Professional Learning Communities

Luke Francois, EdD, is superintendent of Waterford Union High School in Wisconsin. He specializes in the continuous improvement process to support the work of PLCs in small rural and large suburban districts.

Jeff Byrnes is the former principal of Mountain Meadow Elementary in the White River School District in Buckley, Washington. With over 25 years of experience in elementary education, Jeff specializes in the implementation of professional learning communities and multitiered systems of supports.

Stephanie Discher serves as the director of elementary education for Wasatch County School District in Utah. With a sincere passion for empowering educators, she is dedicated to fostering a deep understanding of and appreciation for the professional learning community process.

Robert Mountjoy is the former principal of West Side Elementary School in Rossville, Georgia, where he led his staff in developing a collaborative culture centered around the three big ideas of a professional learning community (PLC). He is passionate about equity, data-driven practices, and schoolwide systems.

Rob J. Meyer is an experienced educator currently serving as the director of teaching and learning at Beaver Dam Unified School District in Wisconsin. With more than 18 years in education, he previously served as a teacher of social studies, an assistant principal at the secondary level, and a principal at the primary level.

Hillary Woest is a presenter, staff developer, and practitioner with over 24 years of experience in public education. She specializes in supporting Professional Learning Communities at Work® and Response to Intervention at Work™ in schools by helping them assess, refine, and optimize current systems of support for special populations and challenging demographics.

Karen Johnson is the coordinator of Language Acquisition for the Pleasanton Unified School District Pleasanton, California. She is passionate about the topics of equity, inclusion, and ensuring high levels of learning for all students.

Joshua Ray, EdD, is principal at Greenwood High School in Arkansas. He has served as an administrator at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and is a passionate advocate for adult learning and educator well-being.

Kim Nichols, EdD, is former assistant superintendent in Ringgold, Georgia. Under her leadership, Catoosa County Schools was named the first Model PLC District in Georgia and twelve schools have become Model PLCs.

Lorrie Hulbert has more than 30 years of experience as a public school teacher, interventionist, and administrator in New York State.