Marie Byrd is an associate professor at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM). She has years of service as a leader and teacher in the Miami-Date County, Florida public schools with professional experiences in school communities of varied linguistic, racial/ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural environments. Her scholarship centers on the extensive topic of research-based best leadership practices that enhance the ability of teacher leaders to foster academic, social and emotional student success in socioeconomically, racially/ethnically and culturally diverse schools. Of particular focus is teacher leadership in high poverty, culturally diverse schools in a standards-based society while facilitating whole child development.  She serves in leadership roles in the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) at the national, regional and local levels as an elected member of the board of directors, past president and current board member of the Southern Regional Association of Teacher Educators (SRATE) and past president/board member of the Florida Association of Teacher Educators (FATE).