Our Consultants:

Cara Shores, Ed.S.
                         President, Wesley Educational Services
Download & Print Cara's Vita (PDF File)

Speaking/Consultation Areas:  Co-teaching and inclusion, Differentiated Instruction, Student Support Teams, Response to Intervention, Collaborative team building and planning, Leadership and administrative training.

Presentation style:  Practical teaching and administrative techniques, personal anecdotes.

Cara Shores has trained thousands of teachers and administrators at the local, state, and national levels in practical strategies for increasing achievement for all students.  Cara began her career as a special education teacher in a pull-out setting.  In 1993, she became a co-teacher in an inclusive classroom.  She later served as a building administrator, Student Support Services Coordinator, Section 504 Coordinator, and Director of Special Education.   She served as a consultant on several state-wide training projects for inclusion and was principal author of the Georgia Student Support Team Manual.  She recently served on the Georgia Task Force for Student Support Teams. 

Cara is president of Wesley Educational Services and author of Positive Outcomes: Utilizing Student Support Teams as a Tool for School Improvement, author of Response to Intervention:  A Practical Guide for Every Teacher, Using Response to Intervention for School Improvement, and A Comprehensive Approach to RTI: Integrating Academic and Behavioral Supports ( in press)   

Gail Wilkins, Ed.S.

Speaking/Consultation Areas:  Including/teaching students with moderate/severe/profound intellectual disabilities, Transition, Autism, Keynote presentations, Co-teaching and inclusion, Behavior and classroom management

Presentation style:  Practical teaching and administrative techniques; humor

Gail Wilkins received her B.S., M.Ed., and Ed.S. degrees in special education from Georgia State University. She has spent the past 30 years in public education. Twenty- seven of those years have been spent in a local system, both as a special education teacher and administrator. Gail spent two years as Director of Student Support Services for the Georgia Department of Education where she authored Project Winning Team, an inclusive education project. She spent one year at Kennesaw State University where she worked with both Project WINS and Winning Team. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at KSU. Gail has extensive background in inclusive education, transition, and instructional programming for students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. She has presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences and has served on many state committees and task forces. She has published over 30 articles related to special education. Most recently, she received the Project WINS Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in inclusive education.

Kim Chester, M.Ed.

Speaking/Consultation Areas:   Progress monitoring and data collection/evaluation, DIBELS, Reading First, Working with parents of students with disabilities, Differentiated Instruction, Behavior and classroom management, Co-teaching and inclusion

Presentation style:  Practical teaching strategies from the perspective of general educator, special educator, and parent

 Kim Chester has had a wide range of teaching experiences within the classroom and many diverse settings, including the hospital and home. After earning a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia, Kim began her teaching profession as a regular education teacher. She moved into special education after her second child was born with cerebral palsy. She earned the M.Ed. in Special Education from Kennesaw State University and was named as Outstanding Graduate Student for her graduating class. Kim works to provide information, support, and encouragement to the families of children with special needs and the professionals who serve them. She is a certified trainer for the Reading First program. Author of Using Response to Intervention for School Improvement.

Victor Morgan, Ed.S.

Speaking/Consultation areas:  Leadership and administrative training/team development, Teaching students with AD/HD, Progress monitoring and data evaluation, Co-teaching and inclusion, Behavior and classroom management

Presentation style: Effective strategies for teachers and administrators, lively and humorous.

Victor Morgan, has spent 30 years in public education dedicated to insuring that "all" boys and girls receive a quality education.  He has served as both a teacher and an administrator.  As the  Director of Student Support Services he has expertise in a wide variety of school system functions, including but not limited to:  Federal Grants, School Improvement, Special Education, Student Discipline, Gifted, ESOL, Counselors, Psychological Services, Assessment, Title IX and so on.  He holds his Specialist Degree from Jacksonville State University.  He is a member of several professional organizations including:  Georgia Association of Educators, National Association of Educators, Georgia Council for Administrators of Special Education, Phi Delta Kappa Honorary Education Fraternity, and the Council for Exceptional Children.  He has served on several state and local boards and or committees:  Governor’s Office of Educational Accountability Standards Sub-Committee, Governor’s Office of Student Achievement Rewards and Consequences Sub-Committee, Governor’s Education Finance Task Force, Chairman, Strategic Multiples Sub-Committee, Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Special Education Funding Study Committee, Georgia's Special Education Advisory Committee, Cartersville-Bartow County Library Board of Trustees, Cartersville Medical Center Board of Trustees.  He was also honored by his peers in 2004 by receiving the Lillie Moncus Outstanding Special Educator of the Year award.

Davis Nelson, Ed.D.

Davis Nelson has spent 36 years in public education. He began his career as a first grade teacher and later became an assistant principal, principal, system curriculum director, and system school superintendent. Davis was appointed as Deputy State School Superintendent for Georgia and later appointed by the Governor of Georgia to lead the Governor’s Office of Educational Accountability Systems for Georgia’s Colleges and Universities, Technical Colleges, K-12 Public Schools, Pre-Kindergarten, and Professional Standards Commission. He directed the development of Georgia’s plan to comply with the U.S. “No Child Left Behind” Legislation. After retirement he served as Director of Research and Training for Georgia Education, a private funded education organization to assist state and local agencies and communities in improving education for all students. He serves as an adjunct faculty member at Kennesaw State University. Davis has served on numerous state and national committees and has made educational presentations across the nation. He is presently a member of Georgia’s SACS/CASI board of directors, serving on local and system review teams. He also serves as chair elect of Georgia’s ACT Commission. Davis was recognized by the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities for his efforts to include children with disabilities in schools.  

Nettie Holt, Ed. D.

Speaking/Consultation Areas:  School Improvement through data driven results, teacher collaboration, student-centered classrooms and performance standards, setting high expectations for all students

Presentation Style:  Practical leadership and administrative techniques, personal anecdotes

Nettie Holt is a 35-year veteran educator.  She began her career as a high school English teacher and has served as an administrator at every level:  an elementary assistant principal, a system level curriculum coordinator, a middle and a high school principal.  She has worked extensively in school improvement at each level including serving as Director of Student Achievement at the Georgia Department of Education.  She also directed, in approximately 200 schools throughout Georgia, a statewide school improvement initiative, Georgia’s Choice, which focused on performance standards, student centered classrooms and teacher collaboration.   During her tenure as principal of Woodland High School, the high school was named in the spring of 2005 as one of 25 Model High Schools by the International Center for Leadership in Education.  Throughout the 2005-06 school year, Woodland High School served as a model school for America’s Choice, a comprehensive school reform design which focuses on high expectations for all students, data driven results, teacher collaboration and small learning communities.  She has presented at a number of state, local and national conferences.