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Frederick Brown

President | CEO

Frederick Brown is Learning Forward’s president | CEO. Fred is an education visionary who knows firsthand that our nation’s schools need transformational change if we are to meet the challenges of the next decades. Fred advocates that every child deserves to reach their highest potential and every educator must have the opportunity to participate in exemplary, ongoing, professional learning programs to provide students the skills needed to meet their unique needs. Supporting educators at all levels and improving student achievement are through lines of Fred's career. An elementary school teacher, a middle school assistant principal, and school principal, Fred saw firsthand the impact high-leverage instructional practices and school culture have on school success. Fred is a frequent speaker on leadership and building high-quality learning in schools. He has co-authored two books that have made significant contributions to the field of education, demonstrating how a comprehensive approach to professional learning can be achieved so that everyone in a system is a learner, and how principals apply a learning lens to their many critical responsibilities to create a productive climate for learning and collaboration. "Becoming a Learning System" and "The Learning Principal -- Becoming a Learning Leader"  are time-tested Learning Forward resources for schools and leaders. Fred is a Learning Forward Academy graduate and serves as secretary/treasurer on the board of Learning First Alliance.

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    When I was a child, it never occurred to me that my teachers and principal were still learning. I just assumed they knew everything they would ever need to know. And even though Mom and Dad were very involved in my education, I suspect it never occurred to them, either, […]
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    It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since I first stepped into my assistant principalship in an urban middle school in Elyria, Ohio, a small district 30 miles west of Cleveland. I had been an elementary teacher in that district and was completing my coursework for an administrative […]
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    When parents send their children to school, they want them to be cared for and educated as the unique individuals they are, regardless of whether they have an intellectual or physical disability, are multilingual learners, are still struggling to recover from pandemic setbacks, want extra academic enrichment, or face any […]
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    The school year is beginning for the 53 million U.S. students enrolled in elementary and secondary public schools. The families of those children want their kids to be cared for and educated as the unique individuals they are, regardless of whether they have an intellectual or physical disability, are multilingual […]
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    Like many of you, my professional and personal schedules can get pretty hectic. There are some days when I literally don’t know if I’m coming or going. Nonetheless, I always find time to check in with my family, get in a few relaxing or intense bicycle rides, and occasionally take […]
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    Most of us accept that scientific knowledge evolves over time, so best practices in medicine and other science fields change. Knowledge about the learning sciences evolves, too, so we should constantly revisit and adjust education practices. To paraphrase the great Maya Angelou, when we know better, we should do better. […]
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    Welcome to Standards for Professional Learning Week 2023! I hope you celebrate with us by joining our live daily presentations focused on topics that address pressing issues for educators right now: advancing outcomes for all learners; elevating educator voices; embedding equity; examining impact; and advocating for support and equitable funding […]
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    When people ask me how improvement cycles help teachers, I think back to when I was a teacher who didn’t know about improvement methods. In particular, I recall my second year as teacher, when I had a little knowledge, but not a lot. (You know what they say about a […]
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    How are you celebrating Public Schools Week? This week, I will spend time both in reflection and action, grateful for the excellent professional learning I’ve engaged in and eager to spread that kind of meaningful learning to all educators. Public Schools Week inspires me to reflect on my experiences as […]
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    I was a building principal more than 25 years ago, and I’ll be the first to admit that schools have changed a great deal since then. There was no TikTok or Instagram for teachers to compete with, and the thought of students bringing cellphones to school never crossed our minds. […]
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