Schlechty Center

Annissa Roland Senior Associate

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I believe in our positions, frameworks, and theories. When I work with school districts and educators, I am truly sharing what I passionately believe. For example, I worked a few years ago with a school in need of repair. It was full of good people in a bad situtuation, and its reputation preceeded it. After two years of hard work on their Directional System, those good people turned the culture of the building around, served as leaders in the district, and saw their principal named “Principal of the Year” by her colleagues! Daily, I am inspired!

Working for the Schlechty Center extends my purpose for being in the field of education. As a college freshman volunteer in an inner-city community center, I saw many children who were being destroyed mentally and emotionally by the systems and adults they were invovled with in their schools. It wasn't that the systems and adults wanted to intentionally harm them, they just couldn't see a better way. In my classroom I felt I could rescue and restore the individual student. However, my colleagues were encumbered by the bureaucracy. So I wanted to help them, which in turn would help the students. Now as a part of this Center, I am able to help many educators and systems across the nation and touch the experiences of innumberable students.

ANNISSA ROLAND is an energetic and committed senior associate who has broad educational experience in designing powerful professional learning opportunities for students, teachers, and administrators. Annissa began her career in the Des Moines Public Schools as a multi-age elementary school teacher. While teaching, she was a binding force between Iowa State University and M.L. King Jr. Academy of Math and Science, creating Math Co. whose mission was to design courses rich in math and science, as well as mini-conferences for elementary school teachers. Annissa is a former director of a neighborhood childcare center where she brought an early childhood education focus to the center through parent and staff development. She was a member of the Iowa Early Care and Education Professional Development Project, Des Moines Register's Smart Start Advisory Committee, and Child Care Council of Central Iowa. She has collaborated with regional and state-level administrators to design and facilitate the professional development of early childhood administrators and educators. Annissa has served as both an elementary classroom teacher and as a high school academic coach in Savannah, Georgia, where she was known as a trailblazer in school reform and improvement. Before coming to work for the Schlechty Center, she served as a professional learning training specialist and academic coach in the district office of the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools.