Dr. Anni K. Reinking

Anni K. Reinking, Ed.D., is the Founder and CEO of Reinking Education Consulting. She was a classroom teacher for 8 years in Mombasa, Kenya, on the Southside of Chicago, in Northwest Indiana, and in Central Illinois. She taught early childhood through middle school grades.  After completing her Ed.D., she began her career in higher education. Since 2015, she has worked in the field of research and as a professor at various schools throughout Illinois. During her time in higher education, she has been able to connect with organizations and individuals statewide, nationally, and internationally. Through these connections, she has able to provide workshops, consultation, and leadership guidance, while also continuing her research. Additionally, she has worked at the state level as an independent contractor focused on competency-based education and embedded technology. 

She is an elected official as a proud member of the Peoria District 150 (Illinois) School board, as well as serving on various other local, state, and national committees focused on equity. Dr. Reinking was also recently commissioned to be part of the Peoria County Racial Equity Justice Committee under Mayor Rita Ali. 

Finally, in June 2021, she began a new role in the field of research, specifically as the Director of Development and Educational Research at CSEdResearch.org. CSEdResearch.org is a startup non-profit focused on closing the equity gap in research and implementation within the Computer Science field K-12. 

Laycee Thigpen

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Laycee Thigpen is a lead consultant at Reinking Education Consulting. Her work focuses on creating equitable work environments, including schools, organizations, churches, and wider communities.  She was a classroom teacher in childcare and Head Start for 8 years in the Southern Illinois Area. She completed her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville. Since 2020, she has instructed pre-service and in-service teachers as a field placement supervisor and adjunct instructor, coached apprentices to earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, designed and directed a Summer Program for children, and provided training on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Laycee focuses her work on developing racially inclusive environments for early childhood students and combating biases and stereotypes in early childhood classrooms.

Workshop Focus Areas*

- Trauma-informed practices
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging
- ABAR (Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist)
- Addressing challenging behaviors in learning environments
- Embedding technology 
- Developmentally Appropriate Practice
- LGBTQIA+ (Safe Zone and More)
- Engaging in difficult conversations
- Developing positive environments/cultures
- Working with students and families living in poverty
- Multicultural (Diversity) transformative strategies
- Restorative Practices 
- STEM (STEAM)
- CS Education (computer science)
- Competency - Based Education and Work Structures 
* If you do not see a topic listed, please contact us here.