Consultants
Leadership Partners collaborates with national and international consultants to support our work with school leaders.
Dr. Kenneth Leithwood is a Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Policy at OISE/University of Toronto. He has long time research interests in leadership, policy and school improvement. These interests have been pursued through more focused inquiries about alternative conceptions of leadership, the cognitive and emotional processes of leaders, leadership development, organizational learning and leadership for both local and large-scale school reform. his most recent studies concern leadership in both highly accountable policy contexts and in schools with diverse student populations. Through several large-scale, longitudinal studies underway, he is presently trying to better understand the complex practices and processes through which successful leaders improve teaching and learning in their schools. Dr. Leithwood has published more than 75 referred journal articles, and authored or edited more than thirty books.
Dr. Jing Ping Sun is an assistant professor in education leadership at the University of Alabama. She is committed to understanding educational leaders: what they do, why they do what they do, and how they use it to promote teaching and learning at school, district and state levels. Her areas of interest in research, instruction, and dissertation advising include leadership model development, leader development, leadership for teaching and learning, school organization design, data-informed decision and policy making, policy evaluation, research synthesis, and the international comparative study of leadership. Prior to joining the faculty of the University of Alabama, she worked on and reported the evaluation results of the comprehensive Ontario Leadership Strategy as well as its 13 initiatives as a policy lead. She also developed an evaluation framework to guide and support the Ontario Ministry of Education staff to conduct policy evaluation internally and/or externally. Her work may be found in refereed journals and book chapters, including a recent article co-authored with Professor Kenneth Leithwood, an international leading scholar, published in Educational Administration Quarterly 2012, the premier journal in the field of educational leadership, as a lead article, on transformational school leadership. Dr. Sun has won awards for her research and research manuscripts and promotes dialogue on leadership studies between countries and between the West and the East.
Christie Huseman is a consultant with Leadership Partners, working with leaders and educators on building trust and the power of knowing and telling your story. Her unique and interactive presentations provide new insights for leaders to leverage to build high quality relationships with those they lead. She is the AVID and International Baccalaureate Coordinator for Humble ISD, where she is able to engage in critical work around equity and engagement. She also works for AVID Center as a National Staff Developer, training educators on closing the opportunity gap for all students. She has previously worked in Alief ISD, College Station ISD, and Katy ISD. She is a proud wife to her husband Kolby, who is a head basketball coach in Klein ISD, and mother to Levi.
Carolina Paz-Giraldo: Leadership, creativity, and professional integrity are the cornerstones of a diverse 25-year background working as an educator, trainer, administrator, executive coach and consultant. Life experiences and advanced studies have given her the tools and the skills necessary to select the pedagogical methodologies and strategies to create an equitable environment to develop the cognitive and leadership skills of each learner.In her different roles and with her substantial knowledge of educational technology Carolina has developed processes and systems at a campus and district level for data management to drive differentiation in classroom instruction, professional development as well as other topics that support continuous improvement in education.
Carolina has also worked in organizational development implementing talent management and succession planning tools and processes and has consulted at management and executive levels in the areas of leadership development, competency assessments, team building, succession planning and organizational development. Her work experience as a talent management consultant and executive coach for top management individuals in different organizations has given her exposure to diverse industries, business types and management styles.
Her unique experiences as an educator in the K-16 and corporate world have given her a distinctive perspective of how knowledge, integrity and transformation, her dream is to find ways to create a more equitable world.
Producer, director and stage manager with extensive experience in developing, organizing, coordinating and executing live hybrid and virtual events, Michael Hauk began his career working both in front and behind the stage, camera and microphone. He demonstrates expert level craftsmanship and acumen in most related industry practices. Educated in acting and directing at Goodman Theatre School, American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Actors Studio and later earned graduate degrees in business and psychology at Xavier University and Antioch College. Michael leverages an international resume in entertainment, business and industry. He has produced, directed and managed events with organizations that include: Procter and Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Gensler International, Great American Life Insurance, Fifth Third Bank and Eastman Kodak to name a few. Michael motivates presenters at all organizational levels to successfully engage and entertain their audiences.
