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Stephanie Hirsh

Stephanie Hirsh retired in June 2019 after 31 years with Learning Forward, an international association of more than 13,000 educators committed to increasing student achievement through effective professional learning. Hirsh led the organization as its executive director for the last 13 years where she presented, published, and consulted on Learning Forward’s behalf across North America. Her books include Becoming a Learning Team, co-authored with Tracy Crow (Learning Forward, 2018), Becoming a Learning System, co-authored with Kay Psencik and Frederick Brown (Learning Forward, 2018); A Playbook for Professional Learning: Putting the Standards Into Action, co-authored with Shirley Hord (Learning Forward, 2012); and The Learning Educator: A New Era for Professional Learning, co-authored with Joellen Killion (NSDC, 2007). Hirsh wrote a column for The Learning Professional, Learning Forward’s bimonthly magazine, Educational Leadership, Phi Delta Kappan, The Record, The School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The High School Magazine, and Education Week. Hirsh has served on a number of advisory boards including Learning First Alliance, 2-Rev, Digital Promise, the University of Texas College of Education, and The Teaching Channel. She served three terms as a school board trustee in the Richardson (TX) Independent School District. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Staff Development Council, Master Trustee from the Texas School Board Association, and was named a Distinguished Alumna by the University of North Texas.

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    I thought I understood the term “social justice” when we chose it for a JSD theme, but I did not fully understand its meaning. A story from my school board experience illustrates how understanding of this topic evolves. During my school board tenure, state testing assumed new levels of significance. […]
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    A school that ensures that all students — regardless of race, creed, color, socioeconomic status, gender, or disabilities — have access to and receive the highest-quality education has achieved a key measure of social justice (Cochran-Smith et al., 2009; Curren, 2009). Since the most significant factor in whether students learn well is quality teaching (Haycock & Crawford, 2008; Peske & […]
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    At one time in my career, I became the first director of staff development in my school district. Before I filled that role, planning inservice was the responsibility of the assistant superintendent for instruction. I remember feeling honored when, as a second-year teacher, I was invited to serve on the […]
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    Leadership matters. Research funded by TheWallace Foundation (sponsors of this issue of JSD) has demonstrated that school leadership is second only to high-quality teachers in what matters most for student learning. NSDC demonstrated its commitment to this belief when we adopted our 2007- 10 strategic plan. The plan’s third priority […]
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    Recent advances in technology offer us an exciting opportunity to re-examine our approaches to professional learning. The growing availability of technology allows us to think about how we can increase overall effectiveness and efficiency even as we expand access and innovation. We might consider where to use technology to save […]
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    In the late 1990s, the NSDC Board of Trustees and staff established influencing policy and policy makers at the local, state, and national levels as an organizational priority. As part of this process, we examined the policy-influencing practices of other organizations, both within and beyond the field of education. During […]
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    Irecently had the opportunity to visit schools with a superintendent of a large urban school system. I enjoyed spending the morning observing instruction and interacting with teachers and students. On this particular morning, the superintendent had told principals she was interested in observing math classes. At each school, the principal […]
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    Too few teachers experience the quality of professional development and teamwork that would enable them to be more effective educators each day. As advocates for professional learning, our job is to make sure that what we know is essential to good teaching is embedded in all teachers’ lives. Good teaching […]
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