-
Core Curriculum
Michael J. Bolz, PhD
Principal Learning Experience Designer, HMH
Michael J. Bolz, PhD, is a principal learning experience designer within HMH’s core content experience team, where he works at the intersection of learning sciences, product strategy, instructional design, and emerging technologies. He helps teams design evidence-based learning experiences across K–12 core curriculum, digital instructional platforms, assessment, reporting, and data-driven teacher supports.
Michael’s current work focuses on how learning science can shape the next generation of educational technology, including responsible uses of generative and agentic AI to improve curriculum workflows, instructional planning, content systems, and teacher-facing tools. He is especially interested in designing AI-enabled learning systems that keep educators in control while making high-quality, standards-aligned instruction easier to plan, adapt, and deliver.
Before joining HMH, Michael conducted education research at the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, where his work focused on disciplinary literacy, historical reasoning, writing, and how students learn to reason with evidence. His background also includes education consulting, curriculum development, and more than a decade of public service on a local Board of Education, where he served as board president and chaired technology and curriculum committees.
Across his work, Michael is driven by a commitment to translating research into practical, usable, and scalable solutions for teachers and students. His writing for HMH has explored formative assessment, data-driven instruction, inquiry-based learning, and the design of learning experiences that help educators make better instructional decisions.