Leadership Development


  • Melinda Springman-Herrera, Director
    Phone: (561) 649-6844
    3300 Forest Hill Boulevard, Suite C-206
    West Palm Beach, FL 33406


    Purpose and Functions

    Leadership Development; Learning, Leading and Growing Together
    From aspiring leaders to seasoned administrators, Leadership Development focuses to improve student achievement by providing rigorous and relevant professional development opportunities. These programs are designed to prepare and support creative and passionate leaders with interpersonal skills, communication, conceptual skills, and group leadership skills to lead schools toward improving student learning and academic growth.

    Additionally, the department supports professional growth across the District including the District Leadership Academy, facilitates the Marzano School Leader Evaluation Model and offers coaching and training across the leadership continuum.  Services provided include:

    - Aspiring Assistant Principal Program (AAAP) - The Aspiring Assistant Program is designed for teacher-leaders eager to serve in a leadership capacity. It is based on the Florida Principal Leadership Standards and focuses on effective instructional leadership for all student populations. Capitalizing on our Strategic Plan, this program is designed to provide aspiring leaders with complex and relevant experiences to help prepare them to lead our District schools.

    - ExEq - In partnership with the Wallace Foundation and Florida Atlantic University, ExEq is a 22-month Master's Level program which allows participants to earn a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership while completing the District's Aspiring Leaders program simultaneously. Instructors are current principals and District leaders. ExEq provides job embedded, experiential learning targeting high needs schools.

    - Principals' Leadership Academy (PLA)
    - The Principals’ Leadership Academy provides professional development opportunities for school leaders. Leaders are given opportunities to attend a variety of sessions centered around the valuable work of our school leaders. The format of these sessions from conference style with a menu of choices to targeted whole group learning opportunities.

    - Preparing Future Principals Program (PFPP)- The Preparing Future Principals’ Program is a comprehensive one-year leadership preparation program designed for extremely motivated and highly effective assistant principals/District leaders who are aspiring to become a principal. It is based on the Florida Principal Leadership Standards and capitalizes on our Strategic Plan. In this program, future principals engage in rigorous and relevant instructional, leadership experiences.

    2021 Governor's Sterling Award Recipient - Florida Sterling Council - A State of Excellence