Exes Outstanding Teacher, the national winner of the Siemen’s Teacher Award, and Toyota International Teacher Award. Her passion for AP Statistics continues with years of experience as an AP Statistics exam grader, grading leader, rubric writer, Test Development Committee member, and Question Leader. Her passion is creating meaningful interdisciplinary lessons with science using topics that matter in the lives of the human population and the planet. Penny presents lively, interactive workshops to teachers in AP Statistics and integrated sessions with Lessons That Matter. On a good day, Penny has her camera, a notepad, and a ridiculous amount of curiosity as she explores the world for new interesting lessons…most recently in Uganda trekking gorillas.

Alma Gonzalez

AP Spanish Language and Culture for New Teachers in Week 3: July 22-26, 2024

Alma L. González has been teaching in public schools for over 30 years. Served as Department Head of the Foreign Language Department for 18 years. Has served as a Spanish AP Reader for 9 years and has served as a Table Leader as well. She has experience in teaching Spanish Language AP and Spanish Literature AP. She has been an adjunct professor and the University of Texas-Brownsville for 10 years and at Gladys Porter High School in Brownsville, TX. For 28 years. This will be her 20th year as a consultant for College Board. Currently works with the University of Texas Rio Grande as a part-time lecturer for the department of education.

Ken Keller

AP Human Geography for New Teachers in Week 2: July 15-19, 2024

Kenneth H. Keller is an instructor of Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography and AP European History at George Walton Comprehensive High School in Marietta, GA. He has taught AP Human Geography since its inception in 2000-2001. He is currently a question leader for the operational exam at the APHG scoring and has also worked in other multiple roles at the reading since 2002. Ken is a past member of the AP Human Geography Test Development Committee (2006-2010). He served as President of the National Council for Geographic Education during the year 2019-2020. He has been teaching AP Human Geography weeklong summer institutes and one day workshops for teachers since 2004. He is also a 2004 recipient of a National Council for Geographic Education Distinguished Teaching award. Ken is also Past-President of the Connecticut Council of Social Studies.

Ken is one of the co-authors of the new AP Human Geography textbook published by Bedford, Freeman and Worth. Ken is also one of three co-founders of iScore5 LLC, an AP test prep app for smart devices.

Marc Reif

AP Physics 1 for New Teachers in Week 1: July 9-12, 2024

Marc Reif teaches physics and is the AP Department Chair at Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He has been teaching AP Physics since 1998, a College Board Workshop Consultant since 2005, and has presented more than 50 AP Summer Institutes. Mr. Reif is an AP Physics exam reader and has also created and edited hundreds of AP exam items for the College Board. He co-authored the Teachers Resource Manual for Gay Stewart’s College Physics for the AP Physics 1 and 2 Course, co-authored the AP Physics 2 Curriculum Module on Capacitance, and has contributed to other AP Physics publications. Mr. Reif is the Vice President of Northwest Arkansas STEM, a grassroots professional development effort, and the Treasurer of the Arkansas Science Teachers Association. In recent years he has been an AP Physics Coach for the National Math and Science Initiative, and the AP Physics PLC leader for Rice University’s Project Equip. He is a past chair of the SAT Physics Subject Test Development Committee and a past member of the College Board Science Academic Advisory Committee. Mr. Reif served as PhysTEC Teacher in Residence and later as Visiting Master Teacher at the University of Arkansas. He has presented multiple times at national meetings of the American Association of Physics Teachers. In 2016 he was named the recipient of the College Board Southwest Region AP Award and in 2021 was named a state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. He holds an MAT in science from the University of North Carolina and renewed his National Board Certification in Teaching Science in 2015.

Dixie Ross

AP Calculus AB for New Teachers in Week 1: July 9-12, 2024

Dixie Ross has taught AP Calculus for 32 years in Texas public schools and has trained other AP Calculus teachers for the College Board for 27 years. She has served as a reader and helped to develop materials and resources that are published on AP Central. She has a strong interest in providing access to advanced mathematics to students who have traditionally been under-represented in those classes.

Carlos Gomez

AP Spanish Language and Culture for New Teachers in Week 1: July 9-12, 2024

Carlos is a native of Colombia. He has been teaching various levels of Spanish, including AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP Spanish Literature and Culture. However, AP Spanish Language has been his primary focus for the last nineteen years. He taught at Trinity Preparatory School for twelve years, where he was the World Languages Department Chair and has been teaching at The Canterbury School of Florida for the past fourteen years, where he is also the World Languages Department Chair. He has been a grader for the AP Spanish Language Exam for seventeen years, and has acted as a Table Leader for the last fifteen years. For the past nine years, he has worked as an Endorsed Spanish Consultant to the College Board, leading numerous summer institutes and one-day workshops across the southeast region. He was also the co-author of “Fast Track to a 5: Preparing for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Examination”.