Mirko Chardin

Mirko Chardin is an educator, author, and equity-focused school leader whose work centers on inclusive teaching and learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and school culture. He is the co-author of Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL, a bestselling book written with Katie Novak that connects social justice and UDL as a framework for creating equitable, culturally responsive learning environments for historically underserved students.

Chardin is the Founding Head of School of the Putnam Avenue Upper School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his responsibilities have spanned school management and student support, with particular emphasis on culturally connected teaching and learning, restorative practices, recruiting and retaining educators of color, and building strong school culture. He serves as Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Novak Education and works nationally as a consultant, keynote presenter, race and diversity facilitator, and leadership coach, including in partnership with the Aspire Institute at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Human Development and Education. In addition to his educational leadership, he is described as an active hip-hop artist and a principal mentor and trustee in various educational and leadership organizations, further integrating personal narrative and cultural proficiency into his work on equity and