Lissa Pijanowski

Lissa is the Founder/Chief Learning Officer of Innovate 2 Educate and serves as an Administrator on Special Assignment for Cherokee County School District, GA. She supports teachers and leaders in creating compelling learning environments that reflect high expectations, promote student engagement, and produce results. Lissa’s work with schools across the country integrates her years of school improvement experience and curriculum leadership in standards-based education.

Lissa has presented at numerous national and state educational conferences and is a published author. Her latest book, Architects of Deeper Learning: Intentional Design for High-Impact Instruction is a cornerstone of her work to create learner-centered experiences that promote authentic problem-solving and student engagement. Publications also include articles for Edutopia, Educational Leadership and the Journal of Staff Development. Additionally, she has contributed to Center publications Prioritizing the Common Core State Standards and Engaged Instruction: Thriving Classrooms in the Age of the Common Core. She holds a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Change, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Education.

Lissa has served as an educator for nearly 30 years and, prior to beginning consulting, served as the Associate Superintendent of Academics and Accountability for Forsyth County Schools. Her team was responsible for curriculum, instruction, assessment, academic support programs, professional learning, and workforce development. Prior to working in Forsyth County Schools, Lissa served as the Director of School Improvement at the Georgia Department of Education. At the GDOE, Lissa led regional school improvement teams to reduce the number of Needs Improvement Schools in Georgia through intense training on data analysis, performance standards and focused improvement planning. Lissa also served as a building leader and classroom teacher.

Lissa resides in Georgia with her husband, Steve and three children Alexander, Sadie, and Andrew.