“The best educators are lifelong learners.”

A third-generation educator, Dr. Gene M. Kerns was born with a passion for learning—and he’s carried that flame throughout his long career in education. Over the past two decades, he’s served as a public school teacher, adjunct faculty member, professional development trainer, district supervisor of academic services, and academic advisor at one of the nation’s top edtech companies. For his work, Dr. Kerns has earned several awards and recognitions, including Merit Awards from the Delaware Department of Education and Order of Excellence Awards from the Delaware Stare Board of Education, and was even named a “Kentucky Colonel” for his contributions to education.

Dr. Kerns earned a doctor of education in educational leadership from the University of Delaware as well as a master of science in secondary curriculum and instruction and a bachelor of arts in English education from Longwood University in Virginia.

One of my top priorities is helping educators understand how advances in learning science can be applied in the classroom.

Gene Kerns, PhD • Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance

As an expert in assessment, cognitive research, educational leadership, integrated curriculum, learning progressions, personalized learning, Response to Intervention, and the science of expertise, Dr. Kerns is a highly sought-after presenter. He has spoken at many national and international conferences, including SXSW EDU, the Google Global Education Symposium, the Westminster Education Forum, and the Arizona State University Global Silicon Valley (ASU/GSV) Summit on Innovation. His clients have included school districts all across the United States, school administrator associations in more than 15 states, and the Ministry of Education in Singapore.

The most recent of Dr. Kerns’ three books is Literacy Reframed: How a Focus on Decoding, Vocabulary, and Background Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension which is he published in partnership with his long-time writing collaborators, world-renown education trainer Dr. Robin J. Fogarty and adult learning expert Brian M. Pete.

Unlocking Student Talent: The New Science of Developing Expertise, another collaboration with Fogarty and Pete, is one of the only books to present the latest research on talent in meaningful terms for educators. The work has been noted as offering “revolutionary proposals for transforming general education.”

In another partnership with Dr. Fogarty, Dr. Kerns co-authored inFormative Assessment: When It′s Not About a Grade, which explores how three different types of informative assessments—routine, reflective, and rigorous—can inform and improve teaching practices and student learning.

For further reading, Dr. Kerns recommends The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle, The End of Average by Todd Rose, Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson, The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk, Revolutionize Assessment by Rick Stiggins, and Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan Wiliam.

When he’s not devouring the latest educational research or sharing expert insights with educators around the globe, Dr. Kerns can sometimes be found wandering through manor houses or historic neighborhoods looking for fantastic finds for his family’s antiques and furniture store.

Gene M. Kerns, EdD

“The best educators are lifelong learners.”