Dr. Tonya Perry is a Professor and Director of the Red Mountain Writing Project. In 2000-2001, she was named Alabama Teacher of the Year and further awarded National Teacher of the Year Finalist. In 2012, she was named by colleagues and students the recipient of the UAB Teaching Excellence Award. On a national level, she serves as a member of the Research on Women in Education executive board affiliated with AERA, director of the NCTE Cultivating New Voices program, a member of the Beloved Community in the National Writing Project’s Write Now Teacher Studio, and a former National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Executive Board Member.
For many years now, James Fester has supported Write Out via features at Edutopia and in his The National Park Classroom. This year he has compiled a white paper to support teachers in thinking about taking their students outside to write.