About

Discussion skills are teachable, but in today’s world they must be taught. Let’s teach them to young people, together!

Our mission & values

Our mission is to teach discussion skills to young people growing up and into a tech-centric, polarized world.

We partner with schools to design and deliver the customized discussion skills programs they need.

We are a purpose-driven, sustainability-focused business built on five core values – integrity, diversity, generosity, ingenuity and reflection – which we strive to embody in all that we do. Learn more about our why here.

Our Leadership

R.E.A.L.® is a team of passionate professionals (and unabashed nerds), made up of educators and parents with a personal stake in our mission.

School + Org Partnerships, Media + Speaking Inquiries

Liza Garonzik

Founder + CEO

Liza Garonzik is the Founder of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. She built R.E.A.L.® to solve for challenges she faced in her roles as a teacher, student life administrator, advancement officer, alumni volunteer, and Trustee in independent schools.

Since launching in 2021, Liza has partnered with seventy K-12 schools on discussion skill-building; her work has been featured nationally and internationally through the Wall Street Journal, National Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools, International Schools Services, Transcend Education Models Exchange, Enrollment Management Association, and more.

Liza is a graduate of Harvard College (A.B.) and University of Pennsylvania (MS.Ed) with additional Fellowships at the Klingenstein Center, Transcend Network, and New Sector Alliance. She lives in Atlanta with her family – and many animals!

Contact Liza here: liza@realdiscussion.org

Program Support, Product Design, All Things Systems

Emily Gromoll

Chief Learning Officer

Emily oversees the R.E.A.L.® Discussion Program, directing Faculty PD including the certification experience, impact reporting, coaching, and community events. Her favorite part? Discussing discussion with educators! 

Emily joined R.E.A.L.® from Eskolta School Research and Design, where developed expertise in adult learning. She coached teachers throughout NYC to design student engagement strategies and partnered with districts to create professional learning networks. Prior to Eskolta, she served as a History Department Chair and Teacher at an independent school. 

Emily holds a BA from Columbia University in History and Masters in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from Stanford University. She lives in Hopewell, New Jersey with her family – and thirty chickens!

Independent School Programs and Partnerships

Dr. Sidra Smith

Director, Independent Schools Program

Sidra serves as the face of the organization in the K-12 independent school community: leading independent school partnerships, professional development, program implementation support, and idea incubation.

Sidra is an accomplished educator and leadership coach, with 30 years of experience fostering growth in others. She has experience in a wide range of school types across the US and internationally; she began her teaching career at an international school in West Africa, spent a year as a fellow in a New England boarding school, and has held faculty and senior administrative roles at various independent schools across the country.

Sidra holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, an M.A. and Ph.D from Tufts University, and coaching certification from Georgetown University. She serves as a Trustee and Board Member at several non-profits.

Our Trainers

R.E.A.L.® PD is facilitated by Trainers: teachers and leaders who actually use R.E.A.L. ® in their schools. This makes PD authentic, fun, and by-teachers-for-teachers!

Image of Patrick Farmer

Patrick Farmer

Trainer

Patrick Farmer facilitates R.E.A.L.® PD for Humanities Teachers: a role that authentically builds on his experience as a Teacher-Leader who has used R.E.A.L.® across several very different schools. Patrick finds that R.E.A.L.® breaks the art of discussion into teachable skills and loves helping middle schoolers learn to talk – and truly listen! – to each other.

Beyond REAL, Patrick serves as Humanities and Social Studies Lead at Nativity Preparatory School (MA). Patrick holds a B.A. from Fordham University and an M.Div from Boston College. He lives in the Boston area with his family.

Image of Sumner McCallie

Sumner McCallie

Trainer

Sumner McCallie facilitates R.E.A.L.® PD for Humanities Teachers: a role to which he brings deep pedagogical expertise and experience in change management in schools from Switzerland to Tennessee. Sumner believes that Discussion is a Discipline – part art, part science – and is a critical skill for young people to develop as they build their community and their country.

Beyond REAL, Sumner serves as Dean of Faculty and Academics at McCallie School (TN). The son of a US Ambassador, Sumner grew up internationally. He holds a B.S. from Yale University and an M.Ed from Vanderbilt University. He lives in Chattanooga with his family.

Kath Moriarty

Trainer

Kath Moriarty facilitates R.E.A.L.® Professional Development for Lower School: an opportunity that felt natural after her work designing the R.E.A.L.® Basics mini-lesson approach. Kath believes that communication skills – oral and non-verbal – are essential for young learners and should be taught with the same level of intention as literacy or math. 

Beyond REAL, Kath serves as Director of Academic Support at Nashoba Brooks School (MA) and has experience as a Lower School teacher and literacy leader. Kath holds a B.A. and M.Ed from Vanderbilt University and lives outside Boston with her family.

Image of Peyten Williams

Peyten Williams

Trainer

Peyten facilitates R.E.A.L.® for Parents, empowering parents to use REAL strategies to have deeper conversations with their adolescents. Helping teachers and parents align around what’s best for kids comes naturally to Peyten as she previously served as an award-winning Director of Teaching and Learning at Westminster (GA) and English Teacher.

Beyond REAL, Peyten leads Bowbend Consulting: an organization she founded to inspire and equip parents to raise thriving children of character. Peyten holds B.A. and M.Ed Degrees from the University of Virginia and lives in Atlanta with her family.

2023 Annual Report

Check out our 2023 Annual report to learn more about our trajectory and how R.E.A.L.® has helped visionary schools across the country ensure that all students feel heard and challenged in class discussion. The punchline? We are grateful for our partners’ pioneering spirit – and excited for what’s ahead. 

2023 Annual report