HMH’s Center for Model Schools Launches Advisory Board and Announces Esteemed Senior Fellows

Education experts and leaders, including former U.S. DOE Assistant Secretary and superintendents from across the country, will aid in transforming districts nationwide

BOSTON – Learning technology company HMH today announced that its leadership consulting organization, the Center for Model Schools, has launched its first advisory board and confirmed its latest cohort of distinguished senior fellows comprised of industry leaders, practitioners and trailblazers in K-12 education. Across both groups, members will play pivotal roles in advancing the Center’s mission to empower educational leaders and foster meaningful change in school districts nationwide.

“The Center for Model Schools is a place where districts can deepen the skills needed to transform insight into action and create environments where all learners succeed,” said Dr. Joshua P. Starr, Managing Partner of the Center for Model Schools. “To do this incredible work, we must tap into the wealth of knowledge from outstanding leaders in the field as we develop new approaches to supporting educators. The Center is privileged to be surrounded by the talented individuals that make up our advisory board and senior fellows and we are excited to work together to inspire change in the education community.”

The newly established advisory board will provide critical insight and feedback on the Center’s work and amplify its reach. The varied K-12 educational experiences and perspectives of members – including current and former superintendents, school system leaders, policy leaders, professors of practice and research, charter school leaders and non-profit leaders – will help ensure the Center’s services and strategies reflect the field of education today. In addition, advisory board members will develop content for the Center and participate in the Transformational Leadership Network, which connects leaders faced with similar challenges.

The new cohort of senior fellows will engage in the Center’s work as experts and thought leaders, providing invaluable counsel on leadership development and contribute to the growth of education leaders and the Center as a whole. They will deliver engaging keynote speeches, extend the Center’s outreach in the education community, and offer guidance and support in strategic planning, leadership coaching, organizational culture, equity and policy development, aligning their expertise with the Center’s mission.

Center for Model Schools Advisory Board:

  • Xavier Botana​ – Former Superintendent​, Portland Public Schools, Portland, Maine
  • Dr. Joel Boyd​ – CEO, Mastery Schools, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Dr. Dan Callaghan ​– Superintendent​, Kirby #140, Kirby, Ill.
  • Dr. Carrie Chiappetta​ – Assistant Superintendent​, Regional School District 15, Middlebury, Conn.
  • Dr. Joe S. Davis – Superintendent​, Ferguson-Florissant School District, Hazelwood, Mo.
  • Dr. Deb Delisle​ – CEO, Growing Good Kids, Inc; Former Assistant Secretary, U.S Department of Education
  • Dr. Joe Gothard​ – Superintendent​, Saint Paul Public Schools, Saint Paul, Minn.
  • Dr. Meredith Honig​ – Professor, University of Washington
  • Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Jr. – CEO, Revolutionary ED, LLC​; Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Howard University; Former Superintendent
  • Dr. Carol Kelley​ – Former Superintendent​, Princeton Public Schools, Princeton, N.J.
  • Dr. Michael Martirano​ – Superintendent​, Howard County Public Schools, Md.
  • Dr. Scott Menzel​ – Superintendent​, Scottsdale Unified School District, Scottsdale, Ariz.
  • Dr. Brian Osborne​ – Professor, Lehigh University​; Former Superintendent ​
  • Dr. Damien Pattenaude​ – Superintendent​, Renton School District, Renton, Wash.
  • Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises – CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools, Md.
  • Dr. Sarah Sirgo – Chief of Staff, Frederick County Public Schools, Md.
  • Dr. Karalee Turner-Little​ – Deputy Superintendent​, Howard County Public Schools, Clarksville Pike Ellicott City, Md.​
  • Dr. Jennifer Webster​ – Associate Superintendent for Administration and Leadership​, Washington County Public Schools, Hagerstown, Md.
  • Dr. Kathryn Wiley​ – Assistant Professor​, Howard University​

Center for Model Schools Senior Fellows:

  • Anthony Colannino​ – CEO, Leading & Teaching for Growth, LLC​; Author of Leading with Head​ and Heart
  • Dr. Deb Delisle​ – CEO, Growing Good Kids, Inc; Former Assistant Secretary, U.S Department of Education
  • Dr. Mary Hemphill​ – CEO, Limitless Leader, LLC​; Author of The One Minute Meeting and Co-Contributor to Because of a Teacher​; Named Top 100 EdTech Influencers in 2023-2024​
  • Dr. Tyrone Howard​ – CEO, The Howard Group, LLC​; HMH Program Author​; Author of All Students Must Thrive and Why Race & Culture Matter in Schools​; AERA President​; Professor, UCLA​
  • Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Jr.​ – CEO, Revolutionary ED, LLC​, Co-author of Getting Into Good Trouble at School: A Guide to Building an Antiracist School System; First Executive in Residence at American University’s School of Education​; Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator in the School of Education’s Educational Leadership & Policy Studies program at Howard University

To read the full biographies of the advisory board members and senior fellows, visit https://www.hmhco.com/the-center-for-model-schools-advisory-board

In addition to the annual Model Schools Conference, which is the nation’s largest gathering for rapidly improving K-12 schools and districts, the Center supports leaders and educators through leadership coaching, strategic planning, curriculum alignment, data team implementation and shoulder-to-shoulder leadership support. Its expert consultants partner with school and system leaders on customized visions that drive strategic change for their districts and improved outcomes for learners. The Center’s work is rooted in the philosophy that every child deserves to learn in a model school, and that leaders make it happen.

About HMH

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a learning technology company committed to delivering connected solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students’ potential and extend teachers’ capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com

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