Marc Johnson Authors Book on Leading Professional Learning Communities

Marc Johnson, co-director of the Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute and former superintendent of Sanger Unified School District, authored his first book, How to Coach Leadership in a PLC. Drawing from Johnson’s experience bringing professional learning communities (PLCs) into Sanger, the book outlines key considerations for leaders implementing the culture and structural shifts required to make PLCs sustainable. He writes that the foundation of a strong team is one that shares the same priorities and vision; these values need to be shared in order to ensure consistent messaging throughout all levels of the system. Johnson then focuses on the key leadership roles at all levels of the system (e.g. district, school, team), and how each must contribute to student learning. He draws on research and his own experience to highlight the importance of building capacity and providing support for individuals to succeed in leading PLC work. Finally, Johnson suggests strategies for monitoring and continually analyzing outcomes throughout the implementation process in order to sustain PLCs for long term system-wide improvement.