 |
Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director
Learning Forward
|
Stephanie Hirsh is executive director of Learning Forward. With more than 12,000 members, Learning Forward is an international association of learning educators committed to one purpose in K–12 education: Every educator engages in effective professional learning every day so every student achieves.
Hirsh presents, publishes, and consults on Learning Forward’s behalf across North America. She facilitated the process that led to the publication and national dissemination of NSDC’s Standards for Staff Development. The standards have been adopted or adapted by many states and are widely considered essential guidelines to establishing effective professional development. Hirsh also directed the development of Innovation Configurations, described in the book Moving NSDC’s Staff Development Standards Into Practice: Innovation Configurations.
Recent books include The Learning Educator, co-authored with Joellen Killion, and Transforming Schools Through Powerful Planning, co-authored with Kay Psencik. Hirsh writes a regular column for JSD, Learning Forward’s bimonthly magazine. She has also written articles for Educational Leadership, Phi Delta Kappan, The Record, The School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The High School Magazine, and Education Week. In 2008, Hirsh co-authored two book chapters with Shirley Hord: “Making the Promise a Reality,” in A.M. Blankstein, P.D. Houston, & R.W. Cole (Eds.), Sustaining Professional Learning Communities, published by Corwin Press, and “The Role of Professional Learning in Advancing Quality Teaching and Student Learning,” in Thomas L. Good, (Ed.), 21st Century Education: A Reference Handbook, published by Sage Publications.
Hirsh advises governors, chief state school officers, legislators, and other policy makers regarding all aspects of professional development. Hirsh serves on advisory boards for Learning First Alliance, Educational Testing Service Teacher Leadership Initiative, Region IX (Arizona) Equity Assistance Center, Chalkboard (Oregon) Project CLASS Program, the University of Texas College of Education Advisory Council, the University of North Texas Jewish Studies Program, Microsoft Partners in Learning, and the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems. She has been recognized by the Texas Staff Development Council with a Lifetime Achievement Award, by the University of North Texas as a Distinguished Alumnae, and by the Texas Association of School Boards as Master Trustee and member of an Honor Board.
Prior to her position with Learning Forward, Hirsh completed 15 years of district and school-based leadership positions, including: teacher, community college teaching, consulting teacher for free enterprise, and program and staff development director. In 2005, she completed three terms as a school board trustee in the Richardson Independent School District. She has been married to Mike for over 30 years, has one son, and a daughter who is an elementary school teacher.
Contact information
Stephanie Hirsh
Learning Forward
17330 Preston Road, Suite 106-D
Dallas, TX 75252
972-421-0900
stephanie.hirsh@learningforward.org
Download the
PDF of this biography.
