35 Best PD Speakers for School District Leadership Teams USA (2026)

Your district leadership team sits in a room together for a precious handful of professional development days each year. The superintendent, assistant superintendents, curriculum directors, chief academic officers, and principal supervisors all clear their calendars. The facilitator you bring in for that day will either catalyse a shift in how your cabinet thinks, communicates, and executes, or it will be another forgettable in-service that changes nothing by Friday.

The challenge is that the PD speaker market for K-12 education is enormous, and most of it targets classroom teachers, not district leadership teams. A brilliant instructional coach who transforms third grade literacy practice may have no idea how to navigate board politics, cabinet alignment, or the post-ESSER fiscal cliff. District leaders need speakers who understand systems thinking, strategic execution, governance complexity, and the unique pressures of leading at scale.

This directory profiles 35 professional development speakers, consultants, and firms who specifically serve school district leadership teams across the United States. Every entry has a track record of working with superintendents, cabinets, and central office teams. The list spans strategic planning, team alignment, instructional leadership at scale, equity systems, organisational health, and innovation.

A 2024 McKinsey report found that K-12 districts across America face a collective budget shortfall of billions as ESSER funds expire, making every professional development dollar count more than ever. Meanwhile, AASA research shows chronic absenteeism, staff retention, and AI integration have become the top three priorities for superintendents heading into 2026. The speakers below address these exact challenges.

At the top of our list is Jonno White, and here is why. Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out with over 10,000 copies sold globally, and a leadership consultant who works with schools around the world. His Working Genius workshops give district leadership teams shared language that transforms how cabinets collaborate, make decisions, and resolve conflict. To discuss how Jonno might support your district leadership team, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

How We Ranked These Providers

Selecting professional development for a district leadership team is fundamentally different from selecting PD for teachers. The stakes are higher, the audience is more experienced, and the political dynamics are more complex. We evaluated each provider against six criteria specifically designed for cabinet-level professional development.

First, we assessed district leadership experience. Speakers who have served as superintendents, worked extensively with central office teams, or built consulting practices specifically around district-level challenges received higher priority. Second, we evaluated methodology and frameworks. The strongest providers offer structured tools, templates, and decision-making frameworks that leadership teams can implement immediately after the session.

Third, we examined customisation capability. District leadership teams need facilitators who study the strategic plan, review data, and understand local context before arriving. Fourth, we assessed follow-up and implementation support. A keynote alone rarely changes district practice. Providers who offer coaching, check-ins, or multi-session engagements scored higher. Fifth, we considered client references specifically from superintendents and assistant superintendents. Sixth, we evaluated service flexibility, including virtual delivery options, half-day and full-day formats, and the ability to work with both large and small district teams.

The Complete Rankings

1. Jonno White, Clarity Group Global

Specialty: Working Genius facilitation, leadership team alignment, DISC, CliftonStrengths, strategic planning facilitation, difficult conversations

Best For: District leadership teams seeking diagnostic frameworks that explain why their cabinet struggles with certain types of work and practical interventions that create lasting change in how the team collaborates

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator who helps district leadership teams understand why some types of work energise individual cabinet members while others drain them completely. The Working Genius framework, created by Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group, has been completed by over 1.3 million people globally in less than five years. It gives superintendents shared language that shifts judgment to understanding and reduces the interpersonal friction that derails so many leadership teams.

What sets Jonno apart for school district leadership teams is his diagnostic approach. Rather than delivering a generic motivational keynote, he uses Working Genius, DISC (Behaviours That Bond), and CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder Amplified) to map the specific dynamics of your cabinet. Superintendents discover why their assistant superintendent for curriculum and their chief operations officer clash during strategic planning. Directors of instruction understand why some project phases energise them while others feel like pulling teeth.

Jonno has delivered keynotes and workshops for schools across the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, India, and South Africa. He is the bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out, which has sold over 10,000 copies globally and addresses the difficult conversations district leaders navigate daily, from performance management to board relations to community conflict. Jonno hosts The Leadership Conversations Podcast with over 230 episodes reaching listeners in more than 150 countries and founded The 7 Questions Movement with over 6,000 participating leaders.

At the ASBA 2025 National Conference, Jonno achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating, ranking among the highest rated sessions. District teams consistently report that his workshops create immediate, practical shifts in how cabinets collaborate and communicate.

Having Jonno travel to the United States for face to face facilitation is often far more affordable than engaging high profile domestic speakers through bureaus. Many districts find that international travel costs less than expected, and Jonno also delivers virtual sessions for teams that prefer remote engagement. Whether your district leadership team needs a full-day Working Genius workshop, a keynote for your superintendent conference, or a multi-session strategic facilitation engagement, Jonno customises every session around your district's specific challenges and strategic priorities.

2. Michael Fullan

Specialty: System-wide change leadership, coherence making, deep learning

Best For: Districts seeking a theory of action that aligns every level of the system from cabinet to classroom

Michael Fullan is widely considered the leading authority on educational system change globally. His books Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems and The Principal 2.0 provide the frameworks that hundreds of American school districts use to move from initiative fatigue to systemic alignment. Fullan helps district leadership teams build what he calls "coherence making," the process of connecting strategy, culture, and pedagogy into a unified direction. His work is particularly valuable for districts navigating multiple simultaneous change initiatives who need a unifying framework. Available through Corwin Press.

3. Solution Tree (PLC at Work)

Specialty: Professional Learning Communities, collaborative culture, district-wide instructional systems

Best For: Districts implementing or strengthening PLC at Work across all buildings

Solution Tree is the largest provider of PLC-focused professional development for K-12 districts in the United States. Their consulting services are explicitly designed for district and school leadership teams implementing PLC at Work, with speakers and consultants including Anthony Muhammad, Mike Mattos, and Cassandra Erkens. Anthony Muhammad, author of Transforming School Culture, is particularly effective with district leadership teams tackling cultural resistance to change. Solution Tree offers multi-day institutes, on-site consulting, and sustained implementation support that goes well beyond a single keynote.

4. Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group

Specialty: Organisational health, team dysfunction, Working Genius

Best For: Cabinets recovering from dysfunction, trust breakdowns, or leadership transitions

Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team is the single most referenced framework by superintendents when diagnosing broken cabinets. The Table Group provides consulting and facilitation services that bring Lencioni's models directly into district leadership team settings. Their Working Genius framework is rapidly becoming the fastest growing team assessment tool in education. Lencioni and his team are premium-tier speakers, but districts consistently report that the investment transforms how their cabinet operates. Note that Certified Working Genius Facilitators, including Jonno White, can deliver Working Genius sessions at a fraction of the cost of booking The Table Group directly.

5. FranklinCovey Education

Specialty: Leader in Me, 7 Habits, Speed of Trust, leadership execution

Best For: Districts implementing Leader in Me or seeking comprehensive leadership culture frameworks

FranklinCovey Education provides leadership development for district and school leaders through their extensive speakers bureau. Stephen M.R. Covey, bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, is particularly valuable for district cabinets recovering from a strike, vote of no confidence, or leadership transition. Sean Covey leads their education practice across 147 countries. Their Leader in Me process has been adopted by thousands of schools, and their district-level consulting helps align building-level implementation with central office strategy.

6. Dr. Douglas Reeves

Specialty: Leadership effectiveness, grading reform, assessment, school improvement

Best For: District leaders navigating controversial but necessary changes like grading reform

Douglas Reeves is the author of more than 30 books and has been twice named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series. His work is practical and blunt, which resonates with district leadership teams who are tired of theory without application. Reeves speaks the language of school boards and helps cabinets build defensible cases for controversial policy changes. His professional development helps district leaders translate research into sustainable practice, particularly around assessment reform, leadership effectiveness, and data-driven decision making.

7. Learning Forward

Specialty: Professional learning systems, leadership team institutes, implementation science

Best For: Directors of curriculum and instruction seeking systematic approaches to district-wide professional learning

Learning Forward is the leading professional association dedicated to advancing professional learning for student success. Their Professional Services division provides district-contracted consulting, leadership team institutes, and sustained implementation support. Their Leadership Team Institute specifically targets district leadership teams and focuses on building the systems and structures that make professional learning effective across an entire district. Learning Forward also hosts the annual conference that draws thousands of curriculum leaders and assistant superintendents.

8. District Management Group (DMGroup)

Specialty: Central office effectiveness, resource strategy, district operations

Best For: District cabinets seeking data-driven approaches to central office operations and resource allocation

DMGroup provides cohort-based institutes, executive coaching, and consulting specifically for district leaders. Their focus on central office effectiveness, academics, operations, and talent management makes them a strong fit for superintendents who want their cabinet to operate with the strategic discipline of a well-run organisation. DMGroup is particularly valuable in the post-ESSER fiscal environment where districts must make hard choices about resource allocation and staffing models.

9. Dr. Pedro Noguera

Specialty: Equity policy, achievement gap, structural change in education

Best For: Districts committed to addressing equity through structural and systemic change rather than surface-level diversity training

Pedro Noguera is Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education and one of the most cited scholars on educational equity in America. His work moves beyond awareness training to address the sociology and economics of running a school district. Noguera helps leadership teams examine the structural barriers within their own systems that perpetuate inequity, then build actionable plans to dismantle them. His presentations are research-heavy but grounded in practical district experience, making them ideal for cabinets ready to move from rhetoric to systemic change.

10. Studer Education

Specialty: Leadership systems, culture, execution, superintendent coaching

Best For: Districts wanting to implement systematic leadership routines and execution frameworks

Studer Education adapts Quint Studer's Evidence-Based Leadership framework for K-12 districts. Their district success programs and superintendent coaching model focus on cascading priorities from the board through the cabinet to building leaders. Studer Education consultants have presented at the AASA National Conference on Education and work with district teams to build the execution discipline that turns strategic plans into daily practice. Their approach is particularly effective for districts that struggle with the gap between planning and implementation.

11. Marzano Resources

Specialty: Evidence-based instruction, High Reliability Schools, leadership systems

Best For: Districts seeking research-grounded instructional leadership frameworks

Dr. Robert Marzano is one of the most cited researchers in American education, with over 50 published books and 200 articles. Marzano Resources provides professional development designed specifically for district and school leadership teams, including their High Reliability Schools framework. Their PD services include on-site training, virtual delivery, and comprehensive implementation support through Solution Tree. For district cabinets focused on building coherent instructional systems across all buildings, Marzano Resources provides the research foundation and practical tools.

12. Zaretta Hammond

Specialty: Culturally responsive teaching and the brain, equity systems leadership

Best For: Leadership teams auditing district policies that block equitable outcomes

Zaretta Hammond is best known for her book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, but her work with district leadership teams focuses on something deeper than classroom strategies. She helps cabinets audit the policies, practices, and systems that actively prevent equitable outcomes for students of colour. Her neuroscience-grounded approach gives district leaders a framework for understanding why certain students thrive and others struggle, then translates that understanding into system-level action. Hammond is particularly effective for leadership teams ready to move beyond awareness into structural change.

13. Dr. Joe Sanfelippo

Specialty: Digital leadership, district storytelling, brand management

Best For: Superintendents wanting to control the district narrative and build community trust

Joe Sanfelippo is a former superintendent and author of Hacking Leadership who understands the superintendent's chair from the inside. His work focuses on how district leaders can use digital platforms and strategic communication to build community trust, attract and retain staff, and compete with private and charter schools for enrollment. His high-energy presentations help tired leadership teams rediscover their purpose and learn to tell the district's story proactively rather than reactively. Sanfelippo is one of the most popular speakers at superintendent conferences across America.

14. Pacific Educational Group (Courageous Conversation)

Specialty: Equity leadership, courageous conversations about race, systemic equity

Best For: Districts building systemic equity frameworks at the cabinet and board level

Founded by Glenn E. Singleton, Pacific Educational Group provides training, coaching, and consulting for district leaders committed to addressing racial equity at the systems level. Their Courageous Conversation framework has been adopted by hundreds of school districts as the foundation for equity work. PEG works directly with superintendents and cabinets to move beyond individual awareness toward institutional and structural change. Their multi-year engagement model reflects the reality that equity transformation requires sustained commitment, not a single PD day.

15. Battelle for Kids

Specialty: Portrait of a Graduate, strategic planning, community-driven district visioning

Best For: Districts undertaking strategic planning or redesigning their graduate profile

Battelle for Kids helps district leadership teams create community-driven strategic plans anchored in a Portrait of a Graduate framework. Their facilitators work with cabinets to engage stakeholders, define competencies that matter for graduates, and align the entire district system around that shared vision. For leadership teams starting a new strategic planning cycle or refreshing an existing plan, Battelle provides structured processes that produce coherent, defensible, and implementable results.

16. WestEd

Specialty: Leadership coaching, improvement science, system design

Best For: Districts seeking research-backed leadership development tied to continuous improvement

WestEd is a nonpartisan research, development, and service agency that provides leadership coaching and professional learning networks for school and district leaders across America. Their approach ties leadership development directly to improvement science, helping cabinets build the habits and routines that drive measurable progress on district priorities. WestEd is particularly strong for districts that value evidence-based approaches and want their leadership development connected to rigorous research.

17. Education Resource Strategies (ERS)

Specialty: Resource alignment, staffing models, district finance strategy

Best For: District cabinets navigating the post-ESSER fiscal cliff and needing to realign resources to priorities

Education Resource Strategies helps district leadership teams align people, time, and money to their highest priorities. In the current budget environment, where ESSER funds have expired and many districts face structural deficits, ERS provides the analytical frameworks and facilitation support that cabinets need to make difficult resource decisions without destroying morale. Their work is particularly relevant for assistant superintendents of business, CFOs, and superintendents facing tough trade-offs.

18. Dr. Adolph Brown

Specialty: Leadership motivation, self-care, trauma-informed leadership, school culture

Best For: District convocations, opening day events, and leadership team morale building

Dr. Adolph Brown, known as Doc Brown, brings what he calls a Party with a Purpose to school districts. A former at-risk student turned clinical psychologist and child development expert, he delivers evidence-based messages on mental toughness, self-care, and collaborative leadership with music, humour, and profound personal stories. While many of his sessions target all-staff audiences, his leadership-specific workshops on having difficult conversations and building collaborative cultures of excellence are directly relevant for district cabinets and principal supervisors.

19. McREL International

Specialty: Evidence-based leadership, balanced leadership framework, school improvement

Best For: Districts seeking research-grounded leadership development with practical application

McREL International provides consulting and professional learning for school districts anchored in their extensive research base. Their Balanced Leadership Framework identifies the specific leadership responsibilities most strongly correlated with student achievement. McREL consultants work with district cabinets on strategic planning, instructional leadership, and building the leadership capacity needed to sustain improvement over time. Their evidence-based approach appeals to district leaders who want their PD grounded in rigorous research rather than personality-driven inspiration.

20. Ron Clark and The Ron Clark Academy

Specialty: School culture, student engagement, leadership energy

Best For: District leadership teams wanting to reignite energy and reimagine what school culture can look like

Ron Clark rose to national prominence as Disney's American Teacher of the Year, and today leads the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta where over 145,000 educators have visited. While his primary audience is teachers and building leaders, his high-energy keynotes on culture, teamwork, and leadership are frequently booked by districts for superintendent conferences, principal retreats, and district-wide convocations. Ron's work is best paired with a follow-up strategic session to translate inspiration into action. Available through the Ron Clark Academy.

21. ASCD Professional Learning Services

Specialty: Curriculum, instruction, leadership development, equity

Best For: Districts seeking comprehensive, multi-topic professional learning from a trusted national organisation

ASCD is one of the oldest and most respected professional organisations in K-12 education. Their Professional Learning Services division provides district-contracted consulting and facilitation across curriculum, instruction, leadership, and equity. ASCD draws from their extensive author and speaker network, giving districts access to thought leaders across virtually every topic relevant to leadership teams. Their credibility and breadth make them a safe and defensible choice for district leaders who need to justify PD spending to their boards.

22. EAB (K-12 Division)

Specialty: Research-informed district strategy, benchmarking, best practices

Best For: District cabinets wanting data-driven strategic guidance and peer benchmarking

EAB provides research-informed strategy support for K-12 districts, including facilitation, benchmarking studies, and expert-led convenings. Their approach gives district leadership teams access to cross-district research and best practices that help cabinets make evidence-based decisions on everything from enrollment management to workforce planning. EAB is particularly valuable for districts that want to learn from what is working in comparable districts across the country.

23. Jimmy Casas

Specialty: School culture, relational leadership, leadership coaching

Best For: District leadership teams focused on culture transformation through daily behaviours

Jimmy Casas is the author of Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes and a former high school principal recognised as Iowa's Principal of the Year. His work challenges district leaders to examine whether their daily behaviours align with their stated values. Through his J Casas and Associates coaching practice, he works directly with leadership teams on building positive school cultures through relational leadership and staff empowerment. His presentations are particularly powerful for cabinets that need to refocus on the human side of district leadership.

24. Hanover Research

Specialty: Strategic planning, governance support, custom research

Best For: Districts needing research-backed strategic planning facilitation and governance consulting

Hanover Research provides strategic planning design, governance support, and custom research services for K-12 districts. Their facilitators help district leadership teams build strategic plans grounded in data and stakeholder input. Hanover is particularly useful for districts that want an external, research-driven partner to facilitate strategic planning conversations rather than relying solely on internal capacity. Their planning frameworks and research capabilities add analytical rigour to the process.

25. UnboundEd

Specialty: Equity-focused instructional leadership, standards alignment

Best For: Districts building equity-centred instructional leadership capacity at the central office level

UnboundEd provides leadership institute pathways for both school-based and instructional leaders, with a strong focus on equity and standards alignment. Their Standards Institute: Instructional Leadership Pathways specifically targets district-level instructional leaders who oversee curriculum and instruction across multiple buildings. UnboundEd helps leadership teams build the knowledge and skills needed to ensure that every student has access to grade-level, standards-aligned instruction regardless of their school assignment.

26. Future Ready Schools (All4Ed)

Specialty: Digital leadership, innovation, technology-enabled transformation

Best For: District leadership teams building technology-enabled learning environments

Future Ready Schools, an initiative of the Alliance for Excellent Education, provides a district team learning cohort focused on technology-enabled leadership. Their framework helps district leadership teams build capacity across innovation, culture, and digital learning. Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation at Future Ready Schools, is one of the most active voices in educational technology leadership and speaks frequently at district events. Their cohort model is particularly valuable for leadership teams that want sustained learning alongside peer districts.

27. Liz Wiseman

Specialty: Multiplier leadership, talent development, organisational effectiveness

Best For: Cabinets wanting to develop high-performing central office staff and emerging leaders

Liz Wiseman is the bestselling author of Multipliers and Impact Players. While her work is not education-specific, her frameworks for identifying and cultivating high-performing staff have been widely adopted by school district leadership teams. Her Multipliers concept, which distinguishes leaders who amplify others' intelligence from those who diminish it, provides a powerful lens for superintendents evaluating their own cabinet's effectiveness. Wiseman is available through major speakers bureaus.

28. HYA (Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates)

Specialty: Superintendent search, executive coaching, strategic planning

Best For: Districts in leadership transition or seeking executive coaching for the superintendent and cabinet

HYA is one of the most established superintendent search and consulting firms in K-12 education. Beyond executive search, they provide strategic planning facilitation and executive coaching specifically for superintendents and their cabinets. HYA consultants typically have extensive experience as former superintendents themselves, which gives them credibility and practical understanding that resonates with district leadership teams. They are particularly valuable during leadership transitions when a new superintendent needs to build team cohesion quickly.

29. Corwin Press (Visible Learning and Author Network)

Specialty: Research-based PD, Visible Learning, Fisher and Frey, academic authors

Best For: Districts wanting research-based PD from published authors with deep academic credibility

Corwin Press maintains a network of published authors and researchers who provide professional development for districts. Their roster includes John Hattie (Visible Learning), Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, and numerous other education researchers. Corwin is the go-to source for districts that want their PD anchored in published research. Their Visible Learning team helps district leadership teams apply the world's largest database of educational research to local decision making.

30. Instructional Empowerment

Specialty: Deeper learning, district partnerships, leadership coaching

Best For: Districts pursuing deeper learning at scale through sustained leadership coaching

Instructional Empowerment provides district partnerships and leadership coaching with a team of former principals serving in leadership coach roles. Their approach focuses on building deeper learning across an entire district system rather than isolated school improvements. For leadership teams that want sustained, embedded coaching rather than one-off PD events, Instructional Empowerment offers the kind of ongoing partnership that produces measurable change over time.

31. Dr. Bill Daggett, Successful Practices Network

Specialty: Future-focused schools, rigor and relevance, Model Schools

Best For: Districts seeking comprehensive school transformation frameworks

Dr. Bill Daggett founded the International Centre for Leadership in Education, now powered by HMH, and created the annual Model Schools Conference. His Rigor and Relevance Framework has become one of the most widely used tools for aligning instruction to real-world application. Daggett's keynotes challenge district leaders to prepare students for the demands of a rapidly changing economy while providing practical pathways for school improvement. He is a perennial favourite for opening convocations and superintendent conferences.

32. Great Schools Partnership

Specialty: Competency-based learning, school redesign, systems change

Best For: Districts exploring competency-based education and systemic redesign

Great Schools Partnership provides school and district redesign support with particular strength in competency-based learning and systems change. Their facilitators work with district leadership teams to rethink how students demonstrate mastery, how teachers assess learning, and how districts structure the educational experience. While their regional strength is in New England, they work with districts nationally and are particularly valuable for leadership teams ready to challenge traditional structures.

33. Marguerite Roza, Edunomics Lab

Specialty: District finance strategy, resource allocation, ESSER fiscal cliff planning

Best For: Superintendents and CFOs navigating budget reductions and resource reallocation

Marguerite Roza directs the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University and is one of the most cited experts on school district finance in America. Her work on strategic resource allocation helps district leadership teams make difficult budget decisions grounded in data rather than politics. With ESSER funds expiring and districts facing structural deficits, Roza's expertise has become essential for cabinets trying to protect instructional quality while reducing expenditure. She is frequently cited in national education media and presents at superintendent conferences nationwide.

34. Dr. Candy Singh

Specialty: Transformational leadership, school culture, leadership development

Best For: Districts seeking experienced leadership development consulting from a practitioner-scholar

Dr. Candy Singh is a nationally recognised leader in education known for her transformational leadership and commitment to creating cultures of excellence. With over 34 years in K-12 and higher education, she currently serves as Clinical Professor of Leadership, Superintendent in Residence, and Director of the Centre for Educational Leadership at the University of La Verne in California. Her speaking and consulting work helps district leadership teams build the skills and systems needed to sustain high-performing cultures over time.

35. Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Specialty: Transformative leadership, community schools, equity, turnaround

Best For: Districts serving high-poverty communities seeking systemic change through a community schools model

Dr. Tiffany Anderson is a transformative Kansas superintendent who was named USA Today's Woman of the Year and is widely recognised for turning around school districts through a community schools model. Her approach addresses the whole child by integrating health services, family support, and academic intervention under one roof. Tiffany's keynotes share the practical systems she built to close achievement gaps in high-poverty communities. For district leadership teams in similar contexts, her lived experience as a sitting superintendent gives her presentations a credibility and practicality that few speakers can match.

Comparison Table

Provider	Specialty	Delivery	Best For
Jonno White	Team alignment, Working Genius	Virtual + On-site	Cabinets, leadership teams
Michael Fullan	System change, coherence	On-site + Virtual	Full district systems
Solution Tree	PLCs, instructional systems	On-site + Virtual	PLC districts
Lencioni / Table Group	Org health, team dynamics	On-site	Dysfunctional cabinets
FranklinCovey Education	7 Habits, Speed of Trust	On-site + Virtual	Leader in Me districts
Douglas Reeves	Leadership, grading reform	On-site + Virtual	Reform-ready districts
Learning Forward	PL systems, implementation	On-site + Virtual	Curriculum leaders
DMGroup	Central office effectiveness	On-site + Virtual	Operations-focused cabinets
Pedro Noguera	Equity policy, systemic change	On-site	Equity-focused districts
Studer Education	Leadership systems, execution	On-site + Virtual	Execution-focused districts

This table highlights ten of the 35 providers listed above. For complete details on all providers, refer to the individual listings.

How to Choose the Right PD Speaker for Your District Leadership Team

Choosing a PD speaker for a district leadership team is fundamentally different from booking a teacher PD day. Cabinet members have decades of experience, strong opinions, and limited patience for content that does not address their specific challenges. The wrong choice wastes a precious day and can actually damage morale.

Start by clarifying what your team actually needs. A cabinet recovering from a trust breakdown needs a different speaker than one launching a new strategic plan. A team that has been together for years needs different provocation than a team with three new members. Match the speaker to the challenge, not the topic to a catalog.

Ask whether the speaker has worked with district leadership teams specifically. There is a significant difference between presenting to a room of 300 teachers and facilitating a working session with 12 cabinet members. The best district PD speakers customise their content based on your strategic plan, data, and team dynamics. They do homework before they arrive.

Evaluate the follow-up plan. A single keynote rarely changes district practice. Ask what implementation supports the speaker offers, whether that includes coaching, follow-up sessions, templates, or accountability structures. The highest-value engagements pair a keynote or workshop with sustained support.

Ask for superintendent references specifically. A speaker who delivers excellent teacher PD may not connect with a cabinet audience. Request references from superintendents in districts similar to yours in size, demographics, and context. Ask those references not just whether the speaker was good, but what changed in the district after the engagement.

Finally, consider the political dynamics. Some speakers deliver content that is essential but controversial. Before booking, assess whether your board, community, and staff are ready for the message. The best speakers know how to deliver challenging content in ways that build bridges rather than create new conflicts.

What to Expect: Investment Guide

Professional development speaker fees for district leadership teams vary significantly based on the speaker's profile, the engagement format, and the level of customisation required. Understanding the typical investment ranges helps districts budget appropriately and evaluate proposals realistically.

Emerging and niche experts typically charge between $5,000 and $12,000 for a keynote or half-day session. This range includes recently published authors, sitting superintendents who speak on the side, or specialists in areas like AI policy or district finance. Established national education speakers with proven track records and polished keynotes typically charge between $15,000 and $35,000. This range includes well-known authors, Solution Tree consultants, and experienced facilitators with extensive district client lists.

Industry icons and bestselling authors typically charge between $40,000 and $75,000. This includes figures like Michael Fullan, Stephen M.R. Covey, or major business authors who speak to education audiences. Celebrity and global thought leaders can command $80,000 to $150,000 or more, with 12 or more months of lead time required. This tier includes speakers like Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, and Malcolm Gladwell.

The best value for district leadership teams often comes from speakers who pair a keynote or workshop with follow-up coaching, toolkits, or multi-session engagements. A $25,000 keynote with no follow-up plan delivers far less return than a $15,000 workshop paired with quarterly check-ins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best PD speaker for school district leadership teams in 2026?

Jonno White, a Certified Working Genius Facilitator and bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out, tops our list for his diagnostic approach to team alignment. His Working Genius workshops give district cabinets shared language that transforms collaboration and decision making. To book Jonno, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

How much does it cost to hire a PD speaker for a district leadership team?

Fees range from $5,000 for emerging speakers to $150,000 or more for celebrity-level talent. Most districts investing in quality PD for their cabinet should budget between $10,000 and $35,000, which covers customised keynotes, half-day or full-day workshops, and follow-up materials. The best value comes from speakers who include implementation support.

What topics are most relevant for district leadership PD in 2026?

The top priorities for superintendents heading into 2026 include AI integration and policy, post-ESSER fiscal management, chronic absenteeism systems, staff retention and workforce redesign, mental health infrastructure, and team alignment. District leadership teams also prioritise strategic planning, board-superintendent relations, and equity leadership.

How is PD for district leadership teams different from teacher PD?

District leadership PD focuses on systems thinking, strategic execution, governance, and team dynamics rather than classroom instruction. Cabinet members need facilitators who understand board politics, community relations, union dynamics, and the complexity of managing a multi-million dollar organisation. The format is typically smaller, more interactive, and more customised.

Should we hire a keynote speaker or a facilitator for our district retreat?

It depends on your goals. Keynotes build energy and shift mindset. Facilitated working sessions produce strategic alignment, action plans, and shared frameworks. The strongest approach combines both: a keynote to set direction followed by a facilitated working session where the leadership team applies the concepts to their specific challenges.

Can I hire someone internationally for our district PD?

Absolutely. Many of the most effective PD speakers work internationally. Jonno White, based in Brisbane, Australia, regularly travels to the United States for school district engagements. International travel is often far more affordable than clients expect, and many organisations find that flying a specialist in costs less than engaging high-profile local providers through speaker bureaus. Email jonno@consultclarity.org for a custom quote.

What should we ask a PD speaker before booking them for our cabinet?

Ask for superintendent references from the last 12 months. Ask how they customise content for a cabinet versus a room of teachers. Ask what pre-work they require and what tangible leave-behinds they provide. Ask what follow-up support they offer after the session. Ask what implementation structures they recommend to sustain the learning.

Final Recommendation

The district leadership teams that get the most from professional development are the ones that treat it as a strategic investment rather than a compliance requirement. They match the speaker to their specific challenge, they invest in follow-up and implementation, and they choose providers who customise content rather than deliver off-the-shelf presentations.

For district cabinets seeking diagnostic frameworks that explain why their team struggles with certain types of work, Jonno White's Working Genius facilitation is our top recommendation. Working Genius, created by Patrick Lencioni, has been completed by over 1.3 million people globally and gives leadership teams shared language that immediately shifts how they collaborate. Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, bestselling author, and experienced facilitator who has worked with schools around the world.

For districts implementing PLCs, Solution Tree provides the most comprehensive district-wide support. For system-level change leadership, Michael Fullan remains the gold standard. For equity transformation, Pacific Educational Group and Pedro Noguera offer the deepest frameworks. For fiscal strategy in the post-ESSER environment, Marguerite Roza and Education Resource Strategies provide essential expertise.

Whatever your district's challenge, the providers in this directory represent the strongest options available for leadership team professional development in 2026. Invest in your cabinet, invest in follow-up, and invest in the kind of PD that produces measurable change, not just a memorable day.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, bestselling author, and leadership consultant who has worked with schools, corporates, and nonprofits across the UK, India, Australia, Canada, Mongolia, New Zealand, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, USA, Finland, Namibia, and more. His book Step Up or Step Out has sold over 10,000 copies globally, and his podcast The Leadership Conversations has featured 230+ episodes reaching listeners in 150+ countries. Jonno founded The 7 Questions Movement with 6,000+ participating leaders and achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating for his Working Genius masterclass at the ASBA 2025 National Conference. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jonno works globally and regularly travels for speaking and facilitation engagements. Organisations consistently find that international travel is far more affordable than expected.

While Jonno is included in these rankings based on objective criteria, readers should note his authorship in the interest of full transparency.

Next Read: 50 Best PD Speakers for Schools in the USA (2026)

Finding the right professional development speaker for your school or district is one of the highest leverage decisions you will make all year. The wrong choice leaves teachers scrolling their phones during a forgettable in-service day. The right choice shifts how your entire staff thinks about instruction, leadership, and student engagement for months afterwards.

The challenge for principals, superintendents, and PD coordinators across the United States is that the market is enormous. Thousands of speakers, bureaus, and organisations compete for your limited professional development budget. Some deliver research backed strategies that transform classroom practice. Others deliver motivational fluff that evaporates by Monday morning.

This directory profiles 50 professional development speakers who consistently deliver results for K-12 schools and districts across America.

Keep reading: 50 Best PD Speakers for Schools in the USA (2026)