Professional Learning Communities

Christine Johnson is the principal of Meadow Lane Elementary school in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. With 20 years of experience in public education, she has successfully improved high-poverty schools through the Professional Learning Communities at Work® process.

Katie Kreimer Hall, EdD, is the supervisor of curriculum and professional development for Fort Smith Public Schools. Previously an administrator in high-poverty schools, she is passionate about building self-efficacy in teachers through the professional learning community process to increase student achievement.

Angela Veatch, a National Board Certified Teacher with over 25 years in education, serves as an instructional specialist for Fort Smith Public Schools. She is passionate about visible learning, learning by doing, and strengthening teacher efficacy through the PLC process.

Kristi Napoli is the principal at Golden Hills Elementary School, a Model Professional Learning Community at Work® school in Northern California. With over 20 years of experience, she’s found success in collaborative teams, the professional learning community process, and multitiered systems of support.

Jennifer Taylor serves as an instructional coach at Riverton Intermediate School. Prior to her current role, she supported administrators and teachers in the professional learning communities (PLC) process as a district instructional specialist.

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.

Dustin Hunt is the superintendent of Hot Springs County School District #1 in Wyoming. He specializes in the professional learning communities process from the district perspective, which includes the school board.

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.

Amanda Hathhorn, district math specialist and mentor for the Aspiring Instructional Coaching Academy at Pasadena ISD, has over 20 years of experience in education. Notably, she played a pivotal role in successfully implementing the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process and subsequently earning a Model PLC at Work school distinction at V. W. Miller Intermediate.

Cathy Padilla has served as an elementary education teacher, assistant principal, and principal at the intermediate and elementary levels. She specializes in developing and supporting leaders in professional learning communities, family engagement, categorical programs, migrant education, and English language development.