Since 2003, Constance L. Benson has taught English as a Second Language at all levels from K through 12, currently at The Neighborhood School in Manhattan. She has led professional development sessions on her highly successful methods, once for assistant principals and bilingual coordinators, and more recently at the 2013 New York State Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) Conference in a scholarly presentation entitled "High Frequency Vocabulary: Revolutionizing TESOL Curricula." She holds New York State Teacher Certification in ESL as well as English. She is the author of a scholarly book with a foreword by Cornel West, holds masters degrees from Harvard and Columbia, and has prior work experience as a professional editor and a college professor.