Justin Minkel taught linguistically gifted learners in high-poverty public schools in New York City, the Bay Area, and northwest Arkansas for 20 years before joining the ÓûÂþɬ MATL team as an Instructor and Assistant Director for Teacher Leadership Programs. Justin is the 2007 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, a 2006 Milken Educator, and a National Board Certified Teacher. He received his Masters in Elementary Education from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University.
Justin founded an initiative to provide home libraries for over 7,000 children living in poverty. He has written for publications including Education Week and ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and he is the author of the children’s book Clubhouse Clash. Justin is a lecturer at the University of Arkansas, where he mentors student teachers placed at the school where he taught. He also serves on the Teach for Equity leadership team through the National Network of State Teachers of the Year.
Justin believes our job as teacher leaders is to help all children to live the lives they dream.