Phillip C. Schlechty, an education researcher, speaker, and school improvement advocate, died Jan. 7. He was 78.
Schlechty was the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform, in Louisville, Ky., an early initiative to create networks of school districts to experiment with and share best practices in leadership and student engagement. Previously, he was the founding executive director of the Gheens Professional Development Academy, also in Louisville, one of the first district-based leadership-development programs.
He developed the Working on the Work teaching framework, which explored ways teachers could craft more meaningful lessons for their students. And he was the author of nine books and more than 100 articles focused on understanding relationships in education and building the capacity for schools to change and innovate.
