Meet the Leadership Team

For Educators, By Educators.

Meet the Leadership Team

The Lead for Learners network is facilitated by KnowledgeWorks in partnership with district administrators, principals, teachers, instructional coaches and other instructional leaders who are advancing systems change in classrooms, schools and school districts across the U.S. Through our steering committee, educator facilitator roles and network working groups, KnowledgeWorks is committed to ensuring that Lead for Learners remains educator-driven.

Lead for Learners Steering Committee

Representing a broad range of learning communities in 11 states, steering committee members work together to set priorities, identify challenges and design solutions for the Lead for Learners network. Current priorities include:

  • Design programs and resources that support current and emerging leaders in personalized, competency-based systems
  • Grow and sustain a national professional learning community focused on leading in personalized, competency-based systems
a portrait of Amy, a white woman with chin-length curly brown hair, wearing a necklace, sea green top and a gray blazer over it. She's leaning against a white railing of a bridge overlooking a stream of water lined by trees.

Dr. Amy Brennan

Deputy Superintendent
Mason City Schools
Mason, Ohio

Portrait of Josh, a white man with short, spiked brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a pale blue button-up. He's in front of pine trees.

Dr. Josh Ecker

Learning Design Coordinator
Chester County Intermediate Unit
Downingtown, Pennsylvania

A portrait of Heather, a light-skinned woman with dark red, straight hair to her shoulders and brown eyes, smiling at the camera. She's wearing a necklace and a red patterned shirt and is standing in front of a cream colored wall.

Heather Madrigal

Assistant Principal
Yuma Union High School District
Yuma, Arizona

Shiniqua Brooks Mays

Teacher
Newberry County School District
Newberry, South Carolina

Kelly Camak Niccolls

Executive Director, Teaching and Learning
Cheney Public Schools
Spokane, Washington

Portrait of Donald, a young Black man with black hair, short on the sides and longer on top, pulled back in rows, and a five o'clock shadow. He's wearing a black shirt and black blazer over it, smiling at the camera in front of a gray background.

Dr. Donald Rucker

Chief of Staff
Teach for America Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia

Dr. Carrie Wozniak

Superintendent
Fraser Public Schools
Fraser, Michigan

Portrait of a white woman with light hazel eyes and white hair, wearing a black shirt and blazer over it. She's crossing her arms and smiling in front of a window with plants in the sill.

Jennifer Echols

Retired
Formerly Mesa Public Schools
Mesa, Arizona

portrait of Beth Head, a young white woman with long wavy auburn hair and blue eyes, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a speckled black and white top and a light gray blazer over it

Beth Head

Director of Personalized Learning
Northern Cass School District
Hunter, North Dakota

Portrait of Brenda, a white woman with wavy auburn hair down past her shoulders, wearing black rimmed glasses, pearl necklace and earrings, a black shirt and a purple blazer over it. She's smiling and standing in front of a gray background.

Brenda Martin

Director of Schools
Westminster Public Schools
Westminster, Colorado

Dr. John Nguyen

Assistant Superintendent
Piper United School District 203
Kansas City, Kansas

Portrait of Kate, a white woman with shoulder length wavy blond hair, smiling at the camera, wearing a purple tee

Dr. Kate O'Leary

Visiting Assistant Professor
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina

Jennifer (Jen) Stein

Principal
Kalispell Public Schools
Kalispell, Montana

Network leadership alumni

Since 2020, KnowledgeWorks has convened educators from across the country to co-design network programs and peer-to-peer learning opportunities to support local education transformation. 

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