The Partners Blog
The Partners Blog is written primarily by Partners’ executive director Richard Lemons. Through these letters, Richard shares resources, tools, and research relevant to leading organizations, prompting large-scale instructional improvement, and disrupting inequity.
In Memory of Andrew Lachman: Visionary Leader, Champion of Public Education
It is with deep admiration and sorrow that we mark the passing of Andrew Lachman—former Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for School Change (now Partners for Educational Leadership); a visionary leader whose influence has rippled through classrooms, districts, and communities across Connecticut, New York, and the nation. Andrew passed
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Listening to Leaders
Over the past nine months, I’ve had the distinct privilege of spending meaningful time with hundreds of system leaders across the country. Not in fleeting, surface-level exchanges. Not in rushed hallway chats between conference sessions. But in real conversation. In quiet conference rooms, over shared meals, during long walks between school
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Living in the Questions
“The master key of knowledge is, indeed, a persistent and frequent questioning.” – Peter Abelard, medieval philosopher “Do you know where you’re going to?” – Diana Ross, diva and Supreme Empress of Soul “Should I stay or should I go?” – The Clash, English rock legends and, perhaps, unintentional educational improvement
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Honoring Gordon Bruno
Partners for Educational Leadership has lost a visionary forefather. Dr. Gordon Bruno, the founding Executive Director of Partners, then the “Connecticut Center for School Change,” passed away on December 19, 2023. In his time at the Center, he brought gravitas to a small and fledgling non-profit, establishing it as a force
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Bringing a Coaching Stance To the Design of Your Meetings
In an article published in the MIT Sloan Management Review, Steven Rogelberg, Cliff Scott, and John Kello analyzed how much time American workers spend in meetings and how valuable they find such meetings. According to their research, the average American worker spends six hours weekly in meetings. These same studies suggest
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Bouncing Around Between My Ears: Big Ideas Borrowed From Others
This year I am celebrating thirty years as an educational professional. Perhaps my age makes me prone to nostalgia, but lately, I find myself reflecting on the numerous thought leaders, scholars, colleagues, family members, and friends who have influenced my thinking and my work. On a daily basis, I draw upon
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