K-12 Advisory Board
With the guidance of our esteemed advisory board, comprised of top K-12 superintendents, SAM Labs is poised to revolutionize STEM/STEAM education. Our collaboration ensures that we remain at the cutting edge, blending expertise with innovation to reshape the future of educational technology.
SAM Labs Advisory Board Members
Kathy Hurley - Avisory Board Chair
Kathleen Hurley, Chairperson of the SAM Labs advisory board, is a former senior executive for numerous educational publishing and technology companies, including IBM and Pearson. Currently, she is a senior advisor to educational technology companies, education associations, and school superintendent networks. She also serves on the board of directors for several non-profit and for-profit organizations. After retiring from Pearson, she was selected as a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard University. Upon completion of the program, she co-founded a global nonprofit organization, Girls Thinking Global, which has since merged with the Women’s Education Project (WEP), where she serves on the board of directors.
Dr. M. Ann Levett
Dr. M. Ann Levett joins the board after retiring as superintendent of Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) in Savannah, Georgia. A native of Savannah, Dr. Levett previously served as Chief Academic Officer in the district for four years before being appointed superintendent. Previously, she served as acting superintendent in Dayton, Ohio, and in higher education positions at Antioch University and Yale University School of Medicine. She is a published author, nationally known speaker, consultant on international educational projects, and assistant executive director for AASA, the School Superintendents Association. In 2015, she was recognized for her accomplishments in Education by the Georgia Senate, was named Georgia’s STEM/STEAM Advocate of the Year in 2019, and named a National Superintendent to Watch in 2021.
Dr. Baron Davis
Dr. Baron Davis joins the board after seven years as superintendent of the Richland Two School District in Columbia, South Carolina. He was the first African-American to serve as superintendent of the district. Previously, he served as a principal at Spring Valley High School and as an assistant superintendent in the district. He has earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate from the University of South Carolina. He has been an active member of ERDI.
Kam Patton
Kam Patton joins the board as former superintendent of Collier County Public Schools (Naples), Florida for 12 years. She was the 2022 Florida Superintendent of the Year. Prior to her appointment in Collier County, she was the Assistant Superintendent of School Operations for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She is the current Chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Florida initiative. She has also remained active in the industry with various superintendent groups, including the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS).
Steve Murley
Steve Murley joins the board after stepping down as superintendent in Green Bay Public Schools, Wisconsin. Prior to leading Green By Public Schools, Mr. Murley was superintendent at Iowa City Schools, Iowa for 10 years. Since 2015, he has served as an adjunct lecturer and assistant professor at the University of Iowa’s College of Education. He currently has an education consulting company that provides analysis of educational infrastructure, market research, personnel needs, recruitment and placement of educational administrators, professional development in instructional course settings, coaching for individual administrators/ teams of administrators, and serving as an expert witness in legal proceedings. He is an active member of ERDI.
Dr. Tom Trigg
Dr. Tom Trigg joins the board after retiring as superintendent of Highland Park ISD, TX in the Dallas metro area, where he served for 8 years. Prior to Highland Park, he was the superintendent in Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas, where he served as superintendent for 11 years and assistant/deputy superintendent for 8 years. Before moving to Overland Park, he was school principal and district-level administrator in the Gardner-Edgerton School District in Gardner, Kansas. He has been an active member in ERDI. He earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from Kansas University.
Educators Love SAM Labs!
"I love the versatility of the product! I can incorporate one or a few blocks into so many areas of my STEM curriculum."
"See a problem, imagine solutions, then create and test it. When it may fail - because sometimes it does - then go back through the steps and troubleshoot and improve it. Students love the freedom to be creative, and SAM
"The possibilities are endless! Students are able to do so many things with a few blocks."
“I think your product is awesome. It’s engaging and intuitive, I really wish that products like SAM Labs become the future of play for kids and teenagers. It connects what they learn in school to hands-on activities. If more kids
“I have seen a lot of curriculum over the years. A lot. And SAM Labs does THE best job of packaging curriculum, of making it teacher friendly…it’s just so easy to use, and so well done. You’ll see sometimes, [other
"So much potential with SAM Labs across all grade levels, great customer service, great lesson ideas, wonderful community!"
"Great product, but what sets SAM Labs apart is the curriculum and support they offer. Great, challenging curriculum, based on grade levels. So easy to use no matter what the teacher's coding skills."
“I love the spirit of collaboration that SAM Labs fosters with my students.”
"I like using SAM Labs because my students enjoy the experiences. They are learning content through application. Experiment with the blocks yourself. Have fun. Take the Professional Development courses and allow your students to explore the blocks before starting a
“SAM Labs’ versatility and ease of use make lessons feel new, exciting and engaging.”