ON COMMON GROUND
the qualities of high-performing schools. We recognized, however, that most teachers and principals neither have the resources to attend professional conferences on a regular basis nor the time to devote to becoming students of the work of a variety of authors. Ultimately, we concluded that bringing the ideas of these educational leaders together into one book could be a tremendous resource for educators who are working to help their students achieve at ever-higher levels. We were thrilled when this outstanding collection of educational writers and thinkers agreed to contribute to the project. This book is organized into five sections: “Overview of PLCs,” “Critical Questions of PLCs,” “Creating PLCs,” “Placing PLCs in a Broader Context,” and “A Call to Action.” In the first section, we provide an overview by exploring the conceptual framework of professional learning communities (PLCs). The first chapter identifies the common themes that emerge throughout the book. The second chapter presents Rick’s response to the question, “What is a professional learning community?” He explains that when schools function as PLCs, the educators within them embrace the premise that the fundamental purpose of the school is to see to it that all students learn at high levels, rather than merely be taught at high levels. As teachers and principals make this shift from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning, they recognize that they cannot help all students learn unless they work together collaboratively, and they constantly seek tangible evidence that students have truly acquired the intended knowledge, skills, and dispositions. In the second section—“Critical Questions”—the authors explore the questions that drive the work of educators in learning communities. The commitment to help all students learn
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