About Us

Rebecca Maxcy, Director and Principal Investigator at the University of Chicago Financial Education Initiative, led the research and development of finEDge, a single-semester financial education course for high school students and Talking Cents, conversation cards developed to engage people in conversations about money. She is also an author of Everyday Mathematics. Rebecca earned a Master’s in Education from Lesley University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College.

Amy L. Dillard received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. She taught elementary school for four years at Hoffman School in Glenview, Illinois. In 1994, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Dillard worked as a Teacher-in-Residence with the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP) from 1994 to 1997. She was involved in the development of the commercial publication of the first edition of Fourth Grade Everyday Mathematics, as well as the field testing and commercial publication of the first editions of Fifth Grade Everyday Mathematics and Sixth Grade Everyday Mathematics. Ms. Dillard worked from 1997 to 2001 as one of the authors of the second editions of Everyday Mathematics K–6 and then served as the Associate Director of Everyday Mathematics, Third Edition. She recently completed work on the fourth edition of Fourth Grade Everyday Mathematics. Ms. Dillard is currently a Curriculum Developer for the Magnetar Capital UChicago Financial Education Initiative.

Denise Porter is currently the Director of School Support Services at UChicago STEM Education. Denise started her work in education as a classroom teacher and a mathematics specialists. She has been working with the Everyday Mathematics curriculum since 1993 when she was hired as a Teacher in Residence. She was involved in the writing of the first edition of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade Everyday Mathematics. She has also worked on various state editions and most recently was the fifth grade team leader for the Common Core Edition.

Denise leads the School Support Services team in developing and providing professional development to administrators, teachers, and parents in a wide variety of school districts, regarding the best practices of Everyday Mathematics. Denise also provides coaching to support teachers with their implementation of Everyday Mathematics.

Denise has a Masters of Education degree from the University of Houston and a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University.

Alison Whittington is a member of UChicago STEM Education School Support Services team and works to develop and provide professional development to schools and districts. She joined UChicago STEM Education with more than ten years experience as a bilingual teacher, mathematics specialist, and district mathematics facilitator with Chicago Public Schools (CPS). She has provided mathematics professional development to teachers, parents, and administrators in a variety of contexts. Alison was a teacher on loan at UChicago STEM Education in 2006-2007, working with the CPS Restructuring Schools Project. Alison holds an EdD in educational leadership from National-Louis University, an MEd in instructional leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a BA in mathematics and elementary education from Illinois Wesleyan University.