We can support you to collectively

1) Determine your purpose,

2) define the reciprOcal culture,

3) build cohesion, and

4) maintain momentum.

TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Schools need access to organizations where the collective can do their best work even as leaders come and go.

HOW

This approach to shared leadership and ethical intelligence has been a reliable driver of quality and effectiveness for decades.

What people are saying

 
“Considering our work together on multiple projects, we fully support Rich as a specialist in building cultures for the long term.”
— Authority Ann Rhoades is author of the best-selling leadership book, Built on Values (2011) with the foreword by Stephen Covey. She is also founder of the consulting firm, People Ink. For over 25 years, they have helped others to build sustainable environments through shared purpose, behavioral-based values, and performance. Clients include leaders across numerous service-oriented sectors. Ann has been a pioneering chief people officer across multiple organizations, served on numerous boards, been quoted in countless publications, and is a long-time member of the Washington Speakers Bureau.
 
 
“Follow your next strategic planning process with the collective work of aligning your culture. To learn more, speak to Rich.”
— Authority Christopher T. Cross is a past senior fellow with the Education Commission of the States and the Center for Education Policy, president of the Council for Basic Education, assistant US secretary of education, president of the Maryland Board of Education, director of the Business Roundtable Education, and co-founder of FourPoint Education Partners, formerly Cross & Joftus. He has been a highly-valued resource to local, state, and federal educational officials for decades.
 

About Us

LSF was started with support from UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, K-12 authorities, and partner People Ink to support schools and systems in sustainably aligning their communities with their visions in return for long-term continuous student improvement. Systemic trust/cohesion. In the words of longtime education authority Michael Fullan, “Culture is the hallmark of effective leadership.”

As a leader and then partner to others, Rich has helped elementary, middle, and high school communities to create culture, in addition to a medical center. He has also assisted district authorities in increasing their related capacity and conducted parallel Ph.D. studies. Before this, he led the turnaround of four schools, P-12 (student leadership, achievement, enrollment, and overall operations), and the refinement of an elite college preparatory program. The values that guide his behavior and decision-making are rooted in the powerful influence of diverse cultural experiences, gateway mentorship, and a steadfast dedication to aligning cultures with shared visions for excellence and sustainability. When not at work, Rich enjoys spending time with Amy, who works statewide in rural philanthropy, and their son Cole, who is a first-year student at CU Boulder.

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As a co-founder of People Ink, Gayle has helped create cultures across many professions, including patient-centered medicine and higher education. She has over 30 years of experience working in and partnering with numerous U.S. and global organizations. Before that, she was an experienced chief learning officer for a large organization where she was responsible for culture transformation, organizational and leadership development, and talent management. She is also a national leader for women entrepreneurs, having served as Board Chair for the National Association of Women Business Owners and as a board member for the Center for Women’s Business Research. Gayle lives in Bella Vista, Arkansas. She is an avid golfer along with her husband Grant. To learn more about Gayle, Ann, and the rest of their all-star team, go to www.peopleink.com.

What others are saying:

testimonials

Teacher Preparation Authority

“Teacher turnover is much more than a pipeline, preparation, and pay issue. It is an organizational alignment problem. Great schools reflect their community or their culture. Principals, including great ones, come and go. I know this, having spent my life in education. Rich knows this too, and he is not just talking about it.”

Dr. Charles Coble, a long-time authority on teacher preparation and development and past Vice President of the Education Commission of the States

Principal

“Rich helped us dig deep as a new school to understand and fully flesh out our shared values and then to integrate and live those values throughout the school. The shift takes time, but for us, it has paid dividends over the years in creating a cohesive group of adults who are moving forward toward a common educational vision.”

- Tammy Finch, Director of The Expedition School (K-8 charter; NC)

Principal

“I put my heart and soul into the school, and I was concerned that, like so many other schools that lose a long-term leader, the turnover rate would soar and damage the program we had built together over so many years. … Rich’s guidance was completely successful. After I left, the turnover rate did not spike, and the framework continues to be in place years later.”

- Mitch Stensland, retired principal of Chatham Central High School (NC)

Superintendent

“Having a people-centric culture, that is, one that nurtures your employees, students, and families, can help your school system stand out from the competition. If you are new to the superintendency or your board and team are ready to go to the next level, consider speaking with Rich. Our experience impressed us, and we hope to work with him and Gayle again.”

- Dr. Markley, former superintendent of New Hanover County Schools (NC)

Faculty and Staff

“How much everyone wanted not only to create a great environment for the kids but a great environment for the adults as well. | The opportunity to be involved in a wonderful school environment. | I appreciated the philosophy and values of the school and the PBL focus. | The school’s values.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE SCHOOL THAT ATTRACTED YOU? - Survey responses from staff members who were brought on together following the process

Practician

“For years, I, like Rich, have been partnering with Ann Rhoades and People Ink. Today, the framework is reflected in the cultures of the five universities that make up the Texas Tech system. The shift has allowed students, faculty, staff, future health practitioners, and other graduates to thrive and grow in ways not previously realized.”

- Steve Sosland, Leader and Culture Development Vice Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System

P-12 Education Authority

“Too many times we have gone into a school, and the work failed to take root as a result of the culture not being ready from the start or the conditions changing when the principal left. Rich’s initiative can help change this common paradigm and the related long-term growth of our kids.”

- Dr. Terry Roberts, long-time director of the National Paideia Center, one of the oldest school reform models in the United States

Compassion Health Care

(The process followed a referral from a pilot school.)

“We incorporate our values into everything we do, starting with hiring & onboarding. Our staff embodies our core values because these principles are not just words on paper—they guide every aspect of how we care for our patients and interact with our community. Through quarterly staff meetings focused on our built-on-values model, regular recognition of value-based behavior, and open discussions about the importance of these values, our team is deeply committed to living them out daily. From leadership setting the example to ongoing training and support, we ensure that every staff member understands and incorporates our core values into their work, creating a culture of compassionate, patient-centered care.”

- CHC serves multiple rural communities on or near the border of Virginia and North Carolina.

Purpose

To make access to great, enduring education cultures dependent only on the commitment of each community.

Behavior-Based Values

Goal INTERDEPENDENCE: succeeds through transparency.

  • Maintains a disciplined focus on employee-student-family-community-centered progress.

  • Demonstrates a significant desire to discover what others can offer.

  • Goes the extra mile to help others succeed and fill any void.

  • Recognizes the contributions of others and affirms and celebrates their successes.

PURPOSE: always does what is right.

  • Greets others with eye contact and a genuine smile.

  • Takes the time to develop, support, and maintain positive relationships.

  • Contributes the best of her/his ability for the good of the collective.

  • Never compromises the values.

GROWTH: focuses on organizational and individual goals.

  • Thrives by developing her/himself and others by learning from past successes and failures.

  • Thinks big, thinks differently; asking why, why not, or what could be. Explores all challenges with an attitude of curiosity.

  • Promotes diversity of thinking in return for the best results including long term continuous improvement.

Goal Interdependence KPIs:

  • Short-term: Student academic resilience, family involvement, community support, and employee enthusiasm.

  • Long-term: Student success, family enrollment, community investment, and employee cohesion.

Facilitation/Analysis: What is your ideal future and how well aligned is your community to that vision?

Guidance/Coaching: Do you need help in better-engaging others, asserting yourself to overcome obstacles, building trusting relationships, or making informed and unbiased decisions?

Partnership: Are you up against repeatedly disappointing levels of student success, family involvement, community support, enrollment, or employee enthusiasm, or committed to building the contrary to sustain?

Free consultation:

 

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