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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How Curriculum And Professional Learning Intersect
Research has found that high-quality curricula have a significant impact on student achievement (Steiner, 2017; Chingos & Whitehurst, 2012). But a curriculum is not effective on its own. It requires teachers who understand it and use it with intentionality and professional judgment. This means teachers who know the curriculum and […] -
Ask
Q: As we look to encourage the habitual use of effective collaborative learning practices, what is the role of school leaders in creating cultures that nurture collaborative learning among teachers in their buildings? We understand that the principal is critical to implementing schoolwide shifts in how people learn and how […] -
Celebrating principals and their powerful leadership practices
Having been an assistant principal and principal, I'm embarrassed to admit I don't remember much about the principals I had in school. I literally had to look back at my class pictures and yearbooks just to remember their names. But one person I will never forget is the principal who […] -
Honesty takes time, but it's worth it
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRE64ZUAySM[/embedyt] An August 13 Washington Post column carried this headline: "Why principals lie to ineffective teachers: Honesty takes too long." In it, the author discusses two recent studies that revealed principals' struggles in telling ineffective teachers they need to improve. The studies, performed by researchers at Vanderbilt, Stanford, and Education Researcher, […] -
Learning Leaders for Learning Schools
The field of leadership learning has evolved a great deal since the early 2000s, when The Wallace Foundation began its focus on education leadership. We now know that leadership is second only to teaching among in-school influences on student success, and the impact is most pronounced in schools with the […] -
Our Take
I wonder how many of you remember your elementary, middle, or high school building principal. I really don’t remember much about mine. A principal, I remember thinking, was someone you only saw when you were in trouble. The principal’s job was to keep order, fix problems before they got out […] -
Becoming A Learning System: Revised Edition
Every student should have the opportunity to attend a great school filled with great teachers. This book explores the idea that, for this to happen, school districts must become learning systems. In a learning system, every educator in the district focuses intently on learning — at whatever level they serve. […] -
Intentional connection and community within the Annual Conference
Have you ever been in a room full of people and felt completely alone? I’ve experienced that feeling during several conferences I’ve attended throughout my career. I remember walking into the receptions, plenary sessions, and even small concurrent sessions without knowing a soul and then exiting without having a conversation […] -
New initiative to redesign principal preparation programs
These last few years have been extremely powerful for education leadership. We’ve witnessed the unveiling of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, formally the ISLLC Standards. The field also has its first-ever Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards. Both of these significant contributions to the field come to us thanks in […] -
Changing one’s own practice is a great first step!
Truly changing one’s own practice takes a focused commitment, and the support of a coach can significantly increase the likelihood of success. That’s one of the big takeaways from Learning Forward’s experience facilitating 33 Academy cohorts. For those who are unaware, the Learning Forward Academy is an extended learning experience that immerses […]
