How she got involved with Learning Forward: Around 2008, when I was a principal in northern California, a mentor introduced me and several of our colleagues to Shirley Hord’s work about professional learning communities. It was the first time I realized how impactful professional learning can be. Before that, most of my professional learning experiences were one-size-fits-all, and I realized there’s a better way to do it. Then I delved more deeply into the work of [Rebecca and Richard] DuFour. The turning point was when I realized that the best professional learning is directly connected to student outcomes. How she became a professional learning leader: In 2010, my school’s team received the inaugural Shirley Hord Learning Team Award from Learning Forward. We attended Learning Forward’s