John H. Clarke

John Clarke began teaching high school English in Massachusetts in 1966 and continued to love teaching for 40 years. He moved to Vermont in 1977 to teach secondary education and help run a teaching improvement program at the University of Vermont. He joined the research team in the Secondary Initiative at Brown University's Education Alliance and Lab at Brown, focusing on student engagement and high school personalization. He helped create a system of professional development schools in Vermont, linking teacher preparation to long-term school improvement initiatives. For more than 20 years, he has been working to increase student engagement at Mount Abraham Union Middle/High School in Bristol, Vermont -- making presentations, teaching graduate courses, conducting research, conducting school development workshops, and serving on the school board. Currently, he now volunteers as a consultant, writing tutor and community mentor, developing a personalized pathway to graduation for students who are disengaged from conventional classrooms and practices. He has written, co-written or edited ten books on high school teaching and the process of educational reform, as well as many articles.