Suzanne Bouffard

May 13, 2024 | learningforward.org | Suzanne Bouffard

Ensuring that every student succeeds takes a shared commitment among all adults in a school and the system that houses it. Principals play a key role in leading and modeling that commitment. Through instructional leadership, professional learning, interactions with colleagues and students, and many other responsibilities, principals can prioritize equity and establish expectations and processes for their colleagues to address every student’s needs.

Feb 26, 2024 | learningforward.org | Suzanne Bouffard

Twenty years ago, this journal, which was then called JSD, was my first introduction to the unique considerations involved in evaluating professional learning. I was struck by how field leaders like Hayes Mizell, Joellen Killion, and Thomas Guskey provided guidance so elegant that the complex process of program evaluation seemed straightforward and almost natural. Of course, elegance only looks easy.

Feb 8, 2024 | learningforward.org | Suzanne Bouffard

One of the best ways to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it in multiple ways – listen, observe, study, practice. That approach to learning a new language also happens to be an effective way to learn and become proficient with Standards for Professional Learning. Reading the 11 standards is a great start, and an important touchpoint, but it will get you only so far. So, what do you do next? How do you practice what you know and get more fluent?

Jan 4, 2024 | learningforward.org | Suzanne Bouffard

Many professions have long runways to leadership, with mentorship and increasing levels of responsibility. Lead prosecutors start as assistant district attorneys, surgeons often complete a fellowship after residency, many business and nonprofit leaders move through the ranks of assistant director or vice president. In contrast, the path to school leadership has historically not been well-defined. But that is changing.

Aug 7, 2023 | learningforward.org | Suzanne Bouffard

Amid rising levels of educator burnout and turnover (ERS, 2023a, b; Kurtz, 2022), there has been a lot of talk about prioritizing educator wellness. Wellness means different things to different people, but many experts agree that true wellness isn’t about simply going to a yoga class or even taking a mental health day (Bell, 2023; Romero, 2023). It’s about a systemic approach that honors educators’ humanity and creates the working conditions that make for a manageable and satisfying profession.