About Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. Educator - Read short Bio Professional educator since 1972—from high school teacher, principal, and central office administrator to educational consultant Provides training in how to work effectively with individuals from all economic classes Has trained hundreds of thousands of professionals since 1996 Has certified more than 7,000 trainers in Framework (see book title of same name below) Mission: to positively impact the education and lives of individuals in poverty throughout the world Ph.D., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Loyola, IL; M.A., English Literature, Western Michigan University, MI; B.A., Goshen College, IN Speaker Expert on poverty and mindsets of economic classes Accessible, engaging style, using humor and stories Message relevant to business leaders, educators, community and social service workers Helps find creative and practical solutions to the challenges of working across socioeconomic lines and building sustainable communities Speaks more than 100 days a year, with past engagements including China and U.S. Conference on Educational Leadership, PBS, Harvard’s Summer Institute for Principals, SCERT (Delhi, India), Tasmania Teacher Training, New Zealand, Slovakia, The School Leadership Center of Trinidad and Tobago, National Conference of State Legislatures (U.S.), Annual Conference of Southwest Foundations, Walt Disney World Educator Symposium, NY Superintendents Association, Chief Officers of State School Departments (U.S.) Author Under-Resourced Learners: 8 Strategies to Boost Student Achievement, 2008 Assesses student resources to determine best strategies and interventions Proven, practical strategies that can be used immediately A Framework for Understanding Poverty – seminal work, 1995 Has sold more than 1,000,000 copies For educators and other professionals Teaches the hidden rules and mindsets of economic class Teaches specific strategies for overcoming poverty’s obstacles Hidden Rules of Class at Work Written for the workplace Helps understand motivation, and mindset of entry-level employees Helps assess one’s own ability to get promoted Also wrote and co-authored more than a dozen books surrounding issues of poverty in areas of education, social services, the workplace, communities, churches, and leadership Business owner Founder and CEO of aha! Process, Inc. (formerly RFT Publishing) in 1995 Employs 20 full- or part-time staff; has team of 50 consultant presenters Has published more than 100 books and video products, offering a dozen different seminars