Dr. Deborah Childs-Bowen
Dr. Childs-Bowen is Past President for The National Staff Development Council (Learning Forward) and the recipient of the Learning Forward Distinguished Service Award. She currently serves as chair of Board of Trustees for Engaging Schools, formerly known as Educators for Social Responsibility. Childs-Bowen has been a keynote speaker for statewide, national, and international conferences including Beijing, Istanbul, Paris and Manila. Her audiences have ranged from principals, central office staff, and superintendents to classroom teachers, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders. She has contributed to books, training manuals, tool kits, research and professional journals on a variety of subjects. These include the Journal of Staff Development, the Learning Principal and National Association for Secondary School Principals, and The Principal Influence (in press-ASCD) to name a few.
Dr. Childs-Bowen has been a member of Robert Marzano’s Art and Science of Teaching cadre of trainers for over 10 years conducting professional learning opportunities in support to schools, districts, and ministries of education both nationally and internationally. She has a broad base of experience and expertise in leadership development, instructional planning, research-based instructional strategies, school improvement processes, focused strategies for the urban learner, and formative assessment and grading practices. Dr. Childs-Bowen has also led efforts to support teacher induction and retention in high needs schools having been selected as one of three national sites to design a mentoring program for local districts by the New Teacher Center and Carnegie Foundation.
Dr. Childs-Bowen started her career as an elementary classroom teacher and principal in Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA. She worked ten years with SERVE, one of the U.S. Department of Education’s regional educational research laboratory network providers, where her major areas of concentration were in developing of the knowledge base of the urban learner framework; advancing teaching quality through teacher leadership; promoting instructional leadership; and high quality professional development practices. She has also led the professional development services for a large urban district. Dr. Childs-Bowen is a former Director of and Associate Professor for the Alliance for Leadership in Education at Samford University where she developed an Instructional Leadership Academy and led the outreach efforts to districts in instructional leadership development, school improvement, and professional learning in urban and rural districts.
Dr. Childs-Bowen has served as President & Chief Learning Officer of Creative Mind Enterprise consulting for over fifteen years. As an educational consultant she has been a national leader in providing professional learning opportunities and research that advance teaching quality and leadership development particularly in urban settings. She has worked with districts in long-term facilitative leadership, learning, and coaching roles in order to assist LEA’s and schools in achieving their goals. Most importantly her passion for developing equitable learning conditions for all students has been an enduring theme throughout her career.
Dr. Childs-Bowen has been a member of Robert Marzano’s Art and Science of Teaching cadre of trainers for over 10 years conducting professional learning opportunities in support to schools, districts, and ministries of education both nationally and internationally. She has a broad base of experience and expertise in leadership development, instructional planning, research-based instructional strategies, school improvement processes, focused strategies for the urban learner, and formative assessment and grading practices. Dr. Childs-Bowen has also led efforts to support teacher induction and retention in high needs schools having been selected as one of three national sites to design a mentoring program for local districts by the New Teacher Center and Carnegie Foundation.
Dr. Childs-Bowen started her career as an elementary classroom teacher and principal in Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA. She worked ten years with SERVE, one of the U.S. Department of Education’s regional educational research laboratory network providers, where her major areas of concentration were in developing of the knowledge base of the urban learner framework; advancing teaching quality through teacher leadership; promoting instructional leadership; and high quality professional development practices. She has also led the professional development services for a large urban district. Dr. Childs-Bowen is a former Director of and Associate Professor for the Alliance for Leadership in Education at Samford University where she developed an Instructional Leadership Academy and led the outreach efforts to districts in instructional leadership development, school improvement, and professional learning in urban and rural districts.
Dr. Childs-Bowen has served as President & Chief Learning Officer of Creative Mind Enterprise consulting for over fifteen years. As an educational consultant she has been a national leader in providing professional learning opportunities and research that advance teaching quality and leadership development particularly in urban settings. She has worked with districts in long-term facilitative leadership, learning, and coaching roles in order to assist LEA’s and schools in achieving their goals. Most importantly her passion for developing equitable learning conditions for all students has been an enduring theme throughout her career.