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.
All Articles
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Learning Forward’s standards and curriculum go hand in hand
When Learning Forward revised the Standards for Professional Learning in 2022, we added the Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction standard (Learning Forward, 2022), in part due to the accumulating evidence about the importance of high-quality curriculaum and instructional materials. As we noted in the research brief released alongside the revised standards […] -
Pivoting is made easier by an intentional change process
When Learning Forward released the book Becoming a Learning Team (Hirsh & Crow, 2017), I was an instant fan. At the heart of the book is the learning team cycle, a collaborative learning process for teams of educators to address problems of practice and improve teaching and learning. The cycle […] -
Inspiration comes from all across the globe
I recently participated in a gathering of the Global Education Leaders Partnership in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This international network of education system leaders, institutions, and capacity-building organizations is focused on transforming education to prepare every learner to thrive in the 21st century. During the meeting, we looked beyond schools and districts […] -
Title II: Opportunities and impact
This webinar highlights state and district successes and challenges in implementing Title II-A programs and collecting impact data. As a community, we seek ways to seamlessly support and integrate high-quality professional learning and to share those efforts with Congress and the Administration as they debate the future funding levels for […] -
Advances in technology help us do more for students
Recently I was speaking to my doctor about a minor surgical procedure I needed. During our conversation, she explained how new robotics technology would make my surgery much less painful and decrease the recovery period substantially. She admitted that when she first learned about the new technology, she was reluctant […] -
Show your community the impact of professional learning
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, […] -
On-the-job learning smooths challenging career transitions
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 […] -
To support all students’ needs, teachers must be constantly learning
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 […] -
Let's be clear about professional learning and equity
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 […] -
Finding time to learn is a puzzle we can solve together
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 […]
