Frame the problem
Look beyond the immediate concern. Ask which decisions, routines, or gaps in support may be contributing to it.
CHRISTINA TAYLOR-DONOVANEducation Leadership • Strategy • Design
ConnectEDUCATION STRATEGY & SYSTEMS DESIGN
A strong idea needs a workable plan.
I look beyond the immediate problem to the decisions, routines, and support shaping it. Then I help teams set priorities, clarify responsibilities, and build a plan they can carry out.
THE STRATEGIC CONTRIBUTION
I can hold the detail and the system at the same time.
My classroom and intervention experience taught me how decisions affect individual learners. Coaching and district work taught me to look at what adults know, how responsibilities are shared, and whether competing priorities leave room to follow through.
Through PAIR, I have brought those lessons into literacy guides, practice cases, professional learning, family resources, and tools that help teams plan and review their work.
HOW I APPROACH SYSTEMS WORK
A clear path without pretending the work is simple.
Examine the system
Look at who is involved, what they are expected to do, and where time, resources, or communication get in the way.
Make the plan clear
Set priorities, assign responsibilities, and identify the tools and learning people need.
Build for use
Develop resources and routines that fit the people, time, and setting.
Review and adjust
Agree on what progress will look like, when to review it, and how to decide what changes next.
EVIDENCE ACROSS MY WORK
Strategy grounded in actual education settings.
INSTRUCTION + INTERVENTION
Precision before response
Used assessment results and follow-up checks to identify a specific skill need, match instruction to it, and monitor progress.
CROSS-SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION
Connect the work before adding more
Supported structured literacy across schools by connecting teacher learning, assessment practices, and instructional expectations. Worked with educators, leaders, curriculum teams, and an external partner.
SYSTEM + RESOURCE DESIGN
Give each resource a clear purpose
Built five K–3 resources that work together: a school planning blueprint, a literacy guide, a family workshop framework, communication tools, and tools for putting plans into practice.
THE CONNECTIONS I WATCH
Strong work fails when its parts compete.
I look for mismatches: a new expectation without time to practice, data without a clear next decision, or a family resource without guidance for using it. Those gaps can keep a good idea from working.
Purpose + priorities
People + support
Process + ownership
Evidence + feedback
LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICEClarity first.
Clarity first.
Support always.
Accountability follows.
I make the purpose and expectations clear. I help people get the knowledge, tools, and practice they need. Then we review what is happening, discuss what needs attention, and follow through on agreed responsibilities.
LET’S CONNECT
Start a conversation Working through an education priority that needs structure?
I welcome conversations about education strategy, team development, resource design, and putting plans into practice.