Professional Learning Communities

Jody Gallimore, EdM, specializes in implementing professional learning communities (PLC) in the elementary and middle school settings. With over 38 years of experience, her roles of teacher, school leader, and district office leader enable her to coach using both experience and evidence-based practices.

Paula Maeker is an educator, consultant, and advocate for learner-centered education. She has more than twenty-three years’ experience as an elementary teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, Title 1 program coordinator, campus administrator, director of elementary literacy, and director of instructional design.

Toby Arritola is the principal at Mountain Vista Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado. With more than 20 years of experience as an educator, Toby specializes in and advocates for developing PLCs and a healthy school culture.

Bo Ryan is principal of the Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary Magnet School in Bloomfield, Connecticut. He is passionate about building and sustaining professional learning communities (PLCs) and has led two different schools to Model PLC at Work® certification.

Cheyana Leiva is a transformational leader who understands the challenges schools are facing and the strategies necessary to improve. As a principal, she led her high-poverty school to an A rating in three years.

Cristi Parsons has 28 years of education experience as a teacher, counselor, principal, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent. She was named National Distinguished Principal in 2013 and has led two campuses in PLC practices to become Model PLC schools.

Kathryn Morem, EdD, has more than 25 years of educational experience, serving as an elementary school principal and director of professional development in Florida, as well as a Spanish/ESL teacher in Arizona and Switzerland.

Pamela Liebenberg, EdD, has been an educator for more than 25 years. She has served as an award-winning teacher, assistant principal, principal, regional director, and district director supervising 35 schools in the Tuscaloosa County School System.

Racheal Branch serves as the principal of Huntsville Intermediate in Huntsville, Texas. She has worked to create a culture of collaboration by embedding the professional learning communities process to grow student performance and build teacher capacity.