Champions: District Leaders Build Skills to Boost Educator Practice

Fort Wayne Community Schools continue to increase student learning and meet state and national standards and expectations annually based on several factors that have made a difference for educators within the system: district and principal leadership, learning teams, effective learning designs, and deep commitment to a culture of learning. Fort Wayne understands that the superintendent's leadership matters. Superintendent Wendy Robinson and the district's board of trustees committed themselves to creating a learning culture within the district. Robinson developed a clear picture for herself of the superintendent's responsibilities, built on her deep history in the district as a teacher, principal, and district level administrator. Robinson's commitment to being the lead learner is evidenced by her deepening of her own understanding and skills needed to lead standards-driven professional learning. Robinson sought out leaders in professional learning to partner in this work and, in conjunction with Learning Forward, began to develop a deeper understanding of professional learning and ways of ensuring that every teacher in the district experiences effective professional learning every day so that every student achieves.