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Emily McClain

Emily McClain, an active practitioner leading the PLC at Work® process, has over 10 years of experience in the work of professional learning communities as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and district leader in both urban and suburban school settings.

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Emily McClain

Emily McClain, an active practitioner leading the PLC at Work® process, has over 10 years of experience in the work of professional learning communities as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and district leader in both urban and suburban school settings. She is currently serving as an instructional coach opening a new preK–6 campus north of Houston for the 2022–2023 school year.

Emily is passionate about the work of professional learning communities to ensure exceptional learning and growth for all students and staff. She utilizes a variety of coaching models to support teachers and campus leadership in becoming highly effective collaborative teams. Emily brings with her a depth of knowledge and expertise in content, collaboration, and assessment practices, and her goal is to support the implementation and refinement of the PLC at Work process to guarantee learning at high levels.

Emily’s first success in the work of professional learning communities was achieved at Coulson Tough K–6 School in Texas. Coulson Tough received certification as a High Reliability School at Level 1 in 2019 and at Level 2 in 2020. Through the implementation of the PLC at Work process, Coulson Tough had dramatic and sustained student growth during the six years Emily served as a classroom teacher, guiding coalition member, and campus instructional coach. In the Spring of 2020, Coulson Tough was recognized as a Model PLC at Work school through Solution Tree. In addition, Coulson Tough was the second school in the United States to receive distinctions as both a High Reliability School and a Model PLC at Work school.

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Sam Houston State University and is completing her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.


PLC at Work®

PLC at Work® experts have proven success in leading the PLC at Work process in a school or district. Work with them to implement a focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and create a results orientation that leads to sustained, substantive school improvement.

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Presentations by Emily McClain

  • A Journey Toward Excellence: Laying the Foundations of a Professional Learning Community
  • From Cooperation to Collaboration: A Move that Matters
  • First Things First: Identifying and Unpacking Essential Standards
  • Maximizing the Power of Common Formative Assessments
  • Coaching Collaborative Teams to Encourage, Equip, and Empower
  • Learning and Growth for ALL