CAN 
US/Global
Lori Emmington
Lori Emmington is a seasoned educational leader with over 25 years of experience helping teachers, schools, and districts build and sustain strong professional learning communities that drive student success.
Lori Emmington
Lori Emmington is a seasoned educational leader with over 25 years of experience helping teachers, schools, and districts build and sustain strong professional learning communities (PLC) that drive student success. As a former high school principal and current director of secondary education for Folsom Cordova USD in Northern California, she specializes in empowering school leaders to implement systemic change that improves instruction, assessment, and intervention practices.
As principal of Vista del Lago High School—a Model PLC at Work® school—Lori led the transformation of collaborative teacher teams, schoolwide grading reform, and the implementation of a flexible, student-centered Tier 2 intervention system during the school day. Now, in her district role, she guides leaders in scaling these practices across multiple schools, ensuring long-term impact beyond individual classrooms.
Lori understands the challenges of sustaining improvement through teacher turnover, leadership changes, and shifting priorities. She helps school and district leaders create a lasting foundation for collaboration and instructional improvement—one that is adaptable, resilient, and focused on student learning.
A sought-after speaker, Lori has shared her expertise at regional, state, and national conferences, equipping leaders with practical strategies to implement and sustain high-functioning PLCs, improve grading and assessment practices, and navigate the complexities of school change.
Lori holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from CSU, Sacramento. A former National Board Certified Teacher, she has experience teaching at both the middle and high school levels.
PLC at Work®
PLC at Work® experts have proven success in leading the PLC at Work process in a school or district. Work with them to implement a focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and create a results orientation that leads to sustained, substantive school improvement.
Presentations by Lori Emmington
- From Compliance to Commitment: Building a Culture of Collaboration in PLCs
- Moving the Focus to Learning: A Districtwide Approach to Grading Reform
- It’s More than a Meeting: Moving from PLC Lite to PLC Tight
- Building a Flexible Intervention System That Works for Secondary Schools
- The Change-Maker’s Playbook: Leading Sustainable School Improvement
