President and CEO Emeritus

"The work CTL does changes forever the way educators approach their work. The people who have to implement change have to be directly involved in creating the nature of the change. That's the key."

Dr. Linda Hargan, who founded CTL in April 1994, retired from CTL on January 2, 2009. On November 18, 2008 CTL's Board of Directors voted unanimously to confer upon Dr. Hargan the title of President and CEO Emeritus. The Board presented to Linda a special proclamation and a Friend of Education Award honoring her vision for and dedication to CTL, and her years of commitment to improved education for all.

The photo at right shows Board Chair Bill Wilson presenting the proclamation to Dr. Hargan (text of the proclamation can be found at the bottom of this page).

A Passion for Educational Improvement

Dr. Hargan's story is one of a lifetime of commitment to the improvement of education for all. A former public school teacher, Linda has taught at the elementary and high school levels, as well as at the college and graduate levels. She went on to serve as Associate Commissioner for the Office of Learning Programs Development of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), where Linda directed the divisions of preschool education, primary education, professional development, school-based decision making, and student/family support services.

She also served as Kentucky's Associate Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Director for Special Education and Regional Consultant in Reading and Special Education. Linda was also Executive Director of the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative, a regional service agency comprised of 13 school districts.

While Associate Superintendent with the KDE, Linda was instrumental in the design and implementation of key aspects of Kentucky's groundbreaking effort to reform its system of public instruction, known as the Kentucky Education reform Act of 1990. Most notably among her many efforts was the design of a primary program model that would enable elementary schools throughout the state to educate young children along a non-graded, four-year learning continuum based on individual developmental progress. She was the principal author of The Wonder Years, a handbook for Kentucky elementary educators to assist with implementing the Primary Program in their school.

The Founding of CTL

"Until the quality of interaction between teacher and learner is changed, lasting education reform can never be realized." - Linda Hargan

With the advent of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and several challenging years working to integrate the new concepts and practices of the mandate, Linda became increasingly aware of serious a gap in the reform effort: KERA had crafted a plan that included critical reforms of educational governance, finance, curriculum and assessment, but lacked the reforms most fundamental to teaching and learning - those affecting classroom practice. Linda felt then, and continues to believe today, that until the quality of interaction between teacher and learner is changed, lasting education reform can never be realized.

With a new sense of purpose, then, in 1994 Linda resigned her position at the KDE to found and assume leadership of a new entity, then called the Collaborative for Elementary Learning. The new organization was designed to address needs in the areas of pedagogy and classroom practice, to help elementary teachers develop new approaches to reach and teach all the learners.

In the decade and a half since, the mission has expanded to include educators working at all levels - kindergarten through college - and the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning, now known as CTL, has extended its reach beyond Kentucky to schools and education agencies around the United States and abroad.

Linda has always understood that every educator must develop his or her own vision of how best to meet the needs of every learner. Her vision of providing the innovative leadership and support that enables educators to boost learning for all continues to shape CTL's mission, goals and accomplishments as leaders in The Business of Learning.

As CEO, Linda was responsible for directing the management and delivery of CTL's programs, ensuring sound financial management, directing the pursuit of funding to achieve the work of CTL, establishing critical partnerships with other organizations, and representing CTL to stakeholders and other interested groups locally, nationally and internationally.

Since her retirement from that position in 2008, she retains the position of in-house consultant, continuing her work as a primary contact for CTL's work with the Regional Education Laboratory (REL)-Appalachia and the University of Memphis College of Education teacher preparation re-design. Linda conducted leadership sessions as part of CTL's work with the IBM Change Toolkit., and in 2007, she presented papers on CTL's work in literacy at the United States-China Conferences on Literacy and Leadership in Beijing. In December 2008, she and CTL President and CEO Dr. Deborah Walker returned to Beijing, where CTL co-sponsored the China Top High School International Education Forum.

Over the course of her distinguished career at CTL, Linda has done extensive state and national consulting work in systemic reform, and has served on national and local organizations including the President's Task Force on USAID to Education in Underdeveloped Countries, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, the Early Childhood Task Force of the National Arts Education Partnership and the Prichard Committee Task Force on Teacher Quality. She is a member of the board of Lighthouse Academies, Inc. of Massachusetts, and serves as board chair for the National Learning Research Institute in California.

Linda has received numerous awards for her leadership and service to education including, in 1992, the prestigious Service to Education Award from the University of Louisville, sharing the honor with such past recipients as William Bell, former Secretary of the United States Department of Education.

She is married and has two adult children. Her retirement affords her the time and attention needed to spoil her four beautiful grandchildren.

• Service to Education Award, University of Louisville
• Educational Leadership Awards, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Kentucky Association of School Administrators, and Council for Exceptional Children
• Doctor of Education, Administration, University of Louisville
• Master of Education, University of Louisville
• Bachelor of Science, Psychology, University of Louisville
  

Board Proclamation

The Board of Directors
Collaborative for Teaching and Learning

Hereby Recognizes and Honors

LINDA F. HARGAN, Ed.D.

WHEREAS, Dr. Hargan has committed her professional career to the improvement of education for all learners in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, nationally and abroad; and

WHEREAS, she has illustrated this commitment throughout her professional career by holding positions of classroom educator, State Director of Special Education, Executive Director of the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative, Associate Commissioner for the Office of Learning Programs Development of the Kentucky Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, she envisioned the need for the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning, founded the corporation in April, 1994 and was one of three original incorporators as noted on the Articles of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State in Frankfort Kentucky and dated July 22, 1998; and

WHEREAS, she performed her role as Founder and CEO of the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning with exemplary leadership and utmost professionalism in her commitment to the mission of the corporation, while exhibiting care and concern for members of the staff of the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the members of the Board of Directors and the staff of the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning do hereby bestow upon Dr. Hargan their sincere respect and heartfelt appreciation for her years of service to the betterment of the corporation.

Presented at a regular meeting of the Board on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning in Louisville Kentucky