Matinga Ragatz, Ph.d.

• Served as Lead National Faculty across Southern U.S. and International Zones, directing multi-state and cross-national professional learning initiatives.
• Led regional and statewide scaling initiative for High Quality Project Based Learning (PBL) accross Kentucky under Deeper Learning and United We Learn grants, overseeing 388 district and school-level services with a regional team.
• Delivered 67 executive-level workshops across Kentucky, and 30+ additional professional development engagements nationally beyond the KY initiative, supporting district leaders, administrators and educator networks in systems-level PBL implementation.
• Directed international implementation of PBL integrated with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) practices, including collaboration with ministries of education, higher education institutions, superintendents, and regional coaches.
• Partnered with state education agencies, district leadership teams, and department of education officials, including the Ministry of Education in Barbados, to align instrucional innovation efforts with national reform priorities.
• Designed and executed statewide marketing and recruitment strategies in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education and Education Commissioner, increasing engagement across rural, urban, and justice-involved education systems.
• Led six regional year-long School Leader Network cohorts to drive systems-level leadership alignment and implementation coherence.
• Expanded PBL access to the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, onboarding leadership teams to implement high-quality learning experiences for incarcerated youth.
• Served as strategic advisor to higher education institutions and international teacher education programs (Ukraine, Uganda, China) aligning PBL frameworks with competency-based and national curriculum and teacher education reform priorities.

• Advised state agencies and district leadership teams on integrating equity-centered SEL and culturally responsive frameworks into organizational strategy and professional learning systems.

• Designed and supported implementation of equity-aligned professional learning initiatives grounded in Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD) principles.

• Partnered with executive leadership to align SEL and Culturally Responsive teaching (CRT) practices with broader school improvement and change management efforts.

• Provided coaching and technical assistance to district-level leaders to support sustainable implementation across diverse educational contexts.

• Founded and lead a global education strategy consultancy serving state education agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and international partners across the U.S., Africa, Europe, and Asia.

• Advised senior education leaders on large-scale instructional reform, equity-centered systems transformation, and competency-based implementation aligned to national and regional policy priorities.

• Designed and oversaw multi-year professional learning and implementation initiatives supporting district- and ministry-level transformation efforts.

• Led cross-sector partnerships with education ministries, higher education institutions, and development organizations to align strategy, training, and measurable impact outcomes.

• Delivered executive advisement, keynote addresses, and strategic convenings focused on organizational change, SEL integration, and project-based systems design.

• Developed customized professional learning frameworks and digital content (including international instructional video series) to support scalable educator capacity-building initiatives.

• Co-author of Pulse of PBL: Cultivating Equity Through Social Emotional Learning, an academic and experiential contribution to national dialogue on integrating SEL into systemic reform efforts.

• Co-founded and led a national professional development organization delivering instructional and leadership training across multiple states.

• Built and managed a network of qualified educators to deliver large-scale training engagements to districts and education agencies nationwide.

• Oversaw strategic planning, program design, facilitator recruitment, and operational coordination.

• Directed client development efforts and negotiated service agreements with district and agency partners.

• Established systems for quality assurance and scalable service delivery, enabling consistent implementation across diverse regional contexts.

• Directed program design and facilitation for international professional learning convenings connecting educators across multiple countries.

• Led cross-cultural collaboration efforts among university faculty, K–12 educators, and international partners to advance global education initiatives.

• Oversaw session architecture, speaker coordination, and participant engagement strategy to ensure high-quality, mission-aligned programming.

• Contributed to strategic planning efforts to expand international partnerships and strengthen cross-border educator networks.

• Facilitated dialogue and professional exchange focused on instructional innovation, emerging technologies, and culturally responsive practices.

Education & Leadership: Learning, Instruction, and Innovation

National Society for Leadership and Success

Masters in the Art of Teaching

History/Political Science

Social Science and World Languages (Active Certificate)

Minor: World Languages