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    MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

    Academy experience leads to collaboration and friendship

    By Learning Forward
    June 2019
    Vol. 40, No. 3
    Collaboration is at the heart of effective professional learning, as Learning Forward emphasizes in the Standards for Professional Learning. Educators who participate in the Learning Forward Academy and other networking experiences, such as the Redesign PD Community and the Student Success Learning Network, frequently report that the relationships they develop with other participants are among the most gratifying and beneficial experiences of their careers. Participants often maintain their relationships for many years. As Academy members, Carolyn Anderson and Calandra Davis became not only professional collaborators but also close friends. Although they live in different states, they regularly support one another professionally and personally. In a recent conversation with Suzanne Bouffard, editor of The Learning Professional, they shared how their relationship makes them stronger leaders and

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    Who they are:
    Calandra Davis, principal of Jenkins Elementary School in Hickory, North Carolina
    Carolyn Anderson, principal of Barnwell Elementary School in Barnwell, South Carolina

    How they met:
    Learning Forward Academy Class of 2017

    Shared history:
    Clemson University alumnae
    South Carolina natives
    Elementary school principals

    Number of Learning Forward Annual Conferences
    they have attended together: 4

    Fond memory from a Learning Forward conference:
    Davis: “It was so funny being [at the 2017 conference] in Vancouver and we went out to dinner, and Clemson was playing in the [football] playoffs. So there we were in Canada cheering for our Tigers on TV!”

    Benefit they valued about the Academy scholarships they received:
    Quarterly touchpoint conversations with advisors from the Learning Forward Foundation. Davis says, “They helped get me on track. As with most people who do the Academy, I started out with one problem of practice, and then once you get in it, you realize it’s probably not what you need to be doing. Once I shifted, they helped walk me through that process.” Anderson adds that the conversations were full of “sage advice and great resources.”


    + posts

    Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.


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