Suzanne Bouffard
Senior Vice President, Communications & Publications
Suzanne Bouffard is senior vice president of communications and publications at Learning Forward. She is the editor of The Learning Professional, Learning Forward’s flagship publication. She also contributes to the Learning Forward blog and webinars. With a background in child development, she has a passion for making research and best practices accessible to educators, policymakers, and families. She has written for many national publications including The New York Times and the Atlantic, and previously worked as a writer and researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Duke University and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. She loves working with authors to help them develop their ideas and voices for publication.
All Articles
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Sustaining professional learning in challenging times
As we were preparing this issue for publication, the critical importance of professional learning resources hit home for us and for many of our readers. Throughout the spring and early summer, U.S. professional learning leaders anxiously awaited news about the delayed release of Title II-A funds that had been appropriated […] -
Leadership development that lasts
Developing school leaders’ skills to ensure high-quality instruction in every classroom and high achievement for every student doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, intentionality, and a cohesive set of supports that are often referred to as a principal pipeline. Research shows that when all the pieces are in place, principal […] -
Research paints a full picture of professional learning
Whenever we look at The Learning Professional reader feedback, one theme comes through loud and clear: Research is a top priority for our members. We at Learning Forward couldn’t agree more. According to our 2025 reader survey, research ranked among the most popular topics in the journal, and when we […] -
Transforming professional learning in Northern Kentucky
What do you do when you’re following a well-worn path and suddenly realize there’s a paved road nearby built with the latest research and techniques? When the staff at Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services (NKCES) discovered a new road to higher quality professional learning and better outcomes for students, […] -
How district size matters to the principalship
More than 70% of school districts in the U.S. serve fewer than 3,000 students (NCES, 2022), and a recent study found that those districts are less likely than larger districts to provide school principals with the supports to be effective leaders (Diliberti et al., 2024). This has concerning implications for […] -
The upside of transitions
Turnover and transition are facts of life in schools. Although these trends create challenges, they have some positive sides as well, including professional growth. Many educators change roles, schools, or focus areas at some point in their careers because they want to learn and deploy new skills or broaden the […] -
State education agency leads the way on professional learning
Carey Wright is the Maryland state superintendent of schools and the former superintendent of education in Mississippi. Previously, she served in several district leadership roles in the District of Columbia and in Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools. She has served on both the National Assessment Governing Board and the board […] -
Whether you’re a student or an educator, learning designs matter
Think of a great learning experience you’ve had, either as an educator or as a student. You probably remember what you learned and how it changed your thinking or your actions. You probably also remember how you learned it. Maybe it was a hands-on physics lab that showed you what […] -
Build bridges with student success in mind
As we head into 2025, building bridges is a timely theme for Learning Forward. Not only are we bridging the work we’ve been doing this past year with the future to ensure sustained access to high-quality professional learning, but we’re reflecting on the many bridges we all need to build […] -
The art and science of curriculum-based professional learning
For the past five years, one of The Learning Professional’s most popular articles has been a piece from December 2018 called “Teaching is an art — and a science” (Bouffard, 2018). The piece, and the issue in which it appeared, were part of Learning Forward’s commitment to increasing the emphasis […]
