Professional Learning Communities

Karly Ward is an experienced educational leader with over 17 years in teaching and administration. She specializes in visionary leadership, sustaining a healthy school environment, and ensuring system fidelity.

Beth Houf is principal of Fulton Middle School in central Missouri. Under her leadership, Fulton was recognized in 2019 as a Missouri Exemplary Professional Learning Community and a Model PLC.

Marsha Jones, EdD, is former executive director of curriculum and instruction at Pasadena Independent School District near Houston, Texas. Her experience includes teaching grades 1–8 and serving as elementary assistant principal, elementary principal, middle school principal, and district-level administrator. Under Marsha’s leadership, Pasadena ISD became the largest Model PLC at Work® district in North America and Canada.

Richard K. Cohen is Chief Academic Officer for secondary education at Edison Township Public Schools in New Jersey. He is a former assistant superintendent and principal of Moss School (PreK and Kindergarten) in the Metuchen School District in New Jersey. He serves as faculty for Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and he is a former principal of Red Bank Primary School in New Jersey.

Deanne Kildare Opatosky has more than 20 years of experience in education. As an educational advisor, she facilitates extensive professional development initiatives for novice and experienced teachers in urban and suburban communities throughout New Jersey. Backed by data and other metrics, Deanne’s work has significantly and positively impacted student achievement for the districts she serves.

Educator Kelli Fuller serves as an instructional facilitator focusing on building teacher capacity and increasing student success through professional learning, data-driven instruction, and the implementation of PLC processes.

Kendra Bell, PhD, retired from Peoria Unified School District in Arizona in 2022 after serving as chief academic officer for the district. Throughout her career, Dr. Bell has emphasized the importance of continual improvement through professional learning communities.

Dr. Sanchioni serves as the superintendent of the Tiverton Public Schools in Tiverton, Rhode Island. He has a wide array of educational experiences including serving as the superintendent in Natick, Massachusetts (10 years) and in Millis, Massachusetts (three years). In addition, Dr. Sanchioni served as a principal for 10 years.

Dr. Tami Williams currently serves as an assistant professor in the educational leadership department at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Brad Rogers is currently the principal at Cadott Elementary School in Wisconsin. He has been an educator for 28 years and specializes in helping schools implement collaborative processes that lead to high levels of learning.