Professional Learning Communities at Work®

Ryan Searle is the curriculum director for Carbon County School District #2 in Saratoga, Wyoming. He has served in K–12 administration roles for over 15 years at the elementary and secondary levels, most recently as principal of Rawlins Middle School.

In this two-day symposium, a Solution Tree expert will lead K-6 educators through a process using their T.E.A.M.S framework that makes high levels of learning for all literacy scholars not only possible, but probable and practical.

In this two-day symposium, a Solution Tree expert will lead K-6 educators through a process using their T.E.A.M.S framework that makes high levels of learning for all literacy scholars not only possible, but probable and practical.

It has been said that isolation is the enemy of improvement, and yet singleton teachers are too often left alone. Singleton teachers are the only ones at a school who teach a specific course or subject—like a music or art teacher or the only physics teacher—and these teachers often ask how they can effectively participate on a collaborative team at a PLC school (e.g., teachers who teach the same course or subject). Additionally, leaders frequently ask what they should be doing to guide and support these outstanding educators.

Casey R. Ahner is currently the coordinator of special programs at Albuquerque Bilingual Academy, and he has served as a special education teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and principal at the intermediate and elementary levels.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators face an unprecedented challenge: how to close the learning gaps created by months of school closures and uneven access to virtual learning opportunities? In this breakout, Mike Mattos will discuss specific steps that schools can take to create a highly effective, multitiered system of supports to target learning gaps using the PLC at Work® process.

Aaron Hansen is an expert in Professional Learning Communities (PLC), Response to Intervention (RTI) and student empowerment. He is a highly sought-after international speaker, strategic consultant, coach, and author.

Heather serves as the superintendent of schools in Fox Lake District 114 in the northern Illinois suburbs. Her work focuses on ensuring learning for ALL in schools.

Jack Baldermann has been a passionate educational leader for over 30 years. His experience includes leading several high-poverty urban schools to significant success and supporting eight different priority or high-poverty schools to become Model PLC at Work® schools.

Jon Yost is the recently retired associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Sanger Unified School District in California. He has worked in public education at the elementary, secondary, and district levels.