Guiding Professional Learning Communities: Inspiration, Challenge, Surprise, and Meaning

Shirley M. Hord, PhD, is the scholar laureate of Learning Forward (previously National Staff Development Council), following her retirement as Scholar Emerita at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory in Austin, Texas. There she directed the Strategies for Increasing Student Success Program. She continues to design and coordinate professional development activities related to educational change and improvement, school leadership, and the creation of professional learning communities.

Her early roles as elementary school classroom teacher and university science education faculty at The University of Texas at Austin were followed by her appointment as co-director of Research on the Improvement Process at the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education at The University of Texas at Austin. There she administered and conducted research on school improvement and the role of school leaders in school change.

She served as a fellow of the National Center for Effective Schools Research and Development and was U.S. representative to the Foundation for the International School Improvement Project, an international effort that develops research, training, and policy initiatives to support local school improvement practices.

In addition to working with educators at all levels across the U.S. and Canada, Hord makes presentations and consults in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Mexico.

Her current interests focus on the creation and functioning of educational organizations as learning communities and the role of leaders who serve such organizations. Dr. Hord is the author of numerous articles and books, of which a selection of the most recent are: Implementing Change: Patterns, Principles, and Potholes, 3rd ed (with Gene E. Hall, 2011); Reclaiming Our Teaching Profession: The Power of Educators Learning in Community (with Edward F. Tobia, 2012); A Playbook for Professional Learning: Putting the Standards Into Action (with Stephanie Hirsh, 2012).

James L. Roussin, M.A.L.S., has been committed to improving teaching and learning in schools across the US and abroad throughout his professional career. He has worked as a Language Arts Teacher, Gifted Coordinator, ESL Coordinator, Curriculum Director, Executive Director of Teaching, Learning & School Improvement, Adjunct Professor, and Educational Consultant.

Jim is currently working as a Strategic Change Consultant and is the Executive Director for Generative Learning. Website: http://www.generative-learning.com

Jim helped to revitalize the Minnesota Staff Development Council from 1998 – 2004 and served as its President for four of those years. He has also served as a board of trustee on the National Staff Development Council (now Learning Forward).

He is a teaching associate for Human Systems Dynamics (an institute that is using complexity theory to impact organizational development work). He is also a learning facilitator for Leadership Development, Cognitive Coaching, Adaptive Schools, QLD (Quality Leadership by Design) - S.M.A.R.T. Goals, and Program Evaluation.

In February of 2006, Jim traveled to India on a Berkana Learning Journey to explore new forms of leadership that are emerging in global communities. And in 2009 he spent four months working in the Middle East with ASCD-Middle East in supporting the Ministry of Education in implementing new teacher development standards. J

Jim’s current interests focus on healthy organizations and human development through the lens of natural systems theory and complexity science.

James Roussin is the author of a variety of articles as well as a co-author of the book: Guiding Professional Learning Communities: Inspiration, Challenge, Surprise, and Meaning (Shirley M. Hord, James L. Roussin & William A. Sommers, 2010).

William A. Sommers, Ph.D. of Austin, Texas, continues to be a learner, teacher, principal, author, leadership coach, and consultant. Bill has come out of retirement five times to put theory into practice. He was on the Board of Trustees for five years and President for the National Staff Development Council now called Learning Forward.

Dr. Sommers is the former Executive Director for Secondary Curriculum and Professional Learning for Minneapolis Public Schools, and a school administrator for over 30 years. In addition to being an adjunct faculty member at several universities, he has been a program director for an adolescent chemical dependency treatment center and on the board of a halfway house for 20 years.

Bill has co-authored eight books, and co-authored chapters in several other books. In January 2016 Bill and his colleague Skip Olsen launched a website www.learningomnivores.com which includes educational blogs, new rules, and book reviews. Bill is a practitioner who integrates theory into leading and facilitating schools. Dr. Sommers has continued to be a leadership coach for over 25 years to school administrators.