About Us - EMP

Meet the team

Wendy, David, Toni, Ollie and Michael (pictured below) have been working on the EMP tirelessly for the last few years. To find out a little more about each of the team members, please read on.

Dr Wendy Taylor - Director of Curriculum

Dr Wendy Taylor obtained a PhD in pure mathematics in 2011 and has been teaching mathematics since 2012. Her experience ranges from primary school maths intervention to senior secondary mathematics, including many years in Leading Teacher and Learning Specialist roles. Since beginning her teaching career Wendy has spent countless hours creating educational resources; implementing them with her students, and sharing them with colleagues through websites, conferences and journal articles. Wendy has been the key architect of the Explicit Mathematics Program and has both designed and written all Daily Reviews and Assessments. She has also coordinated the development of all program materials, ensuring high quality, consistency, and timely completion.

David Morkunas - Director of Lesson Development & Lead Author

David Morkunas is a former teacher and Learning Specialist. He is nationally renowned for his work on primary mathematics teaching and the power of daily reviews. Dave is a frequent guest on both national and international podcasts on mathematics education and is frequently asked to present at conferences on mathematics teaching and instruction. When not writing for the EMP, David works with schools around Australia to support quality implementation and instruction of mathematics. Dave has been the primary lesson writer for the EMP, creating both the explicit lessons and preparing student workbooks to accompany these highly structured sessions.

Ollie Lovell - Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Oliver (Ollie) Lovell has taught in the public and private sectors, as well as higher education, for over a decade. He is host of the popular Education Research Reading Room podcast, the most popular education podcast in Australia and within the top 1% of all podcasts globally. The writer of three Amazon bestselling books for teachers: Cognitive Load Theory in Action, Tools for Teachers, and The Classroom Management Handbook, Ollie is internationally renowned as an educator who is able to clarify, codify, and communicate the best that research and practical experience has to offer time-poor teachers. In his day job, Ollie is the Director of Steplab Australia, a professional learning platform that provides schools with everything needed to systematically improve teaching. Ollie brings his deep knowledge of Cognitive Load Theory and education research to every facet of the EMP, reviewing and providing feedback on every single lesson and adding system design expertise along the way. Ollie also has a laser focus on the Professional Learning arm of the EMP.

Toni Hatten-Roberts - Co-Founder & Chief Academic Officer

Toni Hatten-Roberts is one of the most accomplished teachers Australia wide, having recently been awarded the Commonwealth Bank Teacher of the Year Award for 2022 Teaching Fellows. In 2016 she received the prestigious National Institute for Direct Instruction (USA) Educator of the Year award and is still the only Australian teacher to ever have won this award. She is the author of the Centre for Independent Studies publication “The Need for Speed: why fluency counts for maths learning”. Toni has a wide and diverse experience in education having served as a teacher in early childhood, primary school and secondary school; a regional advisor for mathematics, science, outdoor education and gifted education; a Head of Curriculum; a Deputy Principal; a Principal; and a Director of Education. Toni is currently a Director and Lead Consultant for COGlearn and is a co-founder and Executive Director of Education of Mastery Schools Australia, now with 5 campuses around the nation delivering high-quality instruction to students in need through the science of learning. Toni’s original research into the impact of verbal rehearsal to reduce cognitive load was recognised through her participation in the International Conference of Learning Sciences in London in 2018. Toni has consistently brought her practical knowledge and refined expertise regarding primary mathematics education to the EMP to support its development at every turn. COGlearn has also been the founding sponsor of EMP.

Michael Roberts - Co‑Founder & Chief Visionary Officer

Michael Roberts is a highly respected Australian school principal with over thirty years of experience in education. Known for his leadership and commitment to student success, he has held senior roles in schools across Australia and South East Asia. Michael holds degrees in Education and Psychological Science, and from 2011 to 2017 led Broadbeach State School to outstanding results through the use of explicit instruction and evidence-based teaching. He has since served in national roles including Executive Director at Good to Great Schools Australia, panellist for the Gonski 2.0 Review, and General Manager of Learning Difficulties Australia. Michael is the visionary behind the EMP and has worked since the EMP’s inception to ensure that all organisational, legal, and financial requirements are in place to bring the program to life. He is currently Managing Director of Mastery Schools Australia and a Board Member of both Science of Teaching and Learning Australia and Men of Business Academy.

Martin Ravindran - Lesson Writer

Martin Ravindran moved from Singapore to Australia in 2019 to complete his Masters of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, and has since been hooked onto educational research and everything to do with classroom practice. He is currently a Learning Specialist at Templestowe Heights Primary School, and has made high quality mathematical lessons and resources that are already being used at the national level by thousands of students, even prior to his work with the EMP. Martin has also presented at numerous conferences and platforms such as Sharing Best Practice, Think Forward Educators, and ResearchEd, speaking on the scientific basis of effective Mathematics instruction. Martin is currently the writer for EMP’s MSSP resources.

Verity Lavery - General Manager

Verity brings extensive experience in business management and educational leadership to EMP. Having successfully established and managed her own Registered Training Organisation (RTO), she has a proven track record in delivering high-quality, compliant training programs across diverse sectors. Verity’s expertise extends to the development and facilitation of specialized training solutions for Government and Defence, ensuring rigorous standards and measurable outcomes. Her passion for education and commitment to excellence are instrumental in guiding EMP’s strategic growth and supporting its position as a leader in explicit mathematics education.

The EMP team would like to thank some very special, and very clever people, without whom this project would have been impossible.

Thank you to Shahid Hussain who has been our coding champion, converting all our ideas to beautifully looking lessons and workbooks.
Thank you to Linda Baratta who did the initial proofread of all resources.
Thank you to Kimberly Brugger who did the final proofread of all our resources.
Thank you to Sahar Majid who has created all the beautiful graphics and early finisher activities throuhgout our program.
Thank you to Sandra Lombardo and Jacky Abeysinghe for their administration support.
Thank you to Rahul Tiwari for designing such a fabulous website.
Thank you to Edward Wang for his initial support setting up our coding structures and for his ongoing work with the more complex coding requirements of our resource development.
Thank you to the teachers, leaders and students at our trial school.
Thank you to countless colleagues and friends who have offered ideas, guidance and support along the way.
And a huge thanks to our nearest and dearest for their understanding and support as we’ve undertaken this huge project!