Marcia Baldanza is a life-long educator and transformational K-12 leader. She is a recognized school-turnaround expert and has committed her professional career to changing outcomes in Title I schools for more than 20 years. Dr. Baldanza worked to improve equity and access for under-resourced communities and helped migrant families access educational opportunities while maintaining educational consistency. She has received recognition for her turnaround work moving failing schools to achieving schools through transforming the culture; creating protocols for collaborative faculty learning; and funding schools and programs more fairly. Dr. Baldanza now shares that knowledge with others who aspire to innovate and change the future of teaching and learning.
Marcia has been a senior consultant with Just ASK Publications and Professional Development and authored more than 40 issues of Professional Practices for the 21st Century Leader , a newsletter with tips and tools to implement the Professional Standards of Educational Leadership (PSEL) and more than 50 issues of EmpowerED3.2.1, a collection of ideas from varied genres related to timely concerns in K-12 education. Marcia also collaborated with the 160 Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) schools and Virginia Tech to create a classroom walkthrough tool and a school improvement toolkit. While there she taught in the Graduate School of Education Leadership program teaching Leadership and Change, Instructional Leadership, Administration of Instructional Programs, Administrative Internship, and served on dissertation committees during her five-year tenure.
Dr. Baldanza serves on the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras Board of Directors and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee. Marcia also serves on the Board of Advisors for the School of Education at Syracuse University. Marcia earned a Doctor of Education in Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota. She has a master’s degree from the University of North Texas, and a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University. Marcia is on faculty in the School of Education and teaches in the masters of education program and doctoral students obtaining a degree in Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation.
