CPR: Breathing New Life Into Ourselves, Our Children and Our Instructional Practices
Cultural Practices That Are Relevant Professional Development Organization
Mission Statement: To draw from our highest order models and traditional ways of being and knowing to bring the best that we have to offer by mobilizing and sharing research based best practices and models that exist across the country. In doing so , the foundation of our mission will be to learn from the past to create the future "Sankofa" and come together in a way that demonstrates the philosophy of "Ubuntu" "I Am Because We Are." Thus we will close the achievement, attitude, opportunity, gaps that will allow our children to see and be the highest order model of their "possible selves."
Meet Our Board Members
Arlington Davis III
Arlington W. Davis III, JD is an Attorney at Law with his solo firm the Law Office of Arlington Davis LLC. He was born and raised on the southside of Chicago Illinois where he attended Avalon Park Elementary School where he served as Student Council President and Lindblom Technical High School where he served as Senior Class President.
Upon graduation from High School, Arlington joined the United States Army Reserve where he served six years in the Armed Services. He also enrolled at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2002, Arlington was accepted into the University of Wisconsin Law School where he earned his Juris Doctorate.
Arlington worked at Wisconsin Physicians Insurance Corporation for 27 years where he enjoyed the positions of Claim Processor, Customer Service Representative, Supervisor, Manager, Director, Compliance Attorney and Staff Counsel. Additionally, Arlington and his wife, Andreal, served as Co-Directors of the African American Ethnic Academy for 12 years.
Arlington’s professional affiliations include but are not limited to: American Bar Association, Wisconsin State Bar, Leadership Greater Madison, Aldo Leopold Nature Center Board of Directors, Wisconsin Youth Company Board of Directors President, WPS Representative, Business & Education Partnership Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and Carter G. Woodson Scholarship and Community Service Foundation Inc. Board of Directors President.
Arlington is the proud husband of Andreal Davis, proud father of three sons, Arlington IV, Armani, Ari, and the proud grandfather of Akhai.
Kent Smith
Kent Smith has worked primarily in public institutions for most of his career. Through these experiences he has learned how they operate and believes that schools, districts and other public institutions have been given a public trust to provide the best services to the community members that they serve. This public trust carries with it a public responsibility to engage in continuous improvement to ensure it is serving ALL stakeholders and addressing any causes of inequality or injustice that may stem from their policies and practices.
Kent is a social worker by training and has been a school social worker in Wisconsin for the last 23 years. He began his career as a county child abuse investigator and in-home family therapist before switching his practice to working in schools. He currently is an Educational Consultant for the Collaborative Organization Revitalization for Equity service at CESA 10.
Prior to beginning his current employment, Kent worked for the Wisconsin Response to Intervention Center/PBIS Network, focusing on training and supporting culturally responsive practices and PBIS for schools in Wisconsin. He has presented content on PBIS, Response to Intervention and PBIS, as well as Culturally Responsive Practices and PBIS at state, national and international conferences and has collaborated with other state PBIS team to begin embedding culturally responsive practices in their frameworks. He has been an adjunct Social Work instructor for the University of Wisconsin (Madison and Eau Claire) at the undergraduate and graduate level and is a founding, and current, member of the Equity Work Group with the National PBIS Technical Assistance Center.
Kathy Myles
Kathy Myles is a highly innovative, caring instructional leader demonstrating proficiency in building individual and collective capacity. She has served public educators, families and students as a classroom teacher, PreK-12 site and district level administrator, statewide professional development specialist and systems coach, and adjunct instructor for multiple colleges and universities.
Janice Lee
Janice Lashun Lee is originally from Chicago, IL and relocated to Madison, WI with her family in October 1992. Janice is the mother of 3 sons and 5 Grandchildren. Janice has been working for Madison, Metropolitan School District for the last 25 years in a Secretarial position at various schools including Memorial High School. Janice also works part time at SSM Health.
Friends of Janice describe her as a people person who gets along well with everyone and a fast learner. Janice is resilient and that trait shines through in her ability to persevere after the recent passing of her eldest son. "I won't give up easily." Janice's hobbies include playing cards, bowling and meeting new people.
Kim Carruthers
Kim Carruthers has twenty five years of experience in the field of education. Along with her passionate colleagues and educational leaders, she learned to influence educational policy and implement educational frameworks that cultivate Black Excellence and Innovation. For many years, she served as a reading teacher at the African American Ethnic Academy, a Saturday school for academic and cultural enrichment.
Formerly, Kim Carruthers was an instructional coach at Leopold Elementary School in the Madison Metropolitan School District.Currently she serves as an Assistant Principal at Leopold Elementary School and as an adjunct instructor in the school of education. at Edgewood College. Mrs. Carruthers holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin, A Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Specialist Degree in Education Leadership from National Louis University.
Sharon Reed
Sharon Reed is a wife of 33 years, mother, sister, and aunt. She has over 35 years in Financial Services and is currently a Vice President of one of the most prestigious global banking institutions in the world. Throughout her 35-year tenure, she has served in many roles such as individual contributors, operation managers, and senior learning and development consultants. With every role, Sharon stressed the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is why she strategically committed herself to being a member of every ethics business resource council that she could.
Sharon believes that Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace, in school, and social groups are not only important but are required. To her, diversity and inclusion are more than policies, programs, or headcounts, it is a way to earn the trust and commitment of others.
It is because of Sharon’s financial background, love of learning & development, and relentless drive for diversity and inclusion, that she sits on the board of directors of the prestigious Cultural Practices That Are Relevant, LLC.
Katharine Goray
Katharine Goray worked for the Madison Metropolitan School District for 27 years teaching elementary art and diligently worked on advocating for students of color and poverty. She worked closely with Andreal Davis and others on implementing culturally relevant practices and on designing a model school. Katharine taught for seven years with the African American Ethnic Academy and has done many cross institutional projects with the University of Wisconsin and the Madison Children’s Museum as well as developing special projects combining culturally specific leadership skills and arts for the community, including grant supported Studio and community arts programs for youth and an International Gallery at Zion City.
Katharine has served as worship leader and as chaplain at the Dane County Jail and for the Triangle Ministry. Currently she is the for Solomon Community Temple UMC's SPLASH program (Saturday Program for Learning through the Arts, Sciences and Horticulture) serving children in the Harambee and surrounding neighborhoods in Milwaukee. She has a Masters in Art Education. Her masters project was on Jacob Lawrence and the Great Migration. She holds Masters in Christian Ministry with an emphasis in urban ministry and just completed a Master of Divinity Equivalency. Katharine plans to continue on in Prophetic Public Theology and Community Development.
Patricia Greeley
Patricia Greeley has been in education for over 20 years. She has served the Madison Metropolitan School District as a teacher, an instructional coach and an administrator. She worked as a consultant and coach for the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning. Patricia has a masters degree in education from the University of MN Twin Cities.
Patricia has always had a passion for social justice and racial equity, and then she met Andreal Davis. Patricia was part of the first cohort of educators to participate in the Cultural Practices that are Relevant (CPR) professional learning strand, providing her with the framework and tools to put her beliefs into action. Patricia is honored to serve on the board of the Cultural Practices that are Relevant Professional Development Organization and strives to work with educators far and near to advance the academic and social emotional wellbeing of Black children and all children of color.