Stories of Impact
LearningWorks believes in storytelling as a fundamental catalyst for change. With each school and district engagement we capture everything from poignant vignettes to profound transformational journeys to comprehensive shifts in learning.
Explore the websites below to see this work in action across four different school communities, then read the stories and testimonials that capture the human impact of these transformations.
Perry, MI
PS/IS 45, Brooklyn
Farmington, MI
PS 60, Staten Island
Testimonials
“Dr. McConaughey provided quality instructional support - grounded in research - with efficiency, respect, and transparency to the schools in my district. She was able to sharpen my leadership instructional lens, helping me determine whether learning was meaningful and transferable to real-world contexts. She was an absolute pleasure to work with.”
Josephine Van Ess, Superintendent, New York City Schools
“When I hear Chancellor Banks' vision for NYC schools around reimagining the student experience, our work with Leah is what I think about. She has supported us examine the quality and design of the tasks we engage our students in, which has redefined our thinking and expectations around tasks leading to increased student engagement and a deepening of student learning.”
Vanessa Rosa, Principal, PS 169, Queens
“If your wish is to develop a 21st-century school program aligned to college & career preparation, to strengthen your teachers' ability to design authentic real-world tasks aligned to standards, and most importantly to support students in their application of content in novel ways, then your buck stops here. Leah's value-add to our school’s learning culture is immense, and I honestly don't believe there's any real competition in her area of expertise. She has been supporting competency-based curricula for over a decade in some of the most cutting-edge community schools like Soundview Academy. She marries fierce learning to disproportionality, helping school leaders like myself bring top tier practice to the students who will stand to benefit the most.”
Will Frackelton, Principal, Soundview Academy, The Bronx
“With the help of Leah McConaughey we were able to transform from a lackluster academic program to a solid curriculum. We became a showcase school for NYC, and the first Apple Distinguished School in New York City. We certainly could not have done what we did without the knowledge and professional development provided by Leah McConaughey.”
Deanna Sinito, Former Principal, MS 442, Brooklyn
“Leah McConaughey has been instrumental in changing hearts and minds around authentic learning tasks and the true function of technology in education. She has worked with principals to enhance their instructional expertise and transform the way they think about learning. Principals have said the work with Leah brings clarity to multiple initiatives within education today such as rigorous instruction, social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and literacy. They feel this work helps them simplify what they mean by learning, which in turn simplifies their expectations for teachers. Principals have also said this work unites educators across grade levels and content areas with a common perspective on learning. It changes the conversation from "what students know" to "what will students do with what they know?”
Fred Walsh, Superintendent, New York City Schools
“I recently had a conversation with Leah McConaughey during her Office Hours, and cannot express how profitable my time with her was. I ended up doing a “brain dump” of ideas swirling around in my mind. She then coached me through my ideas to the point where, by the end of our discussion, all of the below occurred:
I felt heard
I felt validated
I found clarity
I have direction
I feel challenged
I have great hope
I feel inspired
I feel collegiality
I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to speak with someone as passionate, knowledgeable, and inspiring as Leah.”
Heidi Vissia, Instructional Coach