Dr. Lindsay Prendergast has served schools and districts across the globe for nearly two decades as a leadership coach, consultant, principal, counselor, and teacher. Doctor Prendergast is currently the Assistant Director of Learning Experiences for The Danielson Group (Framework for Teaching).

While spending several post-pandemic years directly supporting nearly 30 principals as a leadership coach alongside Piper Lee, Lindsay spent hundreds of hours in classrooms observing teachers. These experiences, coupled with her expertise in instructional leadership and coaching, greatly informed the purpose of, and need for, this book.

Lindsay enjoys advocating for educators by writing and speaking around the world for ASCD, Learning Forward, Edutopia, AMLE, and others around instructional leadership grounded in cultivating student-centered schools where teachers thrive.

Piper Lee has over twenty-seven years of experience in education, including teaching, administration, instructional and leadership coaching, and professional learning facilitation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Winona State University.

Her passion for student and adult learning, student engagement, improving effective teacher instruction, and student success in learning ignited her pursuit and completion of her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and then Education Leadership Certificate and License from Winona State University.

Throughout her career, Piper has served students, teachers, families, and undergraduate students, as well as district leadership teams, as an educational partner. Piper is experienced in the development and facilitation of workshops and professional development for teachers and administrators, focused on improving student outcomes. Most recently, Piper worked closely with state and national-level learning collaborative groups to help districts develop, implement, and maintain English Language Arts (ELA) instruction in K-12 settings. She has worked closely with teachers, administrators, and district and state leaders to identify and support key metrics in ELA.

Amanda Brueggeman, Ed.D., is an education consultant and author who began her teaching career in 2004. She grew up on a farm in Southeast Missouri and later moved to the suburbs of St. Louis, MO. There, she taught elementary school for ten years before becoming an instructional coach. Amanda obtained her teaching degree in Elementary Education from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master's in Educational Technology from the University of Missouri. She also earned her Doctorate in Teacher Leadership at Maryville University, where she now serves as an adjunct professor in the Education Department. Currently, she provides professional learning for beginning teachers and new teacher mentors, drawing from her book, Student-Centered Mentoring: Keeping Students at the Heart of New Teachers’Learning (April 2022). Amanda also trains instructional coaches and principals across the country in Student-CenteredCoaching. Dr. B, as students love to call her, is passionate about collective efficacy in relation to working with students, teachers, mentors, instructional coaches, and school leaders. Her student-centered philosophy remains central as she fosters connections with all educators!

Dr. Lori Stollar is an experienced district leader, executive director, and nationally recognized consultant specializing in change management, strategic planning, and professional learning system design. She serves as executive director of PA EDGE (Pennsylvania Association for Elevating, Developing, and Growing Educators), formerly Pennsylvania ASCD, where she leads statewide efforts to strengthen leadership practice and educator development.

With a career spanning curriculum leadership, innovation, and higher education teaching, Lori bridges research and practice to support continuous improvement. Her doctoral research on professional learning communities reflects her commitment to collaboration and resilience. She is a sought-after leadership coach who helps school and district leaders navigate complex change with clarity and purpose.

Lori holds a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University, a master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from The Pennsylvania State University, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Widener University.